Dr. Wayne: The family-first physician

“When you’ve been around for a while, they become your friends and family,” he said. “They’re not just patients.”

However, his patients are not the only family he works with. One of his daughters, Morgan, manages his office, Northville Family Medical Center. His other daughter, Taylor, is a social worker, and his son, Blake, is a chef in California.

Dr. Wayne joined the Botsford team in 1977 with his internship, and a year later, he began his residency. During the first 20 years in practice, Dr. Wayne was heavily involved in the training of new residents, which he believes is his finest contribution thus far in his career.

His mentor, the late Dr. Sandy Kushner, taught him his true holistic approach to primary care.

“He had a great influence on me,” Dr. Wayne said. “He taught me how to take care of newborns and how to care for the patients straight through their senior years.”

One of the most profound experiences in Dr. Wayne’s career was working with a group of doctors to start Envision Medical Group, which has grown to 50 caregivers.

Within the last 10 years or so, Dr. Wayne has seen a big change in the profession. Many doctors no longer use paper records and have since switched to digital, which “has taken the greatest toll on doctors in the last few years.”

“It has given us a lot more homework at night,” he said.

But if given the chance to go back to the old ways of record-keeping, he doubts many doctors would, because of the easy and quick access to patient information.

From his experiences, Dr. Wayne has some advice for other physicians, including those just starting in the field.

“Find someone who you can trust; someone who can teach you not only the importance of education, but one who also will teach you to care for the patient on an outpatient basis,” he said.

But above all else, “treat the patient as a true family member.”

When he is not in the office or spending time with his beloved wife Lori, Dr. Wayne can usually be found playing a round of golf.