Dr. Nina Oberschmidt has been in Columbus her whole life, but seems to hold a special place in her heart for Dublin. She attended The Ohio State University and studied pharmacy and pre-med while also playing for the school’s field hockey team.
Now she’s settled at OhioHealth Dublin Methodist Hospital where she enjoys sitting down with patients face-to-face, taking the time to really get to know each individual she cares for.
Data within an American College of Physicians study revealed that 76 percent of patients surveyed didn’t feel they had a good relationship with their primary care physician. Further research shows that weak relationships lead to less honesty and, therefore, a patient may not divulge important information that their doctor needs to know.
Oberschmidt sees each patient as a unique individual rather than numbers on a chart, which is why she was so excited to work with the OhioHealth ENGAGE program.
ENGAGE is a health and wellness program that educates people on lifestyles that prevent risk factors associated with heart and vascular diseases. It’s an opportunity to talk to health care experts face-to-face and learn about realistic changes a person can make to improve their lifestyle overall. Instead of reading impersonal pamphlets and taking medication you’re not even sure how to pronounce, the ENGAGE program is a hands-on experience meant to teach people how to take control of their health.
This is the first year the program teamed up with the Dublin Community Recreation Center, and based on how successful the day was, further collaboration is likely on the horizon.
“It was an awesome opportunity to be in the community and get one-on-one time with patients,” Oberschmidt says. “We feel like there’s never enough time.”
The DCRC certainly boasts impressive facilities but, Oberschmidt says, the instructors that helped with exercise education really made the ENGAGE program a success. The DCRC’s impressive team of fitness instructors are not only passionate and positive, but care about each individual, tailoring workouts to suit people with different chronic diseases or conditions.
Oberschmidt says she loved to see that, as she sees each patient as a unique person – there’s no one-size-fits-all plan. For example, patients who are older with osteoporosis may require a different kind of workout plan compared to patients who have experienced heart failure.
One of Dublin Methodist’s missions is to begin actually prescribing exercise as medicine, because it’s so vital to achieving a well-balanced, healthy lifestyle. The American Heart Association advises that the average adult should be active for at least 150 minutes a week. Oftentimes people take this as a suggestion rather than a necessity for strong mental, physical and emotional functions.
Rather than simply telling her patients to hit the gym or drop and give her 20, Oberschmidt delves into extensive motivational interviewing, a method in which she focuses on what pushes someone to achieve their goals.
“I sit down and figure out what makes them sweat and what they enjoy doing,” she says. “Then we can incorporate that into their lifestyle and really dig into what makes them want to do it.”
Oberschmidt certainly gets a taste of her own medicine, as she’s a spin instructor and exercises every day.
“I feel like I’m a more effective, productive, happy person when I exercise,” she says. “What’s better than blasting music and sweating with a bunch of strangers?”
Similarly, Oberschmidt says the food we eat is just as important as any medicine we may be prescribed.
The National Center for Biotechnology Information provides research on how dietary modifications can help prevent and manage chronic diseases. Health care can begin right in your own kitchen cabinets - you may just need a little nudge in the right direction.
“There’s diets and then there’s fad diets,” Oberschmidt says. “We encourage patients never to see a food recommendation as a temporary diet, but a lifestyle change.”
For this kind of forward-thinking, Oberschmidt is in the right place. Dublin has been known for its collaborations with medical facilities like Dublin Methodist, OhioHealth, the Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine - where Obserschmidt was actually one of the first to attend – and the DCRC. The community strives to nurture innovative practices and programs for their residents.
“Dublin has so many resources, it’s just about connecting with people who share your interests,” she says. “This is an awesome community to serve.”
Mallory Arnold is an assistant editor. Feedback welcome at marnold@cityscenemediagroup.com.
