When he was in medical school, Dr. Kevin Martin thought he would become a pediatrician. “I love children, and I thought my career would be caring for them,” he explains. “Then, I discovered that, for me, getting to know adults on a personal level and helping them with their problems has been very rewarding. I particularly like caring for adults with complicated problems involving multiple parts of their bodies. So I decided to make pulmonary medicine my career, because all kinds of things can make you out of breath. I’m glad I made that choice.”

According to Dr. Martin, one of the most important aspects of being a doctor is communicating with people. “For me, it is about listening to people and hearing what they have to tell you — and what they may not be telling you. Sometimes, patients will be scared to bring up the diagnosis they are really worried about, so they’ll talk about something less important to them. That’s why you have to ask a lot of questions: to make sure you uncover what’s really on a patient’s mind.”

Dr. Martin makes a point to answer his patients concerns and let them participate in the care process. “There was a time when many patients just expected doctors to give orders, and not necessarily to explain the decision process. Now, more patients want to be involved and know what the options are. It’s very important to me what a patient thinks, because I want them to be as comfortable with the care that they receive as possible.”

In his practice, Dr. Martin sees many patients for COPD, as well as for other problems, such as asthma, which involves breathing and cough. Although COPD is not a disease with a cure, it often can be effectively treated. Reliant Medical Group has a COPD Management Program that helps patients learn to live well with this chronic disease. “By helping patients learn more about how to deal with their illness, we can really make a difference for them. For instance, a regular exercise program can really be effective for COPD patients, and there are many ways to reduce and prevent asthma symptoms. That’s why we really encourage patients to participate in these programs – to help themselves enjoy a better quality of life.”

Dr. Martin clearly enjoys practicing at Reliant Medical Group and has been impressed with all the support he receives. “There is a real commitment to quality here, which was one of the first things I noticed. I also like the fact that I don’t have to worry about much of the business of medicine, other than taking care of patients. It’s nice to work in an environment that’s so geared to providing great care.”