All in the family
Daughter joins dad to practice medicine at Scottdale clinic
Family medicine is taking on a double meaning at WVU Medicine Fay-West Primary Care Clinic in Scottdale.
Emily Means-Bonadio, D.O., has joined her father, Paul E. Means Jr., D.O., this week in caring for patients at the practice.
For Means-Bonadio, joining her father is the culmination of a journey that began years ago in Connellsville, where she grew up watching him care for patients and families throughout the community. Ironically, following in his footsteps was not always part of her plan.
“As a young child, I initially did not want to pursue medicine because I felt daunted seeing all of my father’s responsibilities,” Means-Bonadio said. “But then my grandfather got sick, and I saw this work in a new light as I watched my father care for him. I got to witness and experience the impact that my father’s career as a physician could have on a patient’s family.”
That experience changed the course of her life.
Means-Bonadio eventually switched her focus to pre-med in college, although she still wasn’t convinced family medicine was for her. During medical school, that changed, too. She discovered how much she enjoyed building relationships with patients and caring for people throughout every stage of life, from newborns to senior citizens.
“My dad always told us his work was not just a job, that he really loved it,” she said. “I was able to understand firsthand why he felt that way.”
Now, the physician who helped inspire that realization will be practicing just down the hall.
“As a father, you hope your children find something in life that is meaningful to them and that allows them to make a difference,” Means said. “To see Emily become a physician is something I’m incredibly proud of. To now have the opportunity to practice alongside her and serve this community together is very special.”
For Means-Bonadio, returning to Southwestern Pennsylvania makes the homecoming even sweeter.
She earned a bachelor of science in biochemistry from West Virginia Wesleyan College and completed medical school at the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine. She then completed her residency at Meadville Medical Center.
“I am excited to return home to Southwestern Pennsylvania and feel honored to have the opportunity to serve the community where I grew up,” Means-Bonadio said. “It’s a surreal feeling to hear from people like my sixth-grade teacher asking when I am starting in practice. I want to be able to give back to our community, which gave so much to me.”
Her father knows what it means to build relationships over the years, and now he will get to watch his daughter begin building relationships of her own.
“Family medicine is about more than treating an illness. You get to know people, you care for families, and you become part of a community,” Means said. “Emily grew up in this community, and she cares deeply about the people here. I couldn’t be happier to welcome her home, both as her father and now as her colleague.”
At Fay-West Primary Care Clinic, Means-Bonadio will care for patients of all ages. Services include wellness exams and well-child visits; health screenings and preventive care; vaccinations and immunizations; minor procedures; chronic disease management, including diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease; and coordination of specialist referrals for advanced diagnostics and testing.
The clinic is located at 109 Crossroads Road, Suite 201, in Scottdale. It is open Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. To schedule an appointment, call 724-887-5989.
For more information about primary care services at WVU Medicine Uniontown Hospital, visit WVUMedicine.org/Uniontown.