The Walk with a Doc program is celebrating 20 years with new opportunities to volunteer, educate the community and encourage healthy activity. Columbus cardiologist Dr. David Sabgir started Walk with a Doc in 2005 by inviting his patients to go for a walk with him in a local park. There are now more than 500 chapters across 48 states and 40 countries.

In collaboration with the Columbus Medical Association and Affiliates and the AMA Alliance, Walk with a Doc is launching a new pilot project called “Read with a Doc” at local libraries. Physicians of every specialty and career level are needed. You do not need to bring any equipment or prepare a detailed presentation—just be ready to talk about your area of interest.

The Columbus Metropolitan Library and the Westerville Library are both taking part in the project by promoting your program, identifying space in the library for your talk and having their librarians develop a collection of books that will enhance your topic of interest to the communities. If you’d like to get involved with Read with a Doc, contact Bryan Romey at bryan@walkwithadoc.org.

In addition, Walk with a Doc always needs physicians to get involved in their regular sessions. You can help by:

1. Spreading the Word: Walk with Doc events are free and open to the community, so please invite your patients, family, and friends. Click here for a flyer and visit this website for more information.
2. Leading a Walk: Walk with a Doc is looking for guest leaders to support their existing Walk with Doc chapters throughout Central Ohio. As the lead physician at a walk, you'll give a brief 5-minute talk on a health subject, then walk and chat with participants for the remainder of the hour. Fill out this form or email bryan@walkwithadoc.org if you're interested in leading a walk. 3.
3. Starting a Chapter: Launch your own Walk with a Doc chapter by committing to leading monthly walks in your community. The Walk with a Doc team has turnkey resources that make it easy to get started, including marketing materials, liability insurance, and merchandise. Visit this website to learn more and request a Guide to Getting Started.

Provide us with a brief summary of your businesses’ services.

Orthopedic ONE is Ohio’s largest physician-owned orthopedic practice, featuring nearly 70 of the region’s top orthopedic physicians, approximately 200 physical and occupational therapists, and a dedicated team of more than 700 associates. Recognized as the region’s most trusted orthopedic practice, we are proud to be ranked #1 in Ohio and #3 in the Nation for Orthopedics.We offer a comprehensive range of services, including specialized care across all orthopedic and musculoskeletal specialties, physical therapy, occupational hand therapy, specialized joint replacement therapy, on-site imaging and MRI services, durable medical equipment, and sports medicine outreach.With convenient locations throughout central Ohio, Orthopedic ONE is committed to delivering patient-centered, high-quality care close to home, helping our patients return to their daily activities as quickly and safely as possible.

Tell us about your company’s mission and values.

At Orthopedic ONE, we are committed to embodying our "Patients First" motto in everything we do—delivering compassionate, high-quality care to enhance the lives of every patient who walks through our doors. By upholding core values of integrity, teamwork, and excellence, we ensure a patient-centered approach in every aspect of our practice.

Please describe your company culture.

Orthopedic ONE fosters a collaborative, patient-first culture, where we prioritize professional growth and continuous development. As a physician-owned practice, we provide a supportive environment with opportunities for learning and career advancement. Our employees succeed thanks to strong leadership, state-of-the-art resources, and a team-oriented approach, all while maintaining our core commitment to delivering exceptional care to our patients.

What’s your favorite part of the Central Ohio medical community?

At Orthopedic ONE, we’re passionate about supporting and strengthening the Central Ohio medical community. Our orthopedic specialists work closely with local organizations to provide valuable public service programs that promote health and well-being for all. Our physicians take great pride in being actively involved in educating and mentoring the next generation of medical professionals, sharing our expertise and fostering future growth. We’re also excited to lead research initiatives that bring innovative techniques, technology, and care pathways to fruition, all with the goal of improving the lives of those in our community.

Emily Roedersheimer, DO, IFMCP, is the founder and owner of Balanced Living Functional Medicine.

What inspired you to pursue a career in medicine?
I was inspired to pursue a career in medicine by the providers who cared for me as a child diagnosed with Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis at age 10. They were very caring and did their best to make me feel comfortable.
 
What are your areas of clinical/professional interest?
My areas of professional interest have shifted over the course of my career. I was in family practice for over a decade when I learned about Functional Medicine. Upon learning that functional medicine can help find the root cause for a chronic illness, I was intrigued. So, I began learning more about it and was able to use what I was learning on myself (I was my own guinea pig!) to help reverse the rheumatoid arthritis that I had had for most of my life. I was able to stop injecting myself weekly with two strong medications. It took a lot of work, lifestyle changes with my diet and stress management, and time, but I no longer need medications and am in remission. So now, I am on a mission to bring the power of functional medicine to as many clients as possible and spread hope to those who are struggling or looking for another way.
 
What would you like your colleagues to know about you and your work?
I'd love my colleagues to know that I am happy to be a resource for their toughest patients. Functional medicine is a different lens on medicine, and I have different tools available to help those tough cases. I can help in these areas: 
1. If a patient has continued symptoms despite all testing being normal
2. If there is no diagnosis to explain their symptoms
3. If they have a diagnosis but medications are not helping enough or the patient doesn't want to take long-term medications
4. If they are just into a more natural approach and would like some support in changing their lifestyle to improve their health
 
I do not take insurance, and so my patients are highly motivated individuals that I spend a lot of time with to help educate them on changing their lifestyle and getting to the root cause.
 
I know that functional medicine might seem confusing and hard to understand. I am open to talking with any physician that would like to learn more about what I do and how I could support them.
 
What is your favorite restaurant in Columbus?
Brassica
 
When you’re not working, how do you like to spend your free time?
I love to spend my free time with my two boys doing anything, but we love to travel.
 
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
The best piece of advice I've ever received is to look for the root cause of my rheumatoid arthritis. It's changed my life and my career!