Dr. John Ragucci leads the Tewksbury Family Health practice with Dr. Lourdes Ada, and has practiced medicine in Tewksbury for 18 years. The practice is moving into the new Circle Health Tewksbury facility at 1574 Main Street, where patients will have access to a Lowell General Hospital Patient Service Center and Circle Health Urgent Care.
Why did you choose to practice in Tewksbury?
I’m a resident. I love the area, I have family and friends here and I’m not going anywhere.
Why did you get into primary care?
I like the variety. I like treating kids and adults, and I’m interested in dermatology, gynecology, infectious disease and other aspects of medicine. Family medicine offers a little bit of everything.
What should someone look for when choosing a primary care physician?
Look for someone who listens to you. I emphasize the biopsychosocial model of medicine, looking at the physiology and psychology and incorporating everything when caring for a patient. We want to provide comprehensive care.
How would you describe the Tewksbury Family Health practice?
Our practice, including myself, Dr. Ada and our nurse practitioners, is here to listen to our patients. It’s a team effort and the patient is involved on that team. We need to know that the patient is and understands what the issues are. We want to engage our patients and listening is at the top of the list.
How will the move across the street to Circle Health Tewksbury impact your practice?
It’s a really positive move for our patients. We’ll have a patient service center next door, with easy access for bloodwork and diagnostics and the urgent care center available for off hours. There will be more continuity in terms of getting results quickly and easily.
How valuable is the shared medical record across the Circle Health network?
It’s about knowing the patient. For people who stay in the network, we can pull up emergency department records, refer them to Circle Health and Tufts Medical Center specialists, and see all the different visits so things don’t have to be repeated. It saves the patient time and allows us to have a complete picture to make the best care decision possible.
How has family medicine changed over your career?
We’re doing more comprehensive care. We’re treating more chronic illnesses that in the past were referred to specialists, like heart disease or diabetes. We refer patients to a specialist when it’s appropriate, but I think we can handle a lot more things in the office in a more efficient way that is more convenient for the patient.
