When Dr. Jacob Clement found out he had been named Best Physician in the Acadiana’s Choice Awards, his first feeling was surprise. The next was gratitude.
“As physicians, we don’t do this work for recognition,” he said. “But when it comes, it does make you stop and think about the people who helped you get here.”
For Dr. Clement, that list is long. It includes the patients who have trusted him with their care, the mentors who helped shape him, and the coworkers who show up every day to serve this community alongside him.
“This recognition may have my name attached to it,” he said, “but it is never the result of one person alone.”
Medicine, for Dr. Clement, has never been only about diagnoses, test results, or treatment plans. It is about people — their families, their fears, their independence, their dignity, and the communities that shape their lives.
That perspective is especially important in rural healthcare, where access is not always easy and every role matters. Dr. Clement sees local healthcare not as a convenience, but as something patients and families truly depend on.
His commitment to rural healthcare did not happen by chance. From early in his training, Dr. Clement knew he wanted to practice medicine in a smaller community — a place where relationships mattered, where patients were more than names on a schedule, and where a physician could become part of the fabric of local life.
He grew up in Thibodaux, a place he has always considered small. But when he came to Church Point, he found an even smaller community — and with it, an even deeper appreciation for the role local healthcare plays in people’s lives.
“I always knew I wanted to practice medicine in a small community,” he said. “There is something special about taking care of people in a place where you know families, where you understand the community, and where the work feels personal.”
In rural medicine, Dr. Clement says the needs of a patient often extend beyond what can be addressed in a single exam room. Transportation, family support, finances, distance, and fear can all affect whether someone seeks care. That reality brings a responsibility to be present, prepared, and dependable.
“Training teaches you the science of medicine, but rural healthcare teaches you the heart of it,” he said. “It teaches you how much access matters, how much trust matters, and how important it is to meet people where they are.”
“When care is not always easy to access, every visit matters,” he added. “You have to listen carefully, think broadly, and do your best to make sure patients feel seen and supported.”
That philosophy guides the way he approaches patients who may be nervous, overwhelmed, or hesitant to seek care. He understands that fear often comes from uncertainty, and that trust is not automatic. It is built slowly, through honest conversations and a willingness to listen.
“I try to slow the room down,” he said. “People come to us with a lot on their minds. I want patients to feel like they can ask questions and be honest. My job is not only to treat them, but to help them understand what is happening and what their options are.”
As a physician trained in both family medicine and geriatrics, Dr. Clement has developed a deep appreciation for the complexity of caring for older adults. In geriatrics, he says, care is often about much more than diagnosis. It is about understanding what matters most to the person sitting in front of you.
“Older patients have taught me that health is deeply personal,” he said. “For some, quality of life means staying in their own home. For others, it means being able to attend church, cook a meal, visit with grandchildren, or simply maintain independence.”
Those lessons have shaped how he thinks about dignity, independence, and quality of life. He recognizes that the best medical decision is not always the most aggressive one. Instead, good care requires knowing the patient’s goals and honoring their values.
“You have to consider not only what can be done medically, but what should be done for that individual patient,” he said. “Independence matters. Comfort matters. Family matters.”
Serving as Chief of Staff has further broadened Dr. Clement’s view of healthcare. It has reminded him that strong patient care depends not on one person, but on communication, teamwork, and the daily commitment of many different departments and individuals.
“Physicians, nurses, therapists, clinic staff, registration, dietary, environmental services, administration — every role matters,” he said. “Good healthcare depends on people who are willing to keep showing up for patients and for each other.”
Dr. Clement is honest about the weight that comes with practicing medicine. There are hard days, difficult outcomes, and moments that do not easily leave a physician’s mind. He says some things stay with you forever.
“In medicine, there are moments you think about long after the day is over,” he said. “Difficult cases, hard conversations, decisions you replay in your mind, and times when you wish something could have gone differently.”
Rather than pushing those moments aside, Dr. Clement tries to learn from them.
“The hard days can be heavy, but they also teach you,” he said. “They make you more careful, more thoughtful, and more aware of the responsibility that comes with caring for people.”
He believes the most difficult experiences in medicine should not make a physician colder. Instead, they should deepen compassion, humility, and commitment.
“Medicine requires confidence, but it also requires the humility to be changed by experience,” he said.
That humility has remained central to the kind of physician Dr. Clement hoped to become. When he began training, he wanted to be knowledgeable, capable, and trusted. Over time, that vision has grown.
“I still want those things,” he said, “but I have learned that being a good physician is not just about having the answer. It is about listening well, staying humble, working with others, and remembering that every patient brings a full life into the exam room.”
His work has also changed the way he sees people. A routine visit may appear simple on the surface, but Dr. Clement knows every patient carries more than a symptom or diagnosis.
“You may see a patient for a blood pressure check, a medication issue, or a new symptom,” he said, “but behind that visit is a person with responsibilities, fears, relationships, and a story.”
That awareness is part of what makes practicing in a close-knit community so meaningful to him. He has seen how people show up for one another, how families care across generations, and how deeply local healthcare is woven into the life of a community.
“This community has taught me the value of relationships,” he said. “People here care deeply about one another. They notice when someone is struggling. They show up for their families, their neighbors, and their hospital.”
For Dr. Clement, keeping high-quality care close to home strengthens more than a healthcare system. It strengthens families and communities.
“Local care allows people to be treated near their support system,” he said. “It helps catch problems earlier. It keeps older adults from having to travel long distances when they are already tired or ill. High-quality care close to home gives people dignity, comfort, and continuity.”
When asked about the legacy he hopes to build, Dr. Clement again brings the focus back to something larger than himself.
“I hope to be part of building something lasting,” he said. “A place where patients feel cared for, where families trust the care they receive, and where high-quality medicine remains close to home.”
He hopes this recognition reflects not only his work, but the work of the entire team around him.
“No physician works alone,” he said. “Every good outcome is supported by nurses, clinic staff, therapists, support departments, leadership, and many others who often do their work quietly and without recognition.”
To the patients, coworkers, mentors, and community members who have supported him, Dr. Clement’s message is simple.
“Thank you,” he said. “Thank you to the patients who trust me with their care. Thank you to my coworkers who make this work possible. Thank you to the mentors who helped shape me. And thank you to the community for supporting local healthcare.”
For Dr. Clement, being named Best Physician in the Acadiana’s Choice Awards is an honor. But the greater privilege, he says, is the work itself — caring for patients, serving the community, and helping ensure that high-quality healthcare remains close to home.