Kevin Baxter, DO

I am a Family Medicine Physician who has been practicing in Astoria, OR since 2003. I was in private practice for twelve years before joining the Columbia Memorial Hospital Primary Care team for five years. My years with CMH provided many professional growth opportunities that, over time, required more and more time spent in administrative duties and less time in the clinic. I found myself missing what I enjoy the most about medicine; direct patient care. I am returning to private practice and joining a nationwide movement in primary care called Direct Primary Care (DPC). This model is designed to decrease the overall cost to the patient and improve the quality of care provided, the patient's access to care, and the overall healthcare experience. In the past 20 years, the time needed to build a meaningful Patient-Physician relationship has been undermined and overtaken by insurance authorization demands, documentation requirements, and mandated quality metrics leaving less time for patient care. Much to my dismay, as time passed, I found myself treating my computer more than treating my patients. Direct Primary Care will eliminate the numerous distractions demanding my time and attention, and allow time to focus on the most important part of medicine: YOU. When I am not practicing medicine, I binge Netflix like the rest of you! I also spend my time with my beautiful wife riding the Harley, working on our "hobby farm", gardening, hiking, kayaking, and spending time with our two daughters, grandchildren, and our dog. My wife and I love living on the North Coast of Oregon and plan on staying here indefinitely.