By Laura Hipshire
THE ERICKSON TRIBUNE

“I was very interested in theater,” says Dr. Susan Reeder. “I wanted to be an actress. My father was a physician, so being a doctor was something I also considered.” To the delight of the community members at Henry Ford Village, she decided on the latter. Dr. Reeder has been the medical director on campus since 2005.

Dr. Reeder has two passions some of her patients might not be aware of – cats and Diet Coke. “My father would never let me have cats growing up,” says Dr. Reeder. “I’ve had cats since I was 19, ever since I moved out.” Currently, she and her husband, Gene Kraus, have two cats — Willow and Milo. As for the Diet Coke, well, she always keeps the calorie-free, caffeinated drink nearby.

Doctor enjoys ‘small town’ feel
“It’s rewarding, interacting with the community members,” says Dr. Reeder.

“It’s very much like practicing in a small town. If I go to eat at Windows Café, I run into a lot of my patients.” Prior to coming to the campus, Dr. Reeder practiced medicine in the Henry Ford Health System. “So often, in other clinics, you see patients, and then you don’t see them again until their next appointment,” she says. “There’s so much support in this community. You tend to have a much better idea of how your patients are doing.”

Besides being board-certified in internal medicine, Dr. Reeder also specializes in the field of geriatrics. “Most of the patients I worked with before I came here were seniors,” says Dr. Reeder. She says many of her family members lived to be almost 100 years old, by living simple lifestyles. “I had positive models at home for aging,” she says. “I enjoy working with seniors. They have tremendous life experiences and wisdom to share.”