This week we are eager to highlight one of our providers, Dr. John Destito. We asked him a few questions to get to know him a little better.
What is your title and how long have you worked for AFC?
I am the Regional Medical Director- Atlanta Market of American Family Care. I work at the American Family Care Buckhead location and I’ve worked for AFC for almost two years now.
What are your responsibilities in your role?
As a Provider, it is my privilege to serve the patients in our community with excellent and expeditious care. I also make myself available to the local media outlets that need information from a medical provider. In addition, I am personally involved in training and teaching our staff of state-of-the-art medical care practices for our specialty. In my role as Regional Medical Director, I have the privilege of fielding the questions of providers and team leads, and in helping to resolve issues that may come up in our market. I complete monthly chart reviews of all providers in our market. We learn and get better in our field by learning from each other. In my role as the Supervising Physician for our physician extenders, I answer questions regarding complicated patients and patient care issues.
What is your educational background / previous experience?
I did my undergraduate training at Troy State University in Troy, Alabama and received a Master of Biology and Chemistry. I did a summer study program at Oxford University in the UK. I completed a post graduate degree in Counseling from Auburn University and went on to obtain a Diploma of Pastoral Studies at the University of Birmingham, England.
I worked in a rural area as the Director of Mental Health Services in Camden, Alabama before going to medical school at Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine. I graduated from Oklahoma College of Medicine in 1988 after having done a residency in Internal Medicine and Pediatrics. I went on to join an emergency medicine group that serviced the emergency medical services for a level-one trauma center at Saint Francis Hospital in Tulsa, Oklahoma. After 8 years in the emergency room, I transitioned into our very busy urgent care setting seeing 60,000 patients per year. After 20 years of practice in Tulsa, Oklahoma I took a position as the lead physician in a startup urgent care in Acworth, Georgia. After building up the daily patient volume to over 40 patients per day, I moved on to be the Medical Director of a startup urgent care called Doctors Express in Buckhead. I worked in this position until Doctors Express Urgent Care was purchased by AFC nine years later. Before I returned to AFC, I served as the Medical Director of Smart Care Urgent Care where I was able to set policies and procedures that enabled that group to grow in volume and also to obtain accreditation by the Urgent Care Association of America.
What made you want to work for AFC?
I felt inspired by the treatment philosophy and the great vision of Dr. Bruce Irwin and I felt connected to the company mission of American Family Care.
What is your favorite part about what you do?
After all of these years, my favorite part about what I do is still being able to help people.
Who is your biggest role model?
My biggest role model is a pastor friend named Bishop Carlton Pearson who taught me how to integrate my medical knowledge with my spirituality.
Do you have a favorite quote?
“If you want something you’ve never had, you must be willing to do something you’ve never done.” Thomas Jefferson
What are your hobbies?
I enjoy watching documentaries and reading.
What’s something that most people would be surprised to learn about you?
Because of an inherited condition, I started going blind this past summer. To restore my vision, I had to have bilateral corneal transplants. I can say that is was very humbling being the patient instead of the physician.
Is there anything you want to add about your family or personal life?
I’ve been in a happy relationship with my partner for 18 years.
