Meet Drs. Perrone & Tyrell-Smith

We are pleased to welcome two outstanding family medicine doctors to our growing primary care team. In the video below, they discuss the field of family medicine, the services they provide, and explain why they chose this specialty. Dr. Perrone sees patients in Newington and can be reached at (860) 594-1199. Dr. Tyrell-Smith sees patients in Hartford and can be reached at (860) 594-1199.

Below is a transcript of what they discuss in their video.

What is Family Medicine?

Dr. Perrone:

Family medicine is a primary care specialty that treats patients of a variety of ages, including infants through the elderly. We focus on a variety of different conditions, including the management of chronic disease, as well as acute illness. We ensure that you are up to date with all required screening guidelines, such as mammograms and colonoscopies. We also ensure that you have received appropriate age-related vaccinations to make sure that you are healthy.

Dr. Tyrell-Smith:

Family medicine providers deliver the same primary care services as internal medicine providers. Some of the key differences include:

• Treatment of all ages
• Care for an individual throughout his/her life
• Focus on meeting the needs of all family members
• Receive training outside of general medicine in the areas of pediatrics, OB/GYN, and geriatrics
• Provide select in-office procedures

What are some of the services you provide?

Dr. Perrone:

There is a focus on pediatric care, adolescent care, adult care, and geriatrics. We treat chronic conditions, as well as acute illnesses. Chronic conditions range from diabetes to hypertension, to elevated cholesterol. Acute illness can be as simple as the flu, a rash, or any other concern that a patient may have.

Dr. Tyrell-Smith:

We provide yearly physicals, as well as newborn physicals and sports physicals. We are focused on what is known as preventative medicine which aims to prevent sickness before it happens.

Below are some of our key services:     

• Treatment of illness
• Detection and medical management of chronic conditions
• Identification and management of risk factors
• Preventive screenings
• Healthy lifestyle promotion
• Routine gynecology screenings and PAP smears
• Birth control insertion including IUDs
• Dermatology screenings
• Vaccinations
• Joint injections and procedures

What are some of the in-office procedures you provide?

Dr. Tyrell-Smith:

Family medicine doctors often have additional training in OB/GYN, geriatrics, mental health, geriatrics, osteopathic manipulation, and dermatology. This allows us to perform in-office procedures which may include:

OB/GYN

• Routine gynecological screenings including pap smears
• Birth control counseling
• Placement of birth controls including IUDs and Nexplanon
• Depo-Provera injections

Dermatology

• Screening for skin cancer
• Skin biopsies and excisions
• Removal of Sebaceous cysts
• Skin tag removal
• Wart removal
• incision and drainage of skin abscess

Musculoskeletal

• Joint injections
  • steroid injections
  • trigger point injections

What are the benefits of osteopathic manipulation?

Dr. Perrone:

As osteopathic physicians, we also offer a treatment modality known as osteopathic manipulative treatments. Osteopathy is a type of alternative medicine that emphasizes physical manipulation of the body’s muscle tissue and bones. This approach can help patients that have musculoskeletal conditions such as chronic back pain, headaches, leg pain, neuropathic pain.

Where did you do your training?

Dr. Tyrell-Smith:

I went to Providence College where I received my bachelor’s degree in biology. I then went on to Quinnipiac University where I received my master’s degree in molecular biology. I went to medical school in Virginia at Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine, where I received my medical degree. I returned to Connecticut where I went to Eastern Connecticut Health Network, where I completed my family medicine residency training. In my final year, I was the Chief Resident.

Dr. Perrone:

I attended the Pennsylvania State University for my undergraduate studies. I had majored in biology and psychology for which I received two Bachelor of Science degrees. I then went on to medical school at the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine. After medical school, I proceeded to attend a family medicine residency program at the Eastern Connecticut Health Network. Concurrently, while completing my program at the ECHN Family Medicine Residency, I also completed a master’s in medical education since I value teaching medical students and residents.

What made you choose the field of Family Medicine?

Dr. Tyrell-Smith:

I chose family medicine because of the continuity of care that you can have with your patients and the ability to build strong relationships. You are with them through their best times, as well as their worst of times. This is a special gift. Also, I love taking care of all ages and the variety it brings. You literally can take care of any person that walks through the door. For instance, one day you can see a newborn visit, you can place an IUD in a patient, and then you can see a patient for depression.

Dr. Perrone:

Family medicine has always been close to my heart. I am very family-oriented and I bring this to the forefront of my patient care. I make sure that I treat all my patients as if they were all my own family. I really value the variety that family medicine brings. I enjoy the different procedures we can do in the outpatient setting. I also really value continuity of care and seeing patients throughout their lifespan is a true honor when it comes to family medicine.

What are your areas of special interest?

Dr. Tyrell-Smith:

Some of my favorite areas of family medicine includes women’s health, pediatric care, adolescent medicine, weight loss management, preventative medicine, and managing chronic conditions.

Dr. Perrone:

Some of my favorite areas of family medicine include providing psychiatric care, osteopathic manipulative treatment, pediatric care, as well as management of chronic conditions, such as diabetes, hypertension.

What led you to join Starling Physicians?

Dr. Perrone

As a family medicine physician, I had always wanted to be part of a close-knit community. Here in Connecticut, I found this place at Starling Physicians in Newington. Connecticut has a variety of different patients and the populations that I want to serve include these different varieties of patients from suburban areas, urban areas, and even some from rural areas. I love seeing a diversity of different patients, clinical presentations in terms of complexity from simple flu to more complex disease really attracts me.

I completed my residency training here, met some of my closest friends here, including Dr. Tyrell-Smith, and I truly wanted to stay in the area to serve the community and give back as a family medicine provider.

Dr. Tyrell-Smith:

Growing up, I always wanted to practice in my community, which is Hartford, Connecticut, and I’ll be joining Starlings Practice in Hartford, so I’m very excited about that. It’ll allow me to connect to my patients who live in that area. I’ve been to their school system. I’ve been to work in that area. And so it will help me to treat my patients.

Dr. Perrone:

I have also really wanted to join the Starling community because there are so many specialists that are very well-versed in their areas of interest. And I feel comfortable referring my patients when something is outside of my scope of practice to these providers across 27 different specialties, we work as a team to ensure that you get the best quality care possible.

Are you accepting new patients?

Dr. Perrone:

Absolutely- we welcome you to be a part of the Starling family.

Dr. Tyrell-Smith:

We are really excited to welcome you to our family medicine practices. We hope to see you soon.