A family practice physician at Reliant Medical Group in Leominster since 1989, Dr. John Schneeweis has always brought a special attitude to his work as a family practice physician. “When I see a patient, I don’t just see someone with heart disease or high blood pressure, I see a person that’s a wife and a mother and also member of her community,” he explains. “I always strive to treat patients as human beings, not just medical cases.” To honor his exceptional abilities as a physician, Dr. John Schneeweis was named the Reliant Medical Group Physician of the Year in 2004.

Through the years, Dr. Schneeweis has had the opportunity to develop many long-term relationships with his patients, who often become his friends. He has formed special bonds with the multi-generation families he treats. “In many ways, I have come to feel like I am a part of these families that I take care of…perhaps because I’m there for some of the most important events taking place in their life. For instance, just last summer I took care of a baby whose mother I had first cared for when she was a child. Moments like that are very rewarding to me as a doctor. It’s truly a privilege to be able to have people you consider your friends trust you with their health and medical well-being.”

A graduate of the University of New Hampshire and UMass Medical School in Worcester, Dr. Schneeweis believes a family practice physician needs to be aware of how forces inside and outside the family can play a role in people’s health. “From stress at work to the difficulties of caring for a busy family, physicians always have to consider how a patient’s life will impact their health. That’s why family practice physicians are always asking so many questions, the more we know the better we can treat people.”

When he’s not busy attending to patients at Reliant Medical Group in Leominster, Dr. Schneeweis enjoys landscape photography, skiing, jogging and spending time with his wife Susan and two children. During baseball season, the family can often be found at Fenway Park enjoying a Red Sox game together. “Summer in New England wouldn’t be the same without the Red Sox!” he says. “For me, the two go hand-in-hand.”