“My number one job as a primary care doctor is always prevention and keeping you healthy over only treating you when you’re sick.”
Dr. Frank Iannetta clearly remembers the first book he borrowed from the West Caldwell Public Library at 6 years old. It had a yellow cover with gold embossing along the side. The subject was the human brain. It was in the adult section, and he had to get special permission to take it home. That was his first step towards becoming a family doctor.
“I was always interested in medicine,” says Dr. Iannetta. “I had a great primary care doctor, Dr. James Garofalo, who lived right up the street. I always knew it was something that I wanted to do, and I wanted to do it in my local community.”
Dr. Iannetta has fulfilled that dream – and then some. After nearly three decades in practice and now alongside his partners Dr. Arnold Pallay and Dr. Andrew Gilmartin, he has treated generations of patients, including within the same family. “Knowing a family’s history helps me more effectively treat patients,” says Dr. Iannetta. “The whole idea behind family medicine is understanding genetics plus family history together – so that’s of tremendous importance to me.”
He is known as a good listener in the exam room. “I give my patients the time they need. I also explain things in human terms vs. medical terms. I use a lot of analogies.”
Wellness is a continued focus for Dr. Iannetta and for Changebridge Medical Associates. Between routine physicals, immunizations and the specialized testing offered in-house at Changebridge, Dr. Iannetta knows his patients are getting the best preventive care possible. “Changebridge does an excellent job uniting care across the system, creating a medical neighborhood. We’re large enough that we have the resources our patients need, yet we never lose sight of the personal care they’ve come to expect.”
When he is not working, Dr. Iannetta tends to his “midsize” collection of 15,000 comic books and enjoys spending time with family. He and his wife have two biological and four adopted children and are former foster parents. Dr. Iannetta also is an assistant scoutmaster for Boy Scout Troop 72 of Parsippany, a member of the Risk Management Committee for the Patriots’ Path Council and has been honored with the 2016 Boy Scouts of America Good Scout Award.
