One of those providers is Dr. Hank Bacon, who joined the primary care team at CMH in July of 2020. He practices at the Columbia Memorial Family Care office in Hudson, where he sees patients from early childhood through adulthood. Get to know Dr. Bacon in our Q&A below.
All images courtesy Columbia Memorial Health
Columbia Memorial Health in Hudson
Osteopathic medicine is a more holistic approach to the body—the idea that if one thing in the body is off it will cause something else to be off as well. In primary care, a big part of that becomes developing an integrated approach to a healthy lifestyle through a combination of diet and exercise habits.
The big thing for us is preventative medicine. We try to encourage a healthy lifestyle since our society is really geared toward not-so-healthy, sedentary habits. So my first goal is to keep people healthy, and when necessary, coordinate any specialty care services.
What brought you to Columbia Memorial Health?
I grew up in Woodstock so I always knew I wanted to come back to the Hudson Valley to practice medicine. After I completed my training in the New York City and Long Island area, and it was time to have our family, we knew it was time to move back.
I joined CMH because I was heard so many good things about how they serve and support the local community, and I was ready for a change. We have such a wonderful staff here. They are kind and caring and down to earth, always trying to do their best for the community, and alway striving to keep their patients healthy.
What do you enjoy most about being a primary care physician?
Being in primary care is kind of like being Sherlock Holmes. It’s rewarding to be that investigator, figuring out what’s going on with someone when no one else can. The greatest joy that I get out of my job is making a difference in that person’s life—helping them improve their physical and mental well-being, guiding them into a more enjoyable and fruitful life. It’s very rewarding.
What do you like to do for fun?
My family likes to go to Catskill and Hudson a lot, but I’m a big outdoors enthusiast and love to hike, bike, and snowboard. I’m always bringing my two kids to do things outside. The beauty and abundance of the outdoors is what I love about living here. I try to stay active as much as possible. It’s something I encourage my patients to do, too, as part of a healthy lifestyle. I guess you can say I try to lead by example.
To learn more about primary care at Columbia Memorial Health, visit Columbiamemorialhealth.org.
