South Florida Health and Wellness Magazine Health and Wellness Articles
Related Articles
Family is at the core of the medical practice of Drs. Robert C. Greer IV and Robert C. Greer V.
The father and son duo specialize in family medicine at their offices in Lake Park, where they are continuing a tradition begun in the late 1950s by Dr. Robert C. Greer III. They’re joined by Kelli Greer, R.N., B.S., Practice Manager, the wife of Robert IV and the mother of Robert V.
Dr. Greer IV says it was virtually a foregone conclusion that he would follow in his father’s footsteps after completing his training in Orlando in 1978.
“After more than 20 years of solo practice – and this was in the days of house calls – he was getting a bit tired,” recalls Dr. Greer IV. “I am glad I did join him as he died at 61 of pancreatic cancer after I had practiced with him for about 10 years.”
A love for working with his hands and faced-paced environment initially led to Dr. Greer V to consider an emergency room physician. But that ambition faded away as his medical training progressed.
“Growing up I was privileged to witness what true primary care should be,” explains Dr. Greer V. “My father loves what he does and works hard to convey that. I trained in New York City, Texas, Oregon, inner city Los Angeles, Atlanta, rural Georgia and even internationally. I feel as though I got to see the discrepancy in modern American healthcare, up close, and what the true issues were. During my intern year I got to work in a hospital where I saw medicine get a 1000% markup and administrators dictate care in place of the patient’s or the doctor’s orders. There were many instances where I felt the patient’s best interests were not at heart and I longed for the ideal circumstance my father had.”
He joined forces with his father about one year ago when Dr. Greer IV invited him to form a partnership.
“It feels great to carry on the tradition and the patients respond to that level of dedication,” says Dr. Greer V. “Most of my friends whose parents are doctors encourage them to pursue other fields due to pay cuts and red tape. My dad has always said it is the most noble of professions and I can’t disagree.”
The Drs. Greer practice Osteopathic medicine – a healthcare system rooted in not just treating specific symptoms, but in preventing disease by factoring in how the body’s systems are interconnected and affect each other.
“The Osteopathic concept is the body is a self-healing organism and disease signifies an alteration in the homeostasis or balance in that organism,” explains Dr. Greer IV. “I suggest we are a body, mind and spirit and if one of this trio is not right, the whole is at risk for “dis-ease” or a state of illness. This leads to a D.O. (doctor of Osteopathy) concept of the role of the musculoskeletal system as a critical part of the “body” equation. All the body’s nerves exit the skull and spine and all the blood vessels are controlled by these nerves. If the skeletal system is not right this may well impact the whole body in multiple ways.”
Both men specialize in family care for all ages and Dr. Greer IV also specializes in Aviation Medicine. The office also provides all types of immunizations, including those required for overseas travel, as well as EKGs and immigration, school, DOT, CDL, and U.S. Coast Guard physicals. Additionally, the office is an MRO NIDA certified drug collection site and provides all types of drug testing.
Dr. Greer V points to several factors as having helped make the practice a success over the years.
“Patients know we’re here for the long haul,” he says. “We’re not a gigantic corporation or a hospital owned entity. We know patients on a first-name basis and we see families. We also forward the office phone to our cell phones after hours, so we are always in touch. You just don’t get that care anywhere else and that’s appealing to a lot of patients.”
For more information or to schedule an appointment, please call (561) 844-2464 or visit our website at www.greerdr.com.
