Chicago, IL, Jan. 08, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Specialdocs Consultants expanded its footprint considerably in 2023, with a total of 21 new clients nationwide who reflect the changing face of concierge medicine, more diverse than ever before. In the second half of 2023, the company partnered with 11 healthcare providers across the country to launch 9 new concierge medicine practices.
“In a year characterized by a full return to normal, healthcare was a notable exception,” says Specialdocs CEO Terry Bauer. “The frustration with our fragmented, complicated and dysfunctional healthcare environment is palpable, seen in virtually every type of practice setting and region of the country. Dedicated doctors and their patients deserve much more than the current system can possibly accommodate. The increased number of physicians who converted to our concierge medicine model in 2023, and more who will launch this month, serve as a powerful indicator that the status quo is no longer acceptable to doctors or their patients.”
Concierge medicine has gradually but unmistakably shifted into the mainstream, according to Bauer, broadening its appeal across all demographics with an emphasis on personalized attention and a vibrant physician-patient connection.
“We are gratified to see the traditional profile of a concierge physician evolve from primarily older males to encompass physicians who are female, younger, of color and diverse ethnicities,” says Bauer, “mirrored by the increasingly heterogenous population of patients who opt for membership medicine practices.”
New physician-client Angela Marshall, MD, founder of a prominent Maryland-based primary care practice dedicated to women’s health and former chair of the Board of Directors for the Black Women’s Health Imperative, made the change to concierge medicine in December 2023, spurred by appointments that continued to shrink in time and quality.
“I’ve seen health care devolve over the past couple of decades that I’ve practiced,” she says. “When I started, we would schedule 20 – to 30-minute appointments. I continued to schedule at least 20 minutes but the problem is I often spent more than that with patients, and quickly ran behind. It’s stressful to feel this way all day, every day, but I’m convinced it’s impossible to give great quality care in a 10 or 15-minute visit. It takes time to build relationships, talk about the patient’s challenges and struggles, and practice preventive care.”
She now offers patients who choose the concierge medicine option at her practice benefits that include extended, same- or next-day appointments, direct communications after hours for urgent medical issues, personal advocacy for their care when hospitalized, and preventive care and wellness services ranging from individualized health assessments and screenings to ongoing weight management and lifestyle counseling.
For Dr. Shadiar Ohadi, more time with patients was also the impetus for converting her family medicine practice in Sherman Oaks, CA to the concierge model in summer 2023. “As a doctor of osteopathic medicine, I’m committed to treating the whole patient, which includes uncovering the root cause of illness, fostering physical, mental and emotional well-being, and emphasizing lifestyle modifications rather than pharmaceuticals or other interventions,” she explains. “This takes time, much more time than is possible in a traditional model of medicine. My concierge medicine practice provides the opportunity to care for my patients in a way that’s most meaningful to them, and to me.”
Her patients, spanning a wide spectrum of age and health conditions, have expressed a great deal of satisfaction with the new model. “For people my age, it’s so important to have a doctor who listens to you, whether it’s a small issue or a big one,” shares 21-year-old C.O., while “75-years-young” patient P.M. says “the concierge practice is wonderful and I’m truly blessed to have Dr. Ohadi as my doctor.”
Since opening his concierge medicine practice in November 2023, Keith Chumley, MD has experienced a remarkable transformation. He says: “This model is the only way to take back control of my time and provide care my patients deserve. I now find myself enjoying medicine again. I’m able to spend more time with patients and not just superficially address immediate symptoms with medications or a referral, but read about and better understand their disease processes as well as coordinate with a network of specialists who share my vision of personalized care.”
Having contemplated making the move to concierge medicine for several years before moving forward with Specialdocs, his advice is succinct: “Don’t wait! The decision may seem stressful, but it will absolutely be worth it.”
Says Bauer: “We are inspired daily by the incredible impact this model has on our clients’ lives and their patients’ healthcare experience. In 2024, we eagerly anticipate collaborating with a significant number of exceptional physicians to bring the benefits of membership medicine to their communities.”
In the second half of 2023, the network of outstanding healthcare providers affiliated with Specialdocs grew to include:
- Internal Medicine physician, Silver Spring, MD
- Family Medicine physician, Silver Spring, MD
- Physician assistant, Silver Spring, MD
- Internal Medicine physician, Wellesley, MA
- Family Medicine physician, Torrance, CA
- Cardiology & Internal Medicine physician, Chicago, IL
- Internal Medicine physician, Pittsburgh, PA
- Family Medicine physician, Delray Beach, FL
- Internal Medicine physician, Fairfax, VA
- Family Medicine physician, Sherman Oaks, CA
- Internal Medicine physician, Nashville, TN
Joining the Specialdocs network in the first half of 2023 were:
- Endocrinologist, South Florida, FL
- Family Medicine physician, Naples, FL
- Integrative Medicine physician, Boston, MA
- Internal Medicine physician, Fairfield County, CT
- Internal Medicine physician, Fairfield County, CT
- Internal Medicine physician, Westchester County, NY
- Internal Medicine physician, Northern VA
- Internal Medicine physician, Fairfax County, VA
- Internal Medicine physician, San Francisco Bay Area
- Internal medicine physician, suburban Chicago
About Specialdocs
Since 2002 Specialdocs has worked to transform physicians’ professional lives with a change to its industry-leading, sustainable concierge medicine model, empowering them to deliver exceptionally personalized patient care.
- Terry Bauer, CEO, Specialdocs Consultants