France is an experienced and passionate physician assistant with a diverse background and over 13 years of experience. He was hired by the U of U Department of Psychiatry in 2019 as a core advanced practice provider in our 接待中心 and has quickly become a highly valued member of the 亨茨曼心理健康研究所 family.
As part of the incredible network of professionals at the University of Utah 亨茨曼心理健康研究所, we were pleased France could share a bit of his story and what inspires him to come to work every day.
"The ability to connect with people through conversations and the desire I had to understand more about the psychological health of my patients grew into a passion. Psychiatry provided the best opportunity to explore this passion."
法国. 戴维斯，MSPAS, PA-C
Q. What inspired you to become a physician assistant?
My father was a pastor and civil rights leader for over 40 years. He was hands-on and passionate about caring for others. 我想像他一样，大发娱乐别人. He would literally give you the shirt off his back and all the money in his pocket. A lot of my father- son time as a child was spent visiting people in care centers and hospitals. I knew as a child I would not become a religious leader like him, but I saw that healthcare providers were those “other” people that could heal people's minds, 的身体, 和灵魂. 所以我最终决定走这条路.
Q. 你的专业领域是什么？为什么?
My area of specialty is psychiatry, with a focus on both general psychiatry and crisis stabilization. I also do some 成瘾医学 and have a strong interest in perinatal and reproductive psychiatry. I have always been interested in understanding people's minds and the way they think and behave. I spent my first part of my career as a physician assistant in a combination of orthopedic spine and trauma surgery and pediatric orthopedic surgery. I began to recognize I was more interested in helping patients with the psychological struggles they faced as a result of their physical ailments. The ability to connect with people through conversations and the desire I had to understand more about the psychological health of my patients grew into a passion. Psychiatry provided the best opportunity to explore this passion. I have now been practicing psychiatry and 成瘾医学 for nine years.
Q. 你的日常生活是怎样的?
I get to work, log into my computer, and prepare patient morning medications. 下一个, I sit with my staff and discuss the recent unit patient admissions and plan out resources needed, 解除或过渡方案, 或者下一个级别的护理. I then work on potential new patient admissions and referrals from the community, patient referrals from multiple emergency departments, and referrals from our clinical assessment and admissions center. Between seeing patients for discharge and admission to the 23-hour stabilization 接待中心在美国，我挤出时间看3点到4点的节目 当日门诊 任命. 等我做完当天的门诊检查, I review information for more possible patient admissions if we still have room on our crisis unit.
Q. What are the most challenging aspects of your role?
我的工作有几个困难的部分. 第一个, splitting my time efficiently between patients on our crisis unit and patients in the outpatient Same-Day clinic can be challenging. Second, most of the patients I see are in crisis, and we have 23 hours to stabilize their symptoms. I always want people to improve the most under my care as quickly as possible, but there are many times where stabilization can't happen in the time allotted. Often, patients will require other levels of care. So, the challenging part for me is realizing that I can't always help everyone to the extent desired or expected.
Q. What is the most interesting and/or rewarding part of your job?
The most interesting part of my job is the patients. 每个人都有自己的故事. 有时候，这些故事会让你感动得微笑. 其他时候，这些故事会让你感动得流泪. 不管是什么故事, I find the differences and similarities in people's journeys through life to be fascinating. Seeing how my work as a physician assistant in psychiatry positively impacts people's lives and the lives of their families makes me feel good. It is also extremely rewarding to work with some of the brightest, 最勤劳的, 以及受驱动的供应商, 社会工作者, 心理健康技术员, 以及辅助人员. 我热爱我的工作!
Q. 你不工作的时候喜欢做什么?
When I am not at work, I spend time with my wife and three children. 我喜欢旅行和自驾游, and if Disneyland was in Utah or if Utah was by the ocean, 我可能得辞职了. I also like watching movies or working out (or doing both at the same time).
Q. Why did you decide to come to Utah / stay in Utah?
我和妻子都来自犹他州. We both moved away after high school for school and work opportunities. After we got married, our goal was to start a family. We wanted our children to grow up near their grandparents, so we moved back!
France is a board certified physician assistant with a demonstrated history of working in psychiatry, 成瘾医学, 以及临床神经科学研究. France has a Master's of Science degree in clinical medicine and physician assistant studies from Marywood University and a Bachelors of Arts degree in sociology and theology from Georgetown University.