ROCHELLE — Dr. Graham Isaacson, D.O., is the Rochelle Community Hospital Family Healthcare Clinic’s newest provider. 

Isaacson practices the full scope of family medicine, both in the clinic and with his patients that have been admitted to RCH. He offers care of patients from birth until older age, managing chronic and acute disease and performing procedures. He also performs OMT (osteopathic manipulative medicine), a combination of techniques similar to those used by massage therapists, physical therapists, and chiropractors, for patients with multiple conditions including headaches, neck pain, back pain, and hip/pelvis pain.

Isaacson was born and raised in Aurora. He attended Drake University in Iowa for undergrad and medical school at Midwestern University Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine. He did his family medicine residency at Fox Valley Family Medicine in Appleton, Wisconsin.

“I wanted to move back closer to family and I found Rochelle and it was a fit, being able to practice in a small town and be closer to family,” Isaacson said. “A physician recruiter reached out to me about this job. I was really intrigued by how close it was to Aurora and how I could do outpatient work, inpatient work and procedures in the office. I talked to the recruiter and came here and did an interview and I was impressed with this place. I loved the facilities and everyone was super nice and down to Earth and my values and the hospital's values lined up in terms of taking care of patients and focusing on them as humans and not just pushing people through the doors as numbers. It was an easy choice to come here after that.”

Isaacson started with RCH the first week of September and said things have gone “really well” so far, with his schedule starting to pick up with patients. Isaacson found his passion for rural family medicine while shadowing a family physician in rural Iowa when I was an undergrad. 

“That really changed the trajectory of my career and I fell in love with the idea of rural family medicine,” Isaacson said. “The doctor I shadowed had practiced in the town for 10-15 years at that point. He did work similar to what I'll be doing. He was an old-school family doctor. He took care of entire families and all of his patients loved him and trusted him. He knew them super well and I thought it was a cool thing to provide all that care for people and not always have to send them out to see so many specialists. It makes things convenient for people.”

Isaacson said building relationships with patients and getting embedded in the community is what he’s looking forward to most in his new position. He said family medicine is all about forming long-term relationships with patients and getting to know them better to offer care to help them live healthier, more satisfying lives. 

His certification as a doctor of osteopathic medicine (D.O.) differs from the doctor of medicine (M.D.) in the way that he has extra training in hands-on diagnosis and treatment of musculal/skeletal complaints.

“It's a continuum of going between massage therapy and physical therapy and what chiropractors do,” Isaacson said. “I like to think that I practice more holistic medicine and focus on the patient. I take a look at the patient and their social determinants of health and their mental health and how all of that plays into their physical health. Sometimes there's a misconception that D.O.s or holistic care means that we do like natural path-type treatments or vitamins and minerals or essential oils. That's not true. I don't do those kinds of things. I practice evidence-based medicine and give prescriptions when needed. Otherwise, the main difference is that I can offer OMT, which is hands-on treatment. A D.O. can do everything that an M.D. can, I just have extra training in the hands-on aspect.”

Isaacson got into the medical field because he wanted to help people and make a difference in their lives. He enjoys combining science with befriending people and taking care of them. 

Working at a smaller hospital like RCH aligned with Isaacson’s values when it comes to patient care. He likes having as much time with his patients as he needs to provide care and being able to provide the full scope of family medicine. 

“I can take my time seeing people and manage a lot of conditions before I have to refer to specialists,” Isaacson said. “I feel like that was a really big bonus for me. And I get to take care of my own patients when they're in the hospital. It's tough when someone gets admitted to the hospital and they're vulnerable and stressed and they have to have some other random doctors learn all of their health history and take care of them. A primary doctor will always do better in that spot. I can come in and see them and I know who they are and what they want. Those are things you can only find in a rural community and a place like this.”