Should you talk to your primary care physician about mental health?

Even after 10 years as a family medicine physician at Aurora Health Center in Oshkosh, Wis., Dr. Patricia Morales Brost remains grateful. 

“People actually consider you part of their family,” says Dr. Morales Brost, who was born and raised in Colombia, South America, and has considered herself a proud Caribbean Wisconsinite since 2002. “They can relay things to me that probably they are not able to say to anybody else. That’s a huge responsibility, one I do not take for granted.” 

Some of the concerns she hears most about from her patients – especially lately during the pandemic – is related to their mental health. And she very much encourages and welcomes removing the stigma around seeking help for behavioral health. 

“There’s a lot of people feeling isolated, hopeless, completely overwhelmed,” she said. “In primary care, we are feeling the impact of all these struggles. We are on the front lines of a lot of these issues.” 

Dr. Morales Brost encourages individuals to put their health first, trusting their family care provider with their wellbeing, both physical and mental. In fact, Dr. Morales Brost said she’s proud to make an impact by fighting the pandemic on the front lines. She does her best to educate her patients, friends, family and the public on the efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccine, including through a series of Spanish-speaking videos she posted on her social media page. 

“I believe in science. I believe in the vaccines,” explains Dr. Morales Brost. “I felt in the darkest moments of the pandemic that I was a soldier ready to go to war. I chose to do this. It was my duty. Everybody here in this clinic came every single day, no matter what happened. We’re here for people who trust us.” 

March 30th is National #DoctorsDay. We’re sharing stories from physicians at Advocate Aurora Health to recognize them for their passion and dedication to helping people live well. Have a doctor you want to recognize? Give them a shout out in the comments below!