NorthShore Health Centers Spotlight: Kevin Hineman

Kevin Hineman is NorthShore Health Center’s first physician assistant (PA). He splits his time between NorthShore’s Gary, Hammond, and Portage locations and specializes in pediatric primary care.

“I am at NorthShore’s Hammond location two days a week, at the Gary location one day a week, and at the Portage location one day a week,” Hineman said.

A long-time resident of Pittsburgh, Hineman earned his undergraduate degree from Kent State University and his graduate degree as a physician assistant (PA) from the University of Mount Union.

“A recruiter reached out about the opportunity at NorthShore,” Hineman said. “I’ve been at NorthShore for two years and attended school in the Midwest, so I am used to the Midwest. I think the best part of the Midwest is the people.”

In his role, Hineman cultivates relationships with his patients and their families.

“I love the connections you make with the families and the kids,” Hineman said. “It’s really cool to have these patients and build a repertoire with them. I’m grateful to my patients and their parents who kindly recommend me to others.”

He enjoys helping people, and one of the ways he does this is by educating his patients.

“One of the best aspects of my work is having the opportunity to help people with their health,” Hineman said. “The education piece is really important to me. I want my patients and their parents to understand why certain actions need to be taken or why they are experiencing certain symptoms.”

When a patient comes in with an ailment, Hineman takes time to really speak with the patient and their parents.

“For example, with the newborns, I explain jaundice to the parents,” Hineman said. “I discuss what it is and why the child has a soft yellow tint to their skin.”

Hineman chose to become a PA instead of a doctor because of his passion for patient care. As a PA, he felt that he could spend more time with his patients as there is less time spent managing others compared to that required of a doctor.

“I chose to be a PA because I still appreciate the medical side, but wanted to spend more time with my patients,” said Hineman. “I wanted to spend less time managing and more time on patient care.”

Hineman also speaks Spanish, which is helpful when he is at NorthShore’s locations, namely Hammond and Gary, that have several Spanish speaking clients.

While the job requires a lot, it is very enriching for Hineman.

“It is a lot of work,” said Hineman. “You have to love working in primary care. It’s really rewarding and I love helping kids live up to their potential by working with them on their health.”

Sometimes, the very young patients are timid or scared. Hineman helps them feel more comfortable by playing with them or by letting them use his stethoscope.

“I’ve played everything – from Barbie to Make-Believe to Rubik’s cubes with our young patients,” Hineman said.

Hineman and the entire NorthShore medical team are dedicated to helping the local communities across their locations. They even take walk-ins. If you are in need of pediatric primary care, you can learn more about working with Hineman or the other doctors atNorthshorehealthHealth Clinic in Hammond & Portage, IN | NorthShore Health Centers.