Walking regularly helps keep Linda Fredericks active and healthy.
But this morning, the 68-year-old is gaining peace of mind, too, while she strolls the paved paths at BREC’s Perkins Road Community Park.
Fredericks’ walking partner is Dr. Rebecca Treuil, a local internist who can discuss all the health-related questions that have popped up since her last checkup.
The pair connected at the park’s March 5 Walk with a Doc event, which matches area doctors with those who enjoy exercise and want to chat with a doctor without making an appointment.
“I hate to waste a doctor’s time for insignificant items,” Fredericks says. “I’m a healthy person, so I don’t have much need to go to the doctor.”
This sunny morning, three doctors stroll with a dozen men and women, answering questions about blood pressure and cholesterol and a few more personal health issues.
For Fredericks, talking to a doctor is less scary than looking up symptoms on the Internet.
“It’s like reading the label on a bottle of medicine,” Fredericks says. “The last thing is ‘You might die.’”
Treuil chose to attend the state’s first Walk with a Doc event because she knows people need an opportunity to talk with doctors outside of an office without paying or billing their insurance.
“It gives the patients a time to ask questions without a co-pay,” Treuil says. “It’s a very stress-free environment and anxiety-free environment where they can ask anything and not feel judged.”