Best Medical Group ▶ [With Video]

To say that that last year and a half has been trying for medical professionals is something of an understatement. From shutting down outpatient clinics at the start of the pandemic, to managing a global shortage of PPE, to pivoting to telemedicine and working with the local hospital to help patients—with COVID or with other concerns, the medical professionals of our community deserve nothing short of our total respect.

To show our love for their work, we've even spotlighted one of those hard-working medical professionals on the cover of this Best Of Central Oregon issue, featuring Dr. Jessica Morgan, a family practice physician and the medical director of Praxis Health. She and the entire team at Praxis Health—which includes the High Lakes Health Care family of clinics—have earned the respect and admiration from the community yet again this year, with its win as Best Medical Group in 2021. Praxis Health and High Lakes Health Care have four primary care clinics across Central Oregon, as well as an urgent care clinic and a family of specialty clinics that operate in the local surgical centers and the hospital as well.

While helping patients navigate COVID or any other concern is what Morgan does every day, she also reminds people that she and her team are open to answering questions about vaccines and masks and other concerns around COVID—whatever the person's viewpoint might be—in a judgement-free environment.

"It has been a roller coaster," Morgan said. "We had to become accustomed to change, and that was difficult, but we quickly formed a team—a small group of us between administration and providers, and I think we worked really well together. When you have a small team that trusts each other, it's pretty easy to change quickly and efficiently, and I think that's what made it successful this last year."And from the hospitals to the clinics to the research labs and beyond, medical professionals—we salute you!

Megan Baker

Praxis Health
With High Lakes Health Care clinics in Bend, Redmond and Sisters
Highlakeshealthcare.com