Internal Medicine is a crucial medical service in order for adults to get the care they need to manage chronic diseases. Unlike a primary care doctor, an Internist helps adults manage key healthcare factors that limit the impact of chronic diseases. Thankfully, Centennial Medical Center provides Internal Medicine led by our highly respected and reviewed Internists: Dr. Debra Curtis and Dr. Joseph Gibbons! Dr. Curtis and Dr. Gibbons have a combined 35 years of internal medicine expertise and have remarkably served adult populations in Howard County!
If you have any additional questions about Internal Medicine, please contact our team at 410-730-3399 to schedule an appointment for Internal Medicine!
What is Internal Medicine?
According to the American College of Physicians, Internal Medicine is the specific delivery of chronic disease management, diagnosis, and care coordinate of complex adult diseases. Internists don’t normally treat patients under the age of 18 since the practice specializes in adult chronic disease care. Internists usually have specific specalities within a medical field related to chronic disease care. Per the ACP:
Internists routinely see patients with conditions such as heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, obesity, and chronic lung disease. An internist may consult with doctors in other fields of medicine, or may be called to consult on a patient by another specialist.
To become an internist, a graduate of a four-year medical school must complete a residency in internal medicine, which usually lasts three years. Once general internal medicine residency training is complete, a physician may begin to practice internal medicine, or an internist may then choose to sub-specialize in a particular area of internal medicine, for example, cardiology or infectious diseases. Subspecialty training, called fellowship, calls for two to three years of additional training.
Internists at Centennial Medical Center:
Dr. Debra Curtis
Dr. Debra Curtis is an Internist with special interest in preventive medicine and women’s health. She has been board-certified in Internal Medicine for 15 years. She joined Centennial Medical Group in 2018 after 11 years as Lead Physician at Seton Medical Group in Catonsville. Prior to Seton, she worked for Kaiser Permanente in Columbia. She was educated and trained at the University of Maryland, The George Washington University, American University, and GBMC, where she was appointed the Chief Resident of her class.
Dr. Joseph Gibbons
Dr. Gibbons is an Internist. His practice is limited to age 15 and older. He attended medical school at West Virginia University and then completed his residency at the Washington Hospital Center. Dr. Gibbons was with Primary Care Specialists from 1989-2000 before joining the staff of the Centennial Medical Group in 2000. He is board certified in Internal Medicine. He has been recognized by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) for excellence in diabetes care and heart and stroke care for the period 2007-2013.
