Every patient enters a healthcare appointment with a different story. Some arrive with a clear question, while others are sorting through symptoms, worries, or information they found online. Some patients feel comfortable speaking up and others could be anxious about accessing a particular type of care for the first time.

Meeting patients where they are means recognizing those differences. It means listening before making assumptions, communicating clearly, and building a plan around the individual person.

At WFMC Health, providers across primary care, pediatrics, women’s health, and behavioral health share a commitment to creating that kind of experience.

Meeting Patients Where They Are WFMC health

Care Begins With Feeling Heard

Feeling like your healthcare provider truly listens is one of the most important foundations of a trusting relationship.

Amy Whitsa, PA-C, wants patients to leave knowing their concerns mattered and that there is a clear path forward, even when everything can’t be addressed in a single visit.

“I definitely want them to feel like they were heard,” she explained. “If we didn’t have time to address everything, that we made a plan for a follow-up.”

She continued, “I want them to feel confident in the recommendations I gave and…what our treatment plan was.”

Dr. Nitish Jagpal describes this listening period as giving families the time they need to share their concerns.

“I give them good enough time to tell me their story,” he said. “I listen carefully and this helps me make an evidence-based treatment plan for them.”

Recognizing That Every Patient Is Different

Healthcare is rarely one-size-fits-all. Each person brings different priorities, experiences, needs, and comfort levels into the room. Amy sees that flexibility as one of WFMC Health’s strengths.

“I think that at WFMC Health, we do a good job of recognizing that medicine is not black and white,” she said. “Patients all have different wants and needs and [we’re] treating people where they’re at.”

For Dr. Emily Nebzydoski, meeting patients where they are is especially important in pediatrics. A first-time parent may need time to talk through many questions, while an experienced parent might want a more focused conversation. Children and teenagers also have their own personalities and levels of comfort at the doctor’s office.

“I try to be as non-judgmental as possible,” she said. “So hopefully I meet their needs or meet them where they’re at in their child’s life.”

Her goal is to create a safe space for both children and parents.

“I just hope that [the parents] feel heard, that they’re comfortable with me caring for their child, and they feel like they can ask me anything,” she shared. “And same thing going into adolescence. I really try to make sure they know they can tell me anything.”

Building Trust Through Communication

Patients today have access to more health information than ever before. They might show up to their appointment with questions based on something they read online, heard from someone they know, or found through a search or artificial intelligence tool.

Rather than dismissing those questions, Amy focuses on explaining how the available information applies to that individual patient.

“[I’m] communicating what we’re doing and why we’re doing it,” she explained. “If we’re not doing what Google says, then, ‘Why are we not doing that?’ and explaining.”

Clear communication helps patients understand their choices and participate in decisions about their care. It also acknowledges that asking questions is a meaningful part of the healthcare experience.

For behavioral health provider Miguel Gonzalez, LPC, trust can build before the conversation even begins.

“I think how you build trust is also how you come into the room,” he said. “It’s having a good tone of language and good body language as well.”

He added, “I think the way you present your authentic self can go a long way [in] being able to create some trust and maybe some rapport with the client as well.”

Creating Comfort and Emotional Safety

Meeting patients where they are also means paying attention to how they feel in the healthcare environment. This can be particularly important when someone is connecting with behavioral health services for the first time. Patients may feel nervous, uncertain, or unsure about what to expect.

Daisy Barrios-Hani, LCSW, and the behavioral health team work to make those first conversations feel safe and approachable.

“We try our best to make sure that they’re comfortable when we’re meeting with them,” she said. “And sometimes that means maybe not meeting in the exam room. Sometimes that means meeting in one of the offices that is a little bit away from some of the busyness of the clinic.”

Miguel shares a similar goal.

“I want them to feel welcome. I want them to feel heard,” he shared. “I think those are the two big things for me, particularly if they have never met with a behavioral health provider before.”

Sometimes meeting a patient where they are means offering information or helping them identify what they need. Other times, it simply means being present and listening.

Daisy explained, “Hopefully we [can] at least provide a listening ear, even if somebody doesn’t know what they need at the moment. We’re here to just help with whatever we can.”

Making Time for Questions and Relationships

Time can make a meaningful difference in how supported a patient feels throughout an appointment. Certified nurse midwife Devin Salazar values opportunities to move beyond a rushed interaction and give patients space to learn, ask questions, and build relationships.

“I really like to be able to sit and get to know people and provide a lot of education and answer questions,” she said.

That approach is reflected in Centering Pregnancy®, WFMC Health’s group prenatal care program. Participants receive extended time with providers and one another, creating space for education, conversation, and shared support.

The same relationship-centered philosophy appears throughout family medicine. Dr. Oleg Balter values caring for people over time and wants each appointment to feel personal.

“I want them to feel taken care of and listened to,” he said. “I want them to feel that they were heard and that their problems matter. And I want them to leave thinking that that’s going to happen the next visit too.”

Care Centered on the Whole Person

Meeting patients where they are does not require the healthcare provider to have every answer immediately. It requires curiosity, respect, and a willingness to work together.

It can look like adapting a conversation to a child’s age, making room for a parent’s questions, explaining why a recommendation differs from something found online, or helping someone take a first step toward behavioral health care.

Across those different experiences, the goal remains the same: to help each patient feel welcomed, heard, and included in their care.

At WFMC Health, compassionate care begins by seeing the person behind the appointment and meeting them with the time, understanding, and support they need.

This article was first published on WFMCHealth.org.