Welcome to Mason General Hospital Family Health. The clinic is staffed by long-time physician, Christopher Penoyar, D.O., who has served this community since 1989.
Public Hospital District No.1 which consists of Mason General
Hospital, MGH Ankle and Foot, MGH Eye Clinic, Oakland
Bay Pediatrics, MGH Surgery Clinic, Mountain View Women's Health Clinic, MGH Shelton Orthopedics, and Shelton Family Medicine
Dr. Penoyar (Pen-oy-yer) is board-certified in family practice and is an osteopathic physician. According to the American Osteopathic Association, an Osteopath, better known as a doctor of osteopathic medicine (DO), works in partnership with the patient. DOs consider the impact that lifestyle and community have on the health of each individual, and work to erase barriers to good health.
DOs are trained to look at the ‘whole person’ – which means they see each individual as more than a collection of body parts that may become injured or diseased. They are taught that “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts” and osteopathy students learn to integrate the patient into the healthcare process as a partner. They are trained to communicate with people from diverse backgrounds and are given the opportunity to practice their skills in the classroom with mock patients.
Because of this holistic approach to medicine, about 60 percent of DOs choose to practice in the primary care disciplines of family practice, general internal medicine, and pediatrics.
OMT: Hands-On Care
Nearly every day medical science unveils new discoveries from brain scans to anti-cancer drugs. In the midst of these wonders, it's easy to forget that often what patients really need is ‘a healing touch’.
Osteopathic physicians haven't forgotten.
What is OMT?
Osteopathic manipulative treatment, or OMT, is hands-on care. It involves using the hands to diagnose, treat, and prevent illness or injury. Using OMT, your DO will move your muscles and joints using techniques including stretching, gentle pressure, and resistance.
Who Can Benefit from OMT?
OMT can help people of all ages and backgrounds. It can:
- ease pain
- promote healing
- increase mobility
OMT is often used to treat muscle pain, but it can also help patients with a number of other health problems, such as:
- asthma
- sinus disorders
- carpal tunnel syndrome
- migraines
- menstrual pain
When appropriate, OMT can complement––and even replace––drugs or surgery. In this way, OMT brings an important dimension to standard medical care.
What is a DO?
The physicians who practice OMT are Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine (DOs). Both DOs and MDs are fully-licensed physicians. They provide a full range of services, from prescribing drugs to performing surgery, and they use the latest medical tools. Dos, however, offer something special—their unique approach to patient care. They:
- teach patients how to prevent illness and injury by maintaining a healthy lifestyle
- look at the whole person to reach a diagnosis without focusing on just the symptoms
- help the body to heal itself
- believe that all parts of the body work together and influence one another
- are specially-trained in the nervous system and the musculoskeletal (muscles and bones) system.
- are trained to perform osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT).
DOs provide the best care that medicine has to offer.
If you’ve never been to a DO before, you may wonder what to expect. A typical office visit includes four parts: interview, exam, diagnosis, and treatment.
[Source: AOA]