Meet Dr. Andrew Hughes: Family Physician, Husband, Dad, Granddad, Gardener, Beekeeper and Rescuer of Great Danes
August 9, 2021
Dr. Andrew Hughes last winter with Nyla, a rescue Great Dane. Dr. Hughes and his wife adopted Nyla when she was two years old. She is now 12 1/2 and “still going strong,” Dr. Hughes said. “She is a great dog (no pun intended)!”
Dr. Andrew Hughes, a board-certified family physician, recently joined Cheyenne Plaza Primary Care, which is part of Cheyenne Regional Medical Group. Dr. Hughes has been in practice as a family physician for 33 years and is excited to start caring for patients in Cheyenne and Laramie County. He recently shared a few highlights about his medical practice, his philosophy of patient care and his family life:
When did you join Cheyenne Regional Medical Group?
I started working at Cheyenne Plaza Primary Care Clinic on East 20th street in March. I also worked for the Cheyenne Regional Health System from July 2006 until December 2009 at the Wellington Clinic in Wellington, CO (until its closure).
How long have you been a family physician and where have you been in medical practice?
I have been in practice as a family physician for 33 years. I joined Columbine Family Practice (a four-person family practice group) in Loveland, CO, in July 1988 and left in July 2006 to work for Cheyenne Regional at the Wellington Clinic. When that clinic closed, I moved to Craig, CO, and worked for The Memorial Hospital until December 2013, when I became the physician at Salud Family Care Clinic (a federally qualified community health center) in Sterling, CO. I was in Sterling until last fall.
Why did you decide to become a family physician?
I became a physician because I always felt gratification when I helped people, and I couldn’t think of a better way to do that than practicing medicine. In medical school I loved working with people of all ages (especially children and the elderly), and I really enjoyed delivering babies. The only specialty that allowed me to work with all ages and deliver babies was family medicine.
Why did you and your wife move to Cheyenne?
I really enjoyed my time working for Cheyenne Regional when I was in Wellington. When my wife and I decided to move back to the Front Range area to be near family, the opportunity in Cheyenne was perfect for us. My absolute favorite thing to do in Cheyenne is to go to the Conservatory and Botanical Gardens and walk or just sit on a swing and take it all in. I go there most days to walk around the lake. My wife and I also enjoy the many restaurants and antique shops that Cheyenne has to offer.
What is your philosophy of patient care?
With 30 plus years of experience in primary care, health maintenance and screening have proven time and again to be lifesaving. I strongly believe that the proper use of medications for chronic diseases such as hypertension and diabetes and the use of vaccines prolong quality of life and improve longevity. I partner with my patients with the goal of improving quality of life.
Is there anything else you would like to share?
My wife and I raised five sons, and we have 13 grandchildren—with almost all of them now living along the northern Front Range of Colorado. We enjoy time with family and big family gatherings. My wife was a commercial florist in the past, and we both love flower and vegetable gardening. I am also a backyard beekeeper, and we have been rescuing Great Danes for over 20 years.
When asked a follow-up question about why he rescues Great Danes, Dr. Hughes shared: “We have rescued seven or eight Great Danes in the last two decades, and ALL of them were sweet dogs. They are just family. I will always have Great Danes for that reason, and there is such a need for people to take rescues because sometimes these animals are neglected or abused. They are just 180-pound LAP DOGS!”
Dr. Hughes is accepting new patients. To make an appointment, call Cheyenne Plaza Primary Care at (307) 633-7444.
