Dr. Mazzella Inspired by Family Doctors
“As an osteopath (DO), I focus on the musculoskeletal system, which makes up about 70 percent of our body. When functioning properly, it helps keep you in optimum health.”
It seemed that Dr. Carmine Mazzella was destined to become a family doctor. He entered the world delivered by a family member who was a doctor. His godfather also was a physician. “Growing up, I had these incredible role models,” he says. “My godfather in particular was instrumental in my decision to become a physician. He was delighted by my career choice.”
Dr. Mazzella joined Vanguard soon after his graduation from medical school. He had worked weekends at the practice during his final year. “Vanguard was a very good fit for me. I liked the scope of services and the patient-centered approach. Since I had trained in Verona, I already had relationships with the specialists in the area for patient consultations as needed.”
He has a growing patient base that is primarily referred by “word of mouth.” “Patients usually develop a relationship with a lead provider,” notes Dr. Mazzella, “and have an entire team available for emergent needs like sick visits.” He has developed relationships with multiple family members, cultivating a deeper knowledge of family histories that help inform health care decisions.
Dr. Mazzella helps patients with chronic disease, including managing diabetes, hypertension and cholesterol. He also focuses on the need for preventive care screenings. Because of his osteopathic training, he looks at disease a little differently – in how it relates to the musculoskeletal system. In that regard, he sometimes incorporates spinal manipulation, massage, exercise and physical therapy into patient treatment plans. The goal is to reduce pressure on joints and reduce inflammation.
When he’s not working, Dr. Mazzella enjoys photography, a hobby that he pursues with his wife. They also like to go camping and hiking.
Julie Mathew Strives to Be a Good Listener
“One of the most important jobs of a primary care professional is to stop and listen.”
Julie Mathew chose the health care field because she can make a difference in a life. “What attracted me to being a primary care physician assistant, and what keeps me going, is that I’m helping my patients strive to have a healthy life,” says Julie. “My day is filled with seeing patients, ordering labs and diagnosing patients with conditions ranging from a simple cold to diabetes, stroke or chest pains. I pay attention to everything they say, which helps me gauge how they are doing or what they need. It is so satisfying when a patient’s health improves because they listened and followed my guidance.”
Julie was attracted specifically to family medicine because every day provides something different. “There are days when my patients run the gamut from pediatrics to geriatrics, and their needs range from a wellness visit to relieving a common cold to managing hypertension or diabetes. I thrive on the variety family medicine offers, the opportunity to build strong relationships and the fulfillment I get from helping improve the health of another person.”
She joined Vanguard in 2011 as a physician assistant and, under the guidance of a medical doctor, provides a variety of services to patients, including annual physicals, wellness checkups, diagnoses, medication management, blood pressure screenings, inoculations and vaccinations. Prior to Vanguard, Julie worked in neurosurgery at UMDNJ.
Julie is fluent in Malayalam, a South Indian dialect, which has been helpful in the office, especially when communicating with elderly patients who speak English as a second language. “In any language, people want to be understood and we need to listen.” When she is not seeing patients, she keeps herself busy as a mother of two children and, in her spare time, loves to travel.
Lara Kothari Values Offering Small Steps to Better Health
“Being part of a patient-centered health care team that includes physicians and physician assistants gives our patients options and flexibility. It also gives our care team depth and breadth.”
Lara Kothari credits her nurturing personality – and all the “medical talk” by the physicians in her family while growing up – for her decision to become a physician assistant in a family medicine practice. She also loved science and people, so it seemed a natural fit.
Family medicine was Lara’s first choice, because she got to work in all the areas every day: OB/GYN, babies and children, women’s and men’s health, and geriatrics. She enjoys seeing the children she once treated now going off to college, and treating them when they come back home.
“It’s wonderful to see continuity of care work at its best,” says Lara, who notes the importance of patient-provider relationships. “You don’t get that in an ER or hospital setting. But as a primary physician, you often get to know the whole family and you develop those relationships that increase comfort levels in sharing important information that can improve patient outcomes.”
She often hears from patients that Vanguard is comprehensive and well organized. “A lot of patients like the patient portal,” she says, “because it gives them 24/7 access. They also like the fact that Vanguard has all the services under one roof, from X-ray to nutrition to behavioral health and home care.”
With Vanguard Medical Group since 1999, Lara can’t imagine being anywhere else. “Selfishly, it completes me,” she says. “I enjoy it. I like making a difference and helping people in whatever small way that I can. It’s part of who I am.”
When she’s not working, Lara enjoys exercising and socializing with friends and family.
