Stephen Covey once said, “Trust is the glue of life. It's the most essential ingredient in effective communication. It's the foundational principle that holds all relationships.” I believe one of the most vital components of a provider-patient relationship is trust. Trust in competence. Trust in honesty. Trust in patient outcomes. Trust in formulating a treatment plan. I believe in building a foundation of trust between myself as a physician provider and a patient- to make the patient feel valued, feel respected, and feel heard. Additionally, I believe communication is also essential and that this goes beyond just words or explaining the risks and benefits of a procedure or test. I believe in being available for a patient whether it be during business hours or after hours. I believe in communicating honestly and effectively. A core principle of mine is to treat patients as if they were my own family member. I’m often reminded of this excerpt from a recent article I read: “A strong physician-patient relationship involves good interpersonal communication, the development of a shared understanding that allows for reliance and trust, and ease of obtaining care, facilitated by the physician serving as a patient advocate.”