I knew I needed to find a new doctor when, suffering one of my frequent sinus attacks, I couldn’t get a timely appointment with my physician and saw the nurse-practitioner instead. I’d been getting regular exams from the doctor for a dozen years, but never felt much connection with her. A little small talk about, say, the controversy over hormone treatments, would be met with, “Oh, I don’t really read the newspaper.” Bad sign. The NP, a dour, librarian-ish woman with an unconvincing smile, clinched my decision. She met me in her office, where a smiley face balloon nuzzled the ceiling and a pile of Beanie Babies lolled cutely on her desk next to a book with the fizzy subtitle The Therapeutic Use of Humor in Health Care. I suddenly felt nauseous. Worse, the decongestant she recommended produced horrific coughing fits whenever I tried to speak.

Understanding firsthand the perennial quest for good medical care inspires us to publish yearly a list of outstanding local doctors. Every year we refine our methods in an effort to get a wider sampling and include the most up-to-date information. So, for Seattle Met’s annual checkup, we called in eight doctors and three PR people representing Seattle hospitals, specialty clinics, and medical research and training facilities. Best docs lists, we heard not for the first time, may induce vitriol in the medical community. Some doctors confessed that they are pleased when they make the list and secretly disappointed when they don’t.

Thanks to their participation, medical professionals responded to our poll at a higher rate than ever. Thanks to their guidance, we added or combined specialties and focused our cover story on the ways Seattle is shaping the future of medicine and providing us with some of the most advanced health care in the world. In appreciation for Seattle’s fine physicians, we created the Golden Stethoscope Award to honor and celebrate their contributions to our good health—and even elicit a smile.

Through a referral, I did find a new doctor whom I could talk to about anything, including articles in The New Yorker and the upcoming opera season. And then she retired. At least I rarely get sinus infections anymore. It must have been the humor cure: Every time I think about the Beanie Babies, I burst out laughing.

Katherine Koberg

Editor-in-Chief
[email protected]