“While I've always had the passion to help people, I also wanted to be a part of our community's foundation so that I can help ensure no one is left behind."
Dr. Jemstone Bathe, hospitalist, has always wanted to help people, and started her journey to health care at age 15.
She worked as an EMS explorer and ran emergency calls with her hometown ambulance service and later received her EMT license at 18 and worked with the central service team at Western Michigan University, sterilizing equipment and folding linens.
She received her bachelor's degree in biomedical services from Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, Michigan. She later attended Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan for both medical school and her residency. While there, Dr. Bathe had experience treating some of the most complex cases, in one of the most underserved cities in the United States.
When choosing a specialty area, a fascination in the human body as a whole drew her to the internal medicine field.
“I couldn't decide on just one system, so I wanted to be a Jill of all trades and went to study them all," she said. “This provides me the opportunity to provide comprehensive care while continuing to learn and getting to work with specialists in their field."
As an outpatient internal medicine physician, Dr. Bathe provides general medical care and has a focus on LGBTQA+ patients.
She strongly believes in patient-centered care and wants her patients involved in their care.
“My job as your physician is to be like the Dr. McCoy to your James Kirk. I provide the best evidence-based recommendations and work to meet you where you're at, but ultimately you're the captain of your ship. I inform and guide you, but I will always respect your autonomy," she said.