“Seeing patients satisfied and feeling
better at the end of the day is the
biggest plus to the job.”
Physician Assistant Elijah Blair works with all aspects of care for cardiology patients.
After seeing his own family members
experience serious illness, Blair pursued a career
in medicine to help patients and their
families as they experience significant
medical issues.
“I want to relieve their anxiety,” Elijah said.
“I feel sometimes people are told what
we are going to be doing, but maybe
not why. I try to take the time to explain
things and answer questions. Ultimately,
I want to put everything into context
for the patient. If someone understands
the situation better, it will hopefully take
some of the anxiety out of it all and
allow them to make better-informed
decisions about their health care.”
Elijah earned his undergraduate degrees
in Healthcare Science and Cellular & Molecular Biology from University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh in his early 30’s. He then went on to receive his master’s in physician assistant studies (MPAS) in 2017
from the University of Wisconsin - School
of Medicine and Public Health in Madison.
“I feel having taken such a non-traditional
path to where I am now has given me
broader life-experiences and perspectives,”
he said. “I think it allows me to relate to a whole range of folks with different backgrounds much better than if I’d taken a more direct path.”
Elijah’s focus is to make sure patients feel heard. He does his best to educate and explain their options for treatment, allowing the patient to make informed decisions pertaining to their health care. He said seeing patients start to feel better and improve is very rewarding and the best part of his job.
Outside of work, Elijah is happy to be in the Wausau area where he’s only a short drive from family. Depending on the season, he can be found at the gym, cross country skiing, snowboarding or relaxing at home, but he always tries to stay active.