CovingtonCares Magazine - Fall/Winter 2023

“I love my patients,” Dr. Bruce said. “I just hope that in some small way, I have made a difference in their lives.” She practices Family Medicine at CCH Clinic Family Medical in Collins. During her 22 years at Covington County, she has cared for multiple generations of families. “I see patients as adults whom I’ve delivered as babies,” she said. “I saw one the other day. He’s 20 years old.” Handling Pressure Dr. Bruce also works in the Emergency Department. That can be an intense environment, but she learned how to perform under pressure way back in her teens. At age 18, competing for her native Jamaica, she finished ninth in the high jump at the 1972 Summer Olympics. In the 1976 Olympics, she placed 15th in the pentathlon, a grueling competition that consisted of five track and field events: 100-meter hurdles, shot put, high jump, long jump, and 200-meter sprint. Recruited by Prairie View A&M University in Prairie View, Texas, she was a member of a 1974 women’s track team that won conference and national championships. In 1997, Prairie View inducted her into its Sports Hall of Fame. Supportive Professors In the classroom, she said, “I found certain things I excelled at, especially microbiology and chemistry.” Her professors encouraged her to pursue medicine. Plus, she had friends who were going into dentistry, and she wanted to match their accomplishments. “I felt that if they can do it, I can do it too.” She earned a doctorate in osteopathic medicine at Kansas City University and completed a residency in Family Medicine at the Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System in South Carolina. In 2001, she came to CCH, partly for the opportunity to provide much- needed OB-GYN services for the area as part of her family care responsibilities. The pace of life in Collins surprised her at first, especially because, in 1983, she and her husband had made bustling, high-energy, high-traffic Atlanta their home base. No Strangers Still, Dr. Bruce said, “I’ve grown to love it. It’s kind of quiet. You know everybody. Although,” she added with a laugh, “sometimes they get too close to you.” She said she gets genuine satisfaction from working with her patients – even when, on occasion, their expectations for immediate gratification exceed what’s possible. CovingtonCares 17 “As a patient, you play the biggest role in your care. I’m just here to guide you.” – Andrea Bruce, DO, Family Medicine “I just hope that in some small way, I have made a difference in their lives.” – Andrea Bruce, DO, Family Medicine