From Movies to Medicine

by Amy Sharp

Founded by Dr. John Vanderzyl and Dr. John Pozzi more than 20 years ago, Sugar Lakes Family Practice is the largest independent primary care group in our area. “We’re pretty proud of that,” says Dr. Vanderzyl. “It’s unusual these days not to be associated with a larger entity. Because of this, we’ve been able to maintain a small practice feel. While we’ve taken over the space next door and now occupy the entire first floor of Physicians Pavilion, we’ll never lose sight of the personal touch.”

Today, the Sugar Lakes Family Practice team includes eight doctors and four advanced-care providers. “Last September,” says Dr. Vanderzyl, “we were excited to welcome our newest addition, Dr. Patrick Coate.”

Medicine is actually career #2 for Dr. Coate. He got his start in movie design, radio, television, and film. Dr. Coate says, “I enjoyed it, but there was a lot of travel involved that was out of my control. My wife and I are both from families of five, and we knew we wanted a large family. We also knew that would be hard to do in the movie industry. My dad was a small-town doctor in Indiana. I knew I wanted something challenging, and healthcare was a good fit. So I went back to school.”

As a primary care physician, Dr. Coate believes in evidence-based medicine. What does that mean? “It means I don’t do something just because it’s the way it’s always been done,” explains Dr. Coate. “I go for what I believe will be most effective, not necessarily what’s popular. It’s hard sometimes. For example, patients will come in requesting antibiotics for their symptoms. If I know the antibiotics will not work, I’m honest with them. My philosophy is that if we can achieve the same goal with less meds, I always reach for that. I’m also a big fan of continuity. We see a lot of patients with chronic conditions like diabetes, hypertension, and other chronic diseases. If I’m familiar with your issues, I can apply a plan that has a logical approach to it, as opposed to you seeing different doctors, and the plan changes frequently. With one doctor, we can stick with the plan until we need to modify the plan.”

The team at Sugar Lakes Family Practice cares for patients of all ages–including kids, adults, and grandparents–with a focus on value-based, high-quality care and a push for cost effectiveness. Call to schedule your appointment today!

Sugar Lakes Family Practice

281-565-2800

16902 Southwest Frwy., Suite 100

Sugar Land, Texas 77479 www.sugarlakesfamilypractice.com