According to the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM), Internal medicine physicians are specialists who apply scientific knowledge and clinical expertise to the diagnosis, treatment, and compassionate care of adults across the spectrum from health to complex illness. Internists are equipped to deal with whatever problem a patient brings -- no matter how common or rare, or how simple or complex. They are specially trained to solve puzzling diagnostic problems and can handle severe chronic illnesses and situations where several different illnesses may strike at the same time. They also bring to patients an understanding of wellness (disease prevention and the promotion of health), women's health, substance abuse, mental health, as well as effective treatment of common problems of the eyes, ears, skin, nervous system and reproductive organs.
Dr. Robert Dean enjoyed the relationships and impact a physician could have on humanity one individual at a time! After only three years of practice the Castle Connolley Guide reported that he was voted by his physician peers as one of only a few Internists as “Top Doctors” in all of Tampa Bay.
With the growth of the Practice and as a doctor’s doctor, he took on more clinical responsibilities, thoroughly familiarizing himself with the skills and the character of medical specialists in the community so not to simply “refer out” every patient to just any doctor. Developing his ability to listen and to put in “plain words” scientific jargon, he instructed patients on their medical conditions as well as their treatment options. Eventually, this gift of rapport combined with an earned trust created a model environment in which diagnosis, treatment and patient compliance would lead to health care excellence. The medical practice became a local benchmark, a standard of care in which healthy lives thrived and hospitalizations were rare. In fact, the regional directors of some major health insurance plans would pay annual visits and viewed the practice as a proficient medical model by which others should follow.
The practice now specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of spine related and other traumatic injuries. Supplemental training and experience in interventional pain procedures adds to Dr. Robert Dean’s internal medicine training. This understanding allows him to better determine what tests and procedures would be most useful in a patient’s care. He also makes it a point to familiarize himself with the training and skills as well as the office environment of any outside physician or therapist that may become part of a patient’s care.
He has put together a team of board certified physicians and surgeons that provide the highest quality of care. By listening to and putting into “plain words” confusing medical jargon, Dr. Dean educates patients on their health conditions as well as the different treatment options. Creating an environment in which diagnosis, treatment and patient compliance continues to lead to health care excellence.