ALMH and MPS welcome Dr. Christopher Rivera to Lincoln

[October 11, 2011]  Dr. Christopher Rivera has returned home to central Illinois. A native of Springfield who graduated from medical school at Southern Illinois School of Medicine, Rivera most recently lived in Evansville, Ind., where he completed his residency in family medicine at Deaconess Hospital. Now he's opening his practice at Memorial Physician Services of Lincoln.

"We are very fortunate to be adding Dr. Rivera to our practice. He not only provides high-quality care, but he also brings compassion that is essential to patient-physician relationships," said Dr. Paul Kasa, medical director for MPS Lincoln.

Added Dolan Dalpoas, president and chief executive officer at ALMH: "We are proud to welcome Dr. Rivera to our community and to practice medicine at Abraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital. His compassionate, patient-centered approach is a perfect fit with our mission to improve health in our communities.

ALMH and MPS will welcome Rivera to Lincoln with a reception from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday in the Steinfort Conference Rooms at ALMH. The community is invited to bring questions, bring a friend and meet Dr. Rivera.

Rivera said he likes the feel of Lincoln, that it's a really comfortable community and a good fit for him.

"In a small setting, there's a lot more opportunities to treat the patient," he said. "It seems like the doctor-patient relationship is a little deeper ... and I like that aspect of it."

Being a family practice physician is an honor, said Rivera. He is accepting new patients and offers same-day scheduling. A video profile of Rivera can be found at www.MemorialMD.com/Physician-Profiles/Meet-Our-Physicians.aspx. In the video, he describes his typical interaction with patients.

"You want to be able to laugh with them sometimes and cry with them sometimes because life has ups and downs," Rivera said. "Being open to those emotions is just as important as the knowledge base of treating them effectively. A lot of times it takes more than just medicine to help."

[Text from file received from Abraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital]