Dr. Baxt is an experienced, board-certified emergency room physician, medical educator, lecturer, and attending physician specializing in venous disorders (vein disease). He earned his medical degree at Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, completing his Emergency Medicine residency (including as Chief Resident and founding member of the emergency medicine residency program) at Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut.
During his education, he received several academic honors, including Alpha Omega Alpha (national medical honor society), Phi Beta Kappa (high academic achievement, undergraduate), and Magna cum Laude (academic excellence, graduate student).
We spoke to Dr. Baxt about his medical background, his philosophy of caring for patients, and why he chose to practice at CVR.
“I am a whole-person doctor. Although I am your vein specialist, that’s not all I do. I take care of the entire human being. If I get your veins healthy, but the rest of you isn’t doing well, I didn’t help you.”–Dr. Brian Baxt
Why did you choose vein care as your specialty?
My background is in emergency medicine, completing my training at Yale in the 90s. I stayed on a faculty there, teaching the incoming doctors the use of ultrasound to access veins. After twenty years in the emergency room, I decided that I could do the specialty that I love (in a clinic setting), helping people without the grueling hours required in the ER.
Why did you choose CVR?
CVR has the infrastructure to allow me to be a doctor and not worry about anything else. They have excellent medical and administrative support staff, including ultrasound technicians, a brilliant nurse practitioner, and all the resources I need to deliver the best patient care possible.
What is your philosophy of patient care?
Mine is not a cookie-cutter approach. I aim to find out the patient’s goal and help them achieve it. Some people want to look better. Others want relief from the pain, swelling, throbbing, and heaviness. And some people are there from both. I’m here to help patients get to where they want to be.
What unique skills do you possess?
My father is a physician. From him, I learned the nuts and bolts of medicine. My mother is a second-grade teacher. From her, I learned that if I speak to patients in doctor-language that they don’t understand, and I haven’t helped them because they don’t know what I said. I blend medicine with being a human being.
What do you want referring physicians and patients to know about you?
Every patient gets my personal email and cell phone number. If you trust me to put a needle in your body, I trust you to contact me whenever you need me…If you need me, you got me, 24/7.
What should people know about varicose veins?
Something people should know about varicose veins is that the symptoms are non-specific. Like a fever, there could be many underlying reasons for it. Similarly, varicose veins can cause many symptoms in the leg. Classic symptoms are heaviness, aching, swelling, and itching.
If something is bothering you about your legs, come in and see us. The testing is a simple physical exam with no needles; the diagnostic testing is an ultrasound with no radiation or pain. You walk out with the results and what we propose to do to help you.
How to schedule treatment for varicose veins
To book an appointment with Dr. Baxt or any of the other 60+ CVR vein care specialists across the United States, call our Patient Services Representatives at 240-965-3915 or schedule online HERE.