Deciding where to practice and grow roots is a huge decision for health care providers. Many physicians contemplate the possibilities for years through medical school and residency. But for Matthew Kochheiser, DO, and Brittany Coovert, DO, two OhioHealth primary care physicians from the north central region, there was never a question of where they’d end up.

“It’s always been a goal of mine to come back to the area that I grew up in,” said Dr. Kochheiser. “I believe being rooted in your community is a key element in what makes primary care so critical in our health system.”

Dr. Kochheiser grew up in Belleville and went to Clear Fork High School. He received his undergraduate degree from Mount Vernon Nazarene University and attended medical school at Ohio University’s Dublin Campus. He was able to stay in Dublin for his residency at OhioHealth Dublin Methodist Hospital.

Similarly, Dr. Coovert stayed in Ohio for her education and training. After graduating from Ashland High School, Dr. Coovert went to The Ohio State University for her undergraduate degree and Ohio University’s Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine for medical school. She completed her residency at OhioHealth Riverside Hospital. Like Dr. Kochheiser, Dr. Coovert always knew she wanted to practice back home.

“If you come to Ashland, you just kind of get it,” said Dr. Coovert. “There’s just something about the community here. The people are good people. They really care about each other,

they care about the community, they care about their families. And I just knew that that’s where I wanted to practice.”

A clear path forward

Just as Dr. Kochheiser knew he wanted to return to the Mansfield area, his career path was also a sure thing. He caught the bug to care for others after breaking his arm when he was little.

“I thought it was cool that somebody was able to fix me when I was in need,” said Dr. Kochheiser. “I wanted to be able to do that same thing when I became an adult in my career.”

Dr. Kochheiser carried the idea that he’d return home to practice with him throughout his entire training. In fact, he says he tailored some of his training experience to what he thought the Richland County area needed.

“We had some elective time in my third year where I got to choose my own experiences with how I spent that time,” said Dr. Kochheiser. “I spent some extra time learning about some mental health needs and psychiatric care. I also knew there was a lot of chronic disease in this area, so I wanted to make sure I had a strong cardiovascular background.”

Just as Dr. Kochheiser knew he wanted to go into medicine at an early age, Dr. Coovert also felt sure after being exposed to it first-hand. Her mother was an ER nurse and made a huge impact on her.

“She was just a rock star,” said Dr. Coovert. “The passion and pride she had being an ER nurse and being a part of people's care was just really infectious.”

Dr. Coovert initially thought she’d go into emergency medicine as well and went into medical school with that goal. But she found herself increasingly interested in ways to help prevent patients from going to the ER in the first place. She was also drawn to connecting with patients over time to make a difference in their health throughout their lives. So, when she experienced family medicine for the first time, that’s when she knew she found her calling.

“I completely fell in love with it,” said Dr. Coovert. “And I’m probably biased, but I do think family medicine is the best specialty, because I think you can make the most difference.”

Prevention is key

Both Dr. Coovert and Dr. Kochheiser are firm believers in preventative care. In fact, Dr. Kochheiser says it’s the main reason he went into family medicine.

“I’ve always wanted to be able to help people maintain their health and prevent some kind of adverse event down the line,” said Dr. Kochheiser. “We only get one body. I want to make sure we do things to help maintain it.”

Dr. Kochheiser has a special interest in lifestyle medicine, sports medicine, and chronic disease management. He also uses osteopathic manipulation treatments (OMT) in practice, a type of treatment that uses hands-on techniques to improve musculoskeletal function.

Dr. Coovert’s passions within family medicine include pediatrics, geriatrics, managing chronic illness, including diabetes and hypertension, and preventative care.

“Prevention is more than just screening for diseases,” said Dr. Coovert. “Our day-to-day decisions, like the foods we eat, the amount we move our body, the amount of screen time we have, etc; decisions like these really paint a picture of our health and make a big impact.”

Dr. Coovert is taking new patients, newborn and older, at the OhioHealth Ashland Health Center. Dr. Kochheiser is accepting new patients, three and up, at the OhioHealth Physician Group Primary Care building located at 558 S Trimble Road in Mansfield. To make an appointment with Dr. Coovert, call 567-309-6560. To make an appointment with Dr. Kochheiser, call 419-524-1410.

Denise Plante