Dr. B. Patrick Harpole, MD

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• Medical usage of red blood cells.

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Get to know Family Physician Dr. B. Patrick Harpole, who serves patients in Pleasant Hill, California.

Dedicated to the profession of medicine, Dr. Harpole has over five decades of experience in medicine and surgery. Since 1975, he has served his patients at his private practice in Pleasant Hill, California. 

A group of families has been with him since the beginning, which means 3 generations. His training at Contra Costa Medical Services taught him to treat every aspect of health care. When a resident completes this residency, they go to a small town and do everything (deliver babies, tonsillectomy, hysterectomy, pin fractured hip, laparoscopic tubal ligation, set fractures, remove skin cancer, treat myocardial infarction, pneumonia, septic shock, gunshot wounds, thyroid cancer, and the regular medical illnesses such as diabetes, high blood pressure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and arthritis.) The motto of our residency: “Do the common things, uncommonly well.”

Professionally, Dr. Harpole has been practicing at John Muir Medical Center since 1976, providing primary care to patients of all ages. He has also been on active staff at John Muir Health, Concord Medical Center (formerly Mount Diablo Hospital) in Concord, California for over 30 years and at San Ramon Regional Medical Center in San Ramon, California for over 10 years.

After completing a surgical externship at Saint Elizabeth’s Hospital in Brighton, Dr. Harpole went on to earn his medical degree from the Oregon Health & Science University – School of Medicine in 1970. Upon successful completion of his internship at Saint Vincent’s Hospital in New York City, he graduated from an intensive course in aerospace medicine at Brooks Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas. He then served as a Flight Surgeon at Griffiss Air Force Base in Rome, New York.

Prior to residency, Dr. Harpole served with the USAF. Vietnam was winding down so the USAF needed fewer soldiers. To expel soldiers, the air force instituted a strict weight criterion and if enlisted did not satisfy the requirement, they were expelled. Dr. Harpole was in charge of this program at Griffiss AFB in Rome, New York and has continued to take an active interest in weight loss. The average patient loses 18 pounds in 2 months.

The doctor performed two additional years in family practice at Contra Costa Medical Center (which is affiliated with the University of California Davis School of Medicine). He took a sabbatical at Stanford University Medical School, which emphasized dermatology, gastroenterology, and radiology. Since then, he has taken continuing education courses to become proficient in flexible colonoscopy and sclerotherapy (injection treatment of varicose veins). His training has taught him the value of “doing the common things, uncommonly well.”

10 years ago, he attended an Anti-Aging Conference in Las Vegas and learned the value of treating low testosterone in senior males. He now has a multitude of male patients who are 70+ years young but look and act like they are 50. Recently, he studied the use of low dose (off label use) of testosterone in postmenopausal women. The results of the treatment were gratifying: increased endurance, stamina, self-esteem, and libido.

With an unwavering commitment to his specialty, Dr. Harpole has been board-certified in family practice since the Board of Family Medicine (ABFM) was established. The ABFM is a non-profit, independent medical association of American physicians who practice in family medicine and its sub-specialties. 

Additionally, he is a member of the Alameda-Contra Costa Medical Association, the Society of Bariatric Physicians, and the American Academy of Family Physicians. 

Family medicine is a medical specialty devoted to comprehensive health care for people of all ages. The specialist is called a family physician or family doctor. A family physician is often the first person whom a patient sees when seeking healthcare services. They examine and treat patients with a wide range of conditions and refer those with serious ailments to a specialist or appropriate facility. 

On a more personal note, Dr. Harpole has been a Contra Costa County resident for over 35 years, primarily in Lafayette, California. He has two daughters, both of whom are married, as well as five lovely grandchildren. Outside of the office, he enjoys skiing, sailing, traveling, and photography. 

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