“I try to really listen and let my patients speak. No one knows better what’s going on than they do.”

Dr. Anahita Zimmerman knew she wanted to be a doctor since the time she was 3 years old. When it came time to choose a specialty, she selected internal medicine because of its continuity of care. “It seems like a lot of specialties don’t have extended contact with patients. I like seeing my patients regularly. It’s rewarding to see where they start and how they progress.”

She chose Changebridge because the practice is leading the charge in preventive and progressive care. “Changebridge is progressive, conscientious, thorough and responsive,” Dr. Zimmerman says. “Patients are at the core of what we do, and so we make sure to have excellent communications, from our patient portal to our nurse and physician follow-up. We return calls as soon as we get the messages, rather than holding them to return at day’s end.”

Dr. Zimmerman works frequently in chronic care, where physicians often are relegated to treating the illness after the fact. At Changebridge, she has been able to put a preventive care “spin” on treatment. “Our focus is wellness,” she says, “and that’s the case whether I’m seeing a patient for a sick visit, to manage a chronic disease or for an annual physical. Some patients really want to take charge of their health, and others are more resistant and need to be encouraged. We work to build relationships so that they will trust us and our recommendations. As patients see the improvements and feel better, that’s great reinforcement.”

When she is not working, Dr. Zimmerman enjoys playing tennis and spending time with her family. Born in Iran, she is trilingual and speaks Farsi and French as well as English. A former Floridian, she also used to be an avid surfer.