June 2022 Advocacy Champion

Vince D. LaPorte, MD

Family Medicine, Avera Health (Marshall, MN)

Being an advocate is important to me.  I hope to make the practice of medicine safer and more effective.  Once a week, from 2010 to 2020, I precepted residents at the University of Minnesota Family Practice Residency program in Mankato.

In my teaching, I emphasized attention to the particulars of each patient's circumstances regarding their home, their family, their job and other factors which affected their medical needs and their resources.  I formed relationships with other providers who could address patient issues which were beyond my purview.

For the past fifteen years, I’ve taught the Advanced Life Support In Obstetrics (ALSO) course to physicians and nurses, mostly in rural southern Minnesota. In the past year, I've helped organize and taught three ALSO courses.

Since 1980 I've precepted several MP3 RPAP students.  This year, I'm teaching Peder Johnson the skills and procedures which are particularly applicable to work in urgent care clinics.

Over the past two years, I've worked at twelve mass Covid vaccination clinics and I had the opportunity to identify and treat one anaphylactic reaction.

Recently, I started leading a monthly discussion group at the Marshall area YMCA.vI address medical topics which are of special interest to seniors.  Attendance has been good and there are lots of questions and interesting discussions.

I've found many programs and projects which use my medical knowledge and experience.  Retirement is an interesting and exciting part of my life!