I'm Dr. Peter Valenzuela. I'm a family physician who's worked in multiple healthcare settings over the last two decades, including rural medicine, academics, multi-specialty medical groups, and integrated delivery systems. This comic was inspired by my experiences as a physician and now as an executive who continues to practice medicine part-time.
I've given national and international presentations on topics related to provider well-being and engagement, clinical leadership development, practice management and medical innovation. Over my career, I've been recognized twice by the Medical Group Management Association and American College of Medical Practice Executives (MGMA-ACMPE) with the Harwick Innovation Award for meeting the challenges of the new healthcare system head-on and developing innovative solutions that enhance the effectiveness of healthcare delivery and Physician Executive of the Year for exhibiting leadership deemed outstanding in achieving exceptional medical group performance in the delivery of healthcare.
The characters are an amalgamation of people I've worked with. My hope is that these stories will help you better understand how difficult it is to provide excellent care today while balancing the demands of healthcare bureaucracy. Please enjoy the comics, and feel free to reach out with any feedback or stories.