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Contact Dr. Yood's Office
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After more than 26 years of practicing medicine, Dr. Robert Yood still enjoys rheumatology for the same reason he chose it for his specialty in the first place, “For me, it’s a fascinating and challenging field to practice in. In rheumatology we treat over 100 different diseases including common illnesses like osteoarthritis and osteoporosis and also rare illnesses. In rheumatology you also get to build ongoing relationships with your patients to help them through their problems – that’s very satisfying to me.”
According to Dr. Yood, some diseases such as osteoporosis can often be prevented by a healthy lifestyle and good eating habits during the earlier stages of life. “What we are seeing are older people with osteoporosis who have it in part because they didn’t achieve the best bone density when they were young. This is because they didn’t get enough calcium in their diets as children or they didn’t get enough exercise. This is especially true for women.”
Fallon Clinic rheumatologists like Dr. Yood spend a lot of time working with patients who have osteoporosis. For this reason, all of Fallon Clinic’s rheumatologists are certified in bone density testing. “This allows patients to come in and receive their bone density studies, get an evaluation and then talk to someone who is trained in osteoporosis to help decide appropriate treatment. It’s an excellent program.”
Dr. Yood is encouraged by the latest advancements that have taken place in his specialty in recent years. “In the last five to 10 years there has been a dramatic change in the medicines available to us for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. For instance, half the people who were failing on our best medicines before are now responding quite well to treatment. The new biologic drugs for rheumatoid arthritis have really made a dramatic difference for many people.”
In working with his patients, Dr. Yood strives to make them feel as comfortable as possible in dealing with their disease. “I try to understand the patient’s fears, anxieties and concerns and respond accordingly. I also work hard to educate my patients so they can understand their disease and the risks and benefits of each treatment option I present…that’s very important.”
In addition to being Chief of Rheumatology at Fallon Clinic, Dr. Yood is also Medical Director of the Research Department, which is currently conducting more than 30 different drug studies and dozens of epidemiologic studies. “This research eventually impacts patients in terms of the medications they take and type of care they receive. That’s why it’s so important to build our knowledge base in treating different diseases.” Dr. Yood is also very involved in teaching and is Chief of the Division of Rheumatic Diseases and Musculoskeletal Medicine at Saint Vincent Hospital and Clinical Professor of Medicine at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. “I work a lot with medical residents, both at St. Vincent Hospital and in the office diagnosing patients. For me it’s very satisfying to help train the next generation of physicians.”
Find out more about Dr. Yood
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