Biography
Jenifer Balawender, D.O., specializes in family medicine. She sees patients of all ages in the Campus Ridge Building on the campus of MyMichigan Medical Center Midland.
Philosophy of Care
“During my training I had many interests and enjoyed seeing all types of people: young, old and in between,” said Dr. Balawender. “This made family medicine the perfect fit for me. I especially appreciate the strong patient-doctor relationship that is unique to primary care.”
“As an osteopathic doctor, one of the philosophies is to treat the whole person with consideration of the greater context of their life. Another philosophy of osteopathic medicine is that the body has the ability to heal itself. Of course, often medicine and interventions are necessary, but I try to limit these whenever possible.”
“I appreciate having an open, honest, and caring relationship with my patients in which we both take responsibility in their care. I try to educate my patients about their health so I can help them to make informed decisions regarding their care. I am a good listener and I care for my patients with the respect and consideration I would give to a family member.”
“I really appreciate being able to develop relationships with many types of people and help guide them on the path to health and well-being. I love practicing preventative medicine because I can try to prevent illness before it starts or identify it early on when it’s most treatable.”
“For example, figuring out the link between cancer and the HPV virus has been an incredible discovery. This changed several cancers from devastating conditions that we could only react to into preventable diseases.”
“Within the context of primary care I especially enjoy preventative medicine, women’s health and pediatric care. I perform IUD insertions and several joint injections. In addition, I have experience performing Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine which is a great tool I use to treat musculoskeletal conditions including neck, back and hip pain.”
“In my spare time, I enjoy running, yoga, cooking and spending time with my family, including my husband, Mark Balawender and my daughter, Leah and son Ryan.”
“I have been practicing family medicine for 5 years in Lansing, Michigan. My husband’s job has brought me and my family to Midland and we’re looking forward to getting to know the community.”
Special Interests and Procedures
- Preventive medicine
- Women’s health
- Pediatric care
- IUD insertions
- Joint injections
- Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine
