A Great Man Retires: As Dr. Michael S. Krasner hangs up his white coat, his colleagues show their appreciation for him

Dr. Michael Krasner is the type of doctor that patients wish to have and that aspiring doctors strive to be like.

On top of being a jokester, Dr. Krasner is a doctor who truly cares. He cares about the patients that he takes care of and he cares about his coworkers.

But now, after decades of wearing his white coat, he is finally hanging it up. He is calling it a career – from the doctoring patients side of things – and he is heading into a well-deserved semi-retirement.

And as the Primary Care Internal Medicine partner in the Olsan Medical Group is no longer going to be seeing patients, some of his coworkers reflected on what has made him such a great doctor and colleague.

“Dr. Krasner tries to create a wonderful ‘California laid-back’ relationship with the staff at Olsan Medical Group,” Dr. Charles Courtsal, one of his long-time Olsan Medical partners, said. “It’s very refreshing!”

It is that personable side that Dr. Krasner has in which he has connected with people over the years. It has boded well with his doctor-patient relationships, as people actually looked forward to seeing him. While most people dread seeing the doctor, things were different with Dr. Krasner.

On top of this, he also created a wonderful environment for the staff at Olsan. He wanted them to enjoy coming to work and to actually get along with one another, and that is something the staff has never taken for granted.

“He is not only my coworker, but his door is always open,” Maria Maldonado said. “He’s a good listener. He’s always pushing me to go back to school too. The patients love him because he listens. He’s always joking around. He’s just a people person.”

Whereas a lot of people want to leave personal lives at the door, when you work long hours at a hospital this becomes much too impossible. Dr. Krasner got to know his colleagues on a personal level and was always an encouragement toward them. He is someone they could look to for sound advice and for a good pick-me-up.

Dr. Krasner is also someone who is not only passionate about his field, but he is very well versed in it. He knows what he is talking about and he has done his homework exceptionally well.

He is also an “expert” in other things as well, and that has always brought a light to Olsan.

“I love the way that Dr. Krasner, an international expert in Mindfulness, can periodically ‘lose it’ over really stupid stuff,” Dr. Courtsal said. “It helps us at Olsan Medical remember that we all imperfect people, trying to do our very best every day.”

And then of course there is the doctoring side of things. Dr. Krasner has truly been an exceptional doctor who cares about his patients. He is not just there to write prescriptions, but he is there to make sure his patients get the right care they need.

“He actually takes the time and listens to their concerns,” Maria said. “He makes sure the patients are taken care of. He will follow up with them. He thinks with them. He really cares about his patients. He’s a very good cook too. And he is a very good father of three kids. He is very supportive of what they choose on their paths. He’s a very good man. And a very good husband to his wife.”

Dr. Krasner loves his patients and he loves his family, and you could almost say that because of how much he loves and adores his family, it helped him become a better doctor. This care and love helped shape his values as a doctor, and helped him make sure he is taking care of his patients’ needs first and foremost.

And just when you thought that being a great doctor, colleague and patriarch was the main core of Dr. Krasner’s being, you have to throw in the fact that he teaches at the University of Rochester School of Medicine. He is instilling his skills and his passion into the minds of young, aspiring doctors, and he will continue to do so even after he retires from being a doctor.

But now that he is retiring from being a doctor full-time, Dr. Krasner will be able to make even more time for his wife and children. They are already a well-traveled family, but they will be even more of one now that Dr. Krasner has more free time on his hands.

With that said, we wish Dr. Krasner a happy and healthy semi-retirement. He has done great work and has truly helped shape the next generation of doctors.

“I send prayers of strength and patience to Patricia as Dr. Krasner creates a new focus over the several years.” – Dr. Courtsal

“I just want to wish him the best. He’ll be seeing the world and traveling all over. I hope he enjoys his retirement. I wish him the best and want to tell him to live it up. And that he’s going to be missed a lot. Dr. Krasner, thank you for everything you have taught me. You have taught me a lot over 7 years. Keep doing what you are doing. You are a teacher, mentor and role model.” – Maria