FAFP October Member Spotlight

Michelle Henne, MD, CAQSM, FAAFP

• Location: Winter Haven, FL
• Practice Type: Sports Medicine Private Practice
• Roles played: Physician, Entrepreneur, Wife, Dog Mom, Cypress Gardens Water Skier, Gym Enthusiast, Fisherman.

What am I doing to bring health back into healthcare?

Healthcare functions best with a team-based approach. A team comprised of informed and communicating team members will optimize healthcare delivery.

As a sports medicine clinician, I and my team are focused on the accurate diagnosis of musculoskeletal conditions. I enjoy treating challenging ases that others have been unable to get better with the typical tools. For example, one of my patients is an avid runner who had been repetitively told by their PCP and multiple specialists that they have patellofemoral pain syndrome with persistent pain in spite of physical therapy, multiple types of injections, and arthroscopy for a “clean up.” Through a diagnostic and therapeutic block, we discerned that her pain was generated by a compressive nerve impingement and resolution of symptoms with subsequent hydrodissection is very rewarding for me and the grateful patient.

We all know how valuable education is, but we don’t always know how to make it available to our patients. I bring patient education to where the patients are located. Not only do we provide education in our office during office visits, I also provide our community with extensive educational opportunities in places such as libraries, gyms, sporting goods stores, auditoriums, radio shows, TV shows, cafeterias, ballet studios, bike shops, and neighborhood clubhouses. The topics have ranged from conservative ways to improve knee pain in an aged individual with arthritis to injury prevention techniques in cyclists or runners.

Not only do I spend a large part of my time educating the community, I have also created a monthly educational opportunity during which athletic trainers, physical therapists, physicians, residents, medical students, and surgeons come together for education on topics pertaining to the sports medicine team. Continuing education and networking occur so that all are in close communication and aware of the ways that we, each in our respective specialized areas, can optimize care for the active populations we care for.

In the area of community outreach, I work with our local high schools, state college and universities athletic programs to provide accessible access to medical care for athletes. Considerations of their sports participation and return to play discussions occur at every patient visit for these athletes. I continue to provide physician coverage for elite events such as USA Boxing, LPGA, USA Rugby League, FINA, USA Water Ski and Wake Sports, and MLB Spring Training.

Having become involved in so many areas professionally and personally within the community, I am also aware of the importance of self-care and burnout prevention. As such, I have been involved in the development of a quarterly collegial dinner meeting for new physicians in the Polk County area. Not only does it benefit the participating physicians personally, in areas such as burnout prevention, but it also enhances communications professionally thereby improving patient care.