After working at multiple medical organizations ranging from large hospital systems to single-doctor practices, Interventional Pain Specialist Dr. Andrew Kalin joined the team at Goshen Orthopedics (Goshen Health) this February.
Between his best friend’s parents working as medical professionals and his experience as a hospital volunteer in high school, the medical field piqued Kalin’s interest from an early age. As a hospital volunteer, Kalin aspired to volunteer in the cardiology department, but to best accommodate the hospital’s needs and openings, he ended up volunteering at the pain management clinic. This ultimately shaped Kalin’s future, going from not knowing what pain management clinics were to discovering a passion for the specialty.
“Thirteen years later, I ended up there, working in that very same clinic at that same hospital. It’s a small world. I originally had no idea what it was, so it’s a funny story that it all came full circle when I ended up in that same department,” Kalin said.
With 25% of the national population suffering from chronic pain, Kalin is eager to apply his pain management knowledge every day at the clinic. The clinic previously had two pain management doctors, and Kalin is proud that it is now his turn to take the helm and steer the department toward providing effective, quality service. Being a diligent caretaker of the quarter of the local community that deals with chronic pain is a joy for Kalin.
“The nice thing about my job is that I can see an immediate response to my treatments. Typically, it takes a long time to improve those issues, and you have incremental gains. I think we have a more direct approach, and it's somewhat quicker to see dramatic improvements,” Kalin said. “Back pain is the most common cause of pain in the U.S. as well as our community. It’s debilitating when somebody has back pain where they can't move very easily, and sometimes they can't work. A fair amount of the time, after some treatments, they're able to do those things again. It's pretty rewarding to see that.”
Thanks to the chronic pain management available at Goshen Orthopedics, many patients respond to the interventions and can avoid invasive treatment. Chronic pain management is a newer field in the medical industry, but it has quickly proven impactful. It can even lessen or eliminate the need for medication in some cases, which is a win for both Kalin and his patients.
“Medications do have their place, but usually, it's not a focus. Oftentimes, with a lot of these treatments, we can avoid medicines. Why be stuck taking medication for the rest of your life if we can do something that manages your pain for months on end? Our treatments may not be cures, but they're just that: treatments. We can manage the pain over long periods of time. You can have a treatment every couple of months – or even two to three times a year – rather than take medication three times a day. The pain control is typically better that way, without the peaks and valleys that you get with oral medication.”
Although he is only in his first year at Goshen Orthopedics, Kalin has felt truly welcomed by his Colleagues. He also feels welcomed by the patients, who have even made Facebook posts raving about the life-changing treatment they received at the clinic.
Outside of treating patients, Kalin enjoys golfing, biking, and traveling. He enjoys visiting his friends all over the country and venturing overseas to experience new cultures. With his bachelor’s degree in history and appreciation for the arts, Kalin especially enjoys traveling to countries that are steeped in history and has visited Italy on multiple occasions.
“You can go to that country multiple times in a row and not see everything. I think it's cool to visit places where they're not only beautiful to look at but where you can also learn a whole lot about the past. That's something that I've always really been passionate about,” Kalin said.
To learn more about the staff at Goshen Health, visit goshenhealth.com.
