By Linda Lane
“I’m the first physician to open a practice in Schoolcraft in 34 years,” said Curtis Buchheit, M.D. He and his wife, Danielle, opened “Wellspring,” on Grand Street earlier this year.
“I thought there was a real growth opportunity, but I’ve been really surprised by the dramatic interest here. This community is just so supportive. We’ve lived in the Schoolcraft community for 11 years, and it is by far the place I most consider home,” Buchheit said.
Buchheit is a board-certified internist and a pediatrician who has practiced medicine since 1994. He completed his undergraduate work in math at Ohio State University and his M.D. at the University of Cincinnati. He completed an internal medicine and pediatric residency at University of Tennessee-Memphis, a program that offered training in a variety of settings, including St. Jude Children’s Hospital – an experience that greatly influenced his perspective on both medicine and faith.
His practice career has been diverse, including four years as outpatient clinic director for Three Rivers Health. Danielle is a licensed counselor who serves as the Behavioral Health Specialist in their practice. She is currently working on her Doctorate of Behavioral Health (DBH) degree from Arizona State University. She was previously with Response Care Center in Richland.
Their focus on integrated care ties medical care and behavioral health and includes a spiritual aspect into treating “the whole person.”
“We want to understand you, the whole person. We believe that the patient is the boss. Patients are able to make their own decisions when it comes to their health. Together we help educate them and guide them, but it’s really the patient’s decision on where they go with their health,” Curtis said.
They work to tear down the medical “silos” which typically separate behavior and counseling from a medical diagnosis. They want to help people understand integrated care. “Removing the stigma from counseling is one of my passions,” Danielle said.
For example, when someone is diagnosed with diabetes, they believe there’s a mental and spiritual aspect that also affects the patient.
A family came in with a seven-year-old who was diagnosed with ADHD. They were able to provide the family with the medical diagnosis and necessary medications, as well as providing the family with counseling to help understand various methods of handling the issue for the child to be successful.
“Because we can provide both integrated sides to address the health issue, this little girl’s life may change quite a bit, and for the better!” Curtis said.
They’ve also helped people stop smoking, manage weight issues or sleeping issues.
They also believe in serving their community. The Buchheits visit the Cedar Park senior apartments once a month and offer sports physicals to area students at a reduced cost. The Buchheits have six children – two out of the house, three in Schoolcraft High School, and one in Schoolcraft Middle School.
They have a large list of insurance programs accepted, help with insurance company denials and list an affordable self-pay rate on their website.
Although they opened their doors only nine months ago, the Wellspring practice has been growing by leaps and bounds. They expect to welcome some medical student residents in the future to assist in their training. They already have designs for an anticipated expansion to their building. They hope to expand by spring to accommodate their practice’s growth. The Wellspring practice can be found online at wellspring4health.com or reached at (269) 762-0223.