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alumni
& friends
SERVING THE UNDERSERVED DR. JEFF HANSON ’82
In the midst of a global pandemic and widespread civil unrest stemming from years of racial injustice, thinking of others is certainly on the minds of most right now. One UJ alum, Dr. Jeff Hanson (‘82), is no stranger to this type of thinking—he’s dedicated his career as a family practitioner to serving others. Dr. Hanson grew up in Detroit Lakes and came to the University of Jamestown in hopes of one day becoming a doctor. He majored in Biology, while playing both football and baseball. After graduation, Dr. Hanson attended medical school at the University of Minnesota.
WORKING WITH IN-NEED COMMUNITIES Dr. Hanson knew that he wanted to serve others. During his last year of medical school, he spent time working in El Salvador, where he lived with a former Jamestown professor Dr. Stan Slade and his family. From there, he did his Family Medicine residency in an inner-city program in Minneapolis. After completing his residency, Dr. Hanson began working at developing and improving multiple community clinics in Minneapolis. “I’ve always had a feeling that I wanted to be a part of a mission that served others,” explained Dr. Hanson. “Initially I had plans to return to Central America and help develop systems that could improve healthcare there, but my direction changed, and I worked in inner-city clinics in Minneapolis. These are clinics that serve a large population of individuals in need. I saw the disparities of the underserved.” He continued, “These clinics were grassroots, many working with volunteers. They grew from basic clinics into full practice. One was within blocks of 38th and Chicago, where we just saw major protesting of racial injustice. One was on the West Bank which serves a large immigrant community.”
HOW COVID HAS AFFECTED PATIENT CARE Schedules and the way patients are cared for has definitely changed. Dr. Hanson spends two weeks in the clinic seeing patients and two weeks out of the clinic doing virtual/phone visits. Working in family medicine, Dr. Hanson has known his patients for many years, some since birth. “I feel that it’s important that I maintain that relationship,” he continued. “Knowing them, their personalities, their struggles, knowing their health situations and family situations—it’s all helpful. Virtual appointments, which I do two weeks per month due to COVID, can be draining. You just hope you aren’t missing things without being able to do an examination. But knowing my patient well is very helpful for these situations.”
