Joel Primus, MD

Surrounded by medicine as a child – with a mother who was a gynecologist and other family members who were cardiologists and surgeons – Maha Mumtaz came to love the profession. “Growing up and seeing them really inspired me to want to help people and move into the field of medicine.” She chose internal medicine for its variety. “I enjoy meeting people from different backgrounds, getting to know them personally and treating different medical issues. Making people feel better always makes me feel good.” During her residency training, Dr. Mumtaz cared for intensive care unit patients, which helped her prepare for her work at Blessing as a hospitalist. “I learned to respond rapidly, that anything can change at any time and time is everything.” Among her many hobbies is art. Dr. Mumtaz began participating in drawing competitions at a young age and developed her skills to the point where her work has been used by an organization that makes a coloring book for people living with dementia.

Dr. Bifom brings two things with him each time he meets a hospitalized patient for the first time “A bright smile and a good attitude. That first greeting is very important. I try to make the patient as comfortable as possible and find some common ground to get them to open up and trust me. That’s what builds a good doctor-patient relationship.” “Hospital medicine is very fulfilling. It allows me to apply all that I have learned in the best way possible.” Dr. Bifom’s father – a family medicine physician – provided the inspiration to pursue a medical career. When his father passed away early in his life, Dr. Bifom’s mother demonstrated what else was needed to be successful in life. “She raised four children on her own, a lot of dedication and hard work on her part, and we all turned out excellent. My mother is the major role model in my life in general.” An athletic person, Dr. Bifom recently began playing pickleball. “Before I started playing, I thought it was low intensity. I’m not even going to break a sweat.” The doctor quickly discovered he underestimated the game. “It’s a tough, vigorous workout, depending on your competition.”

As a hospitalist, Dr. Tuxbury’s focus is helping hospitalized patients get well, leave the hospital and return to the daily activities they love. With an educational and clinical background in family medicine, she also strives to help people understand how they can live a healthier lifestyle that reduces the risk for hospitalization in the first place. She has a history of success in accomplishing that. “My dad just turned 70. You would think he is 50. He was my first patient,” she said with a smile. That smile is the first thing patients will notice upon meeting Dr. Tuxbury. “Someone can be in great pain, but the moment you smile, they know you are coming in peace. That’s my ice breaker, my smile.” As she works with her patients, they understand the foundation of her smile. “Grit. I do not give up.” Dr. Tuxbury learned her approach to life and medicine from her role model, her mother. “She is a strong woman, very driven. How she navigates through life is how I got to where I am today.”