Gale Hall is not only Dr. Bob Hall’s wife, she is also the office manager of Naturally Healthy Family Medicine and the first person patients speak with when they call or visit. She is attentive, knowledgeable, patient and truly caring. She understands that new and even established patients may have lots of questions about homeopathic health care, since she once had plenty of questions herself!
Gale was born and raised in Baltimore and after completing her bachelor’s degree in music education, taught for several years in Maryland. She enjoys playing both piano and guitar. She studied human resource development in graduate school and also trained in tax preparation, proving, once again, that musicians make good mathematicians!
Before meeting Dr. Hall, Gale worked in human resources and as the office manager for a large Baltimore-based accounting firm. After the two married, she transferred all of those great skills to his medical practice where she has been helping things run smoothly ever since! In the doctor’s office, Gale receives patients, handles all insurance and financial matters and does myriad other things in the course of each day with a sunny disposition and a good heart! As she laughs, “I do just about everything but treat the patients!”
“My goal is to help all patients feel welcome and cared about when they come into the office or call on the phone, including those times when they are in between visits,” she explains. “We want patients to feel comfortable calling any time they have questions or concerns. If I can’t help them, I’ll refer them directly to Dr. Hall. He’s happy to answer questions between visits and encourages patients to call us rather than waiting until their next visit.” She advises that a phone call is best if a patient needs a response quickly or has a rather complex question. Otherwise, patients are invited to email Gale at Gale@naturallyhealthyfamilymedicine.com or Dr. Hall at DrHall@naturallyhealthyfamilymedicine.com if they have simple questions and prefer to communicate that way.
“My favorite part of working at the practice is getting to know our patients! And I understand that for many of them, this is a brand new experience,” says Gale. Since homeopathic medicine is holistic in its approach (taking into consideration the “whole person”), the first doctor-patient interview is quite in-depth. Furthermore, some of the questions the doctor asks may seem unrelated to the patient’s problem, such as, “Do you prefer hot drinks or cold?” or “Are you fearful of thunderstorms?” But questions like these, which may have new patients scratching their heads during their earliest visits, are purposeful in the homeopathic interview. Gale notes, “For people new to homeopathy, the interview and treatment can seem ‘outside the box’ at first. So I endeavor to give as much information as possible when a potential new patient calls into our office. If I’m occupied with patients or other calls, I’ll call back as soon as I have an opportunity to talk with that person in greater depth and answer as many questions as I can.”
As for Gale’s introduction to homeopathy, she recalls, “I had actually been interested in natural health since my college years and had even worked in a health food store while I was an undergraduate student in Dallas. When I met Bob and started to learn how homeopathic medicine works, it took me a while to get my brain wrapped around it! But then I found out personally how well it works when my allergies to dust and mold totally went away with homeopathic treatment. I had struggled with allergies for a long time and would cough every time I put my head down to sleep unless I took allergy medicine. I hated the way the medicine made me feel and really didn’t want to be on any kind of prescription drug. That first experience with homeopathic treatment made a believer out of me and it’s just been reinforced over the years as I’ve had the pleasure of watching so many, many of our patients being helped with homeopathy.”
These days, in addition to being office manager of Naturally Healthy Family Medicine, Gale is also helping individuals as a certified life coach. “I have always enjoyed working with people and this gives me another way that I can reach out and support folks who are looking for this type of professional guidance. It feels like a natural progression from my experiences in teaching, human resources and health care. The common denominator is that I really appreciate the opportunity to work with people who are trying to move their lives in a positive direction.”
Patients can continue to expect Gale to be the one to greet them if they call to make an appointment with Dr. Hall or come into the office for a visit. She smiles as she shares, “Most patients tell us that they have never had a doctor spend as much time getting to know them as Dr. Hall does. That’s not just something inherent in the practice of homeopathic medicine. It’s also because he is so deeply committed to providing excellent care for his patients. I try each day to make sure that our patients feel great about the care and service they receive from me as well! We’re a team and I think our patients sense that. They know they can count on us if they need us.”