Walking the Walk, Talking the Talk

Dr. Deborah Murray plans to add walking appointments when NorthBay HealthSpring Fitness opens this year.

Long before the first blueprint plan was approved, long before the first shovel of dirt was turned, Deborah Murray, M.D., medical director of NorthBay Diabetes & Endocrinology, had a vision for the kind of appointments she would have with some of her diabetes patients, once NorthBay’s HealthSpring Fitness center was built.

“Our offices will be on the second floor, down the hall from the indoor walking track. Diet and exercise are the keys to good health for people with Type II diabetes, so I’ll invite some of my patients to wear good comfortable shoes to their appointment and to come walking with me on the track,” she says.

“Counseling is a big part of the time I spend with my patients. Why sit in my office and talk across a desk? I’ll bring my tablet along and we can go over the patient’s blood pressure and glucose meter readings while we walk. I can check their chart and we can discuss any lifestyle barriers and, if I need to, I can change prescription orders right there on my tablet.”

Walking appointments are just one vision she has had for this medical fitness center. “I’ve long known about the many benefits a medical fitness center could bring to our community—from physical therapy and regular exercise, to Cancer Center patients who will be able to use the fitness center in their survivorship plans. That we’re going to have all these services in the same building will be amazing!”

Diet and exercise are the keys to good health for people with Type II diabetes.

Dr. Murray was thrilled to be invited to participate in the planning process for the development of HealthSpring Fitness, back when NorthBay Healthcare’s boards of directors were only just considering the concept.

“It has been a dream come true,” she says. “The benefits of this facility are going to be so many, for so many.

“My hope is that all these services will be accessible for all who need them, and that our patients will feel comfortable coming here and knowing we are going to take good care of them, offering access to fitness opportunities for people of all physical levels.”

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