Premier Medical Group, a mid-Hudson Valley based multi-specialty practice, has been home to urologist Paul K. Pietrow since 2005. For the third year in a row, Dr. Pietrow has been nominated by his peers, and chosen by Castle Connolly as a Hudson Valley Top Doc to be featured in the June 2014 issue of Hudson Valley Magazine. Dr. Pietrow sheds some light on what he believes makes a “Top Doc” in the rapidly changing healthcare landscape and what the support of his practice means, both in and out of the office.
How are Top Docs chosen?
There are countless doctors practicing throughout the Hudson Valley, but only a handful make it on to Hudson Valley Magazine’s esteemed Top Docs list. What exactly qualifies one as a “Top Doc”? The selection process begins as peer nominations – all licensed physicians are invited to take part in an online survey. After all nominations are received, Castle Connolly, a physician-led research company stringently reviews each submission and determines which doctors make the cut. The reviews include medical education, training, certifications, hospital appointments, administrative posts, professional achievements, and malpractice and disciplinary history. Castle Connolly also determines at which level qualified physicians should be listed, either regionally or nationally. According to Castle Connelly’s team, “Regional Top Doctors are highly sought after physician leaders in their communities and metropolitan areas. National Top Doctors are the top referred specialists that attract patients from wide geographical areas and across the country.”
The man behind the surgical mask
Dr. Paul Pietrow encompasses everything that a Top Doc should be: a well-received board certified urologist, surgeon, husband, father, and volunteer board member for the Rhinebeck Crew Team. Growing up, Pietrow didn’t necessarily recognize his affinity for medicine. “In high school I took a career aptitude test. The results concluded that I was best suited to become a surgeon. I actually thought to myself ‘yeah right!’ Ironically, after completing my undergraduate degree and teaching Latin for three years, I decided to go back to school to become a doctor. In choosing to pursue medicine, and surgery in particular, I was drawn to the challenge of putting a lot of different skills together – both theoretical and technical,” says Pietrow.
Not everyone grows up dreaming of becoming an urologist, not even Pietrow, but the line of work certainly has an undeniable appeal. “The field of Urology has a strong history of technological advancements. Endoscopic surgery, lasers, laparoscopy and robotic surgery all have a strong foundation in our discipline. I was interested in these aspects and took an extra year of fellowship training to specialize in these techniques. After three years on the faculty of the University of Kansas Medical Center, I was ready to move back to the East Coast. At the same time, Premier was specifically looking for a physician to perform advanced laparoscopic surgery, something that was beginning to take hold in the mid-Hudson Valley. I brought a whole new level of tech geek to the practice,” jokes Pietrow.
Dr. Pietrow specializes in minimally invasive surgery, laparoscopic and robotic surgery, kidney stones, and urological cancer. More recent and now standard surgical methods, such as minimally invasive and robotic surgery call for either extra training or increased exposure during residency. Pietrow commends the skilled surgeons he trained with at Vanderbilt University Medical Center declaring that, “…if I could be half as good as my chairman, Dr. Joseph Smith, I know I’d be a good doctor.”
Premier’s urology division has grown to include 13 physicians, many possessing a particular sub-specialty, allowing the division to practice in an all-encompassing and symbiotic nature. “This practice is a great group of very talented people. We all offer our own ‘niche’ so to speak. I can confidently and proudly refer a patient to a colleague in an area they excel in. We complement one another as a team,” adds Pietrow.
What makes a Top Doc?
Dr. Pietrow has appeared on the Hudson Valley Top Doc List since 2012 and has been featured in Albany’s “Best Doctor” List in 2010, 2011 and 2014. Most would agree that the ideal physician is as equally empathic as he or she is knowledgeable. Closing the gap between patient and public perception, a Top Doc can balance these attributes, delivering a high-quality level of service to his or her patient community. “My mantra is ‘treat others as you would like to be treated.’ The connections I make with the people I treat are what truly makes my job interesting,” comments Pietrow.
On the horizon
The future is bright for medicine. While it is no secret that the medical landscape is changing rapidly on both a local and national level, it is not the business side of these changes that appeal most to physicians like Pietrow. “We are beginning to see real inroads in the field of genetic DNA testing and screening. Tailoring the evaluation and management of these genetic profiles will provide added guidance to physicians, I expect starting specifically with prostate cancer. It will be a fascinating practice that Premier will, of course, adopt and that will be a great benefit to so many people,” concludes Pietrow.