Dr. Leah Eiden, M.D., Bluffton’s newest general practitioner, feels right at home in Bluffton Hospital.
After all, she was born in the hospital. The first person she met in Bluffton was Dr. Howard Shelly, M.D., who delivered her. Dr. Eiden will see patients soon at Bluffton Primary Care, an office currently under renovation.
The Icon sat down with her recently for Q and A. Her youngest son, Jack, sat in on our interview. Here’s what we’d like to share with viewers.
Icon: You are originally from Lafayette. Tell us about your education.
Eiden: I graduated from Shalom Education Center. Then I attended Ohio Northern and graduated as a chemistry major. From there I was accepted in medical school at Ohio State University. My residency was in family medicine.
Icon: When will your Bluffton office open?
Eiden: It’s being renovated now. I hope to be here by October. The office is at 161 Garau, and, yes, I’m accepting new patients. Persons may call my office phone number (It’s a Bluffton number), which rings in my Ottawa office. It’s 419-369-2280. The intention is to have additional providers in the office.
Icon: What did you want to be when you grew up?
Eiden: A nurse. I always wanted to help people.
Icon: Your husband is also a doctor. Where did he grow up and where does he practice?
Eiden: My husband, Jeffery, is from Miller City. He is at Putnam County Primary Care in Ottawa. We share offices. He will remain in Ottawa after I move my office to Bluffton.
Icon: Tell us about your children.
Eiden: We have three sons. Ben will be a ninth grader at Bluffton High School. Marco will be in the sixth grade and Jack is entering first grade.
Icon: Jack, who is teacher?
Jack: Mrs. Steinmetz.
Icon: What is the most recent book you’ve read?
Eiden: “Crossing the Waters.” It is the story of a fisherwoman in Alaska. The book is about following Jesus through the storms, the fish, the doubts and the seas.
Icon: What’s your favorite part of helping your patients?
Eiden: My favorite part is helping patients through complicated or difficult medical situations. I’m especially interested in helping patients with obesity.
Icon: You’ve treated patients of all ages?
Eiden: Yes. At one time I was seeing patients who represented three generations in the same family.
Icon: I understand that you’ve taken several mission trips. Where and when?
Eiden: Some of these trips were taken before I became a doctor. I’ve taken trips to Honduras twice, Haiti, Venezuela, Guatemala and twice to Ethiopia. My husband and I went to Guatemala for an international adoption of our middle child. We adopted him when he was 10 months old.
Icon: If there was a movie you could watch with the volume turned off, but you could recite all the lines, what movie would that be?
Eiden: Mary Poppins. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve watched it.
Icon: What’s the most common thing that brings patients to your office?
Eiden: High blood pressure.
Icon: How do you help a patient with this?
Eiden: We talk about the patient’s lifestyle. We talk about the person’s genetic makeup and what changes the person could make in that lifestyle.
Icon: What seems to be the most common thing you see in children?
Eiden: Ear infections and asthma.
Icon: Still have your tonsils? Have any broken bones stories?
Eiden: I still have them and I’ve never broken any bones.
Icon: I understand you went to Washington, D.C., this past spring. Tell us about it.
Eiden: I was one of the parent chaperones on the eighth grade Washington, D.C. trip.
Icon: Thanks to talking with us. We look forward to you opening your practice in Bluffton.
