Concierge Medicine is a relatively new style of medical practice adopted by a growing number of primary care providers. It generally falls under the growing field of “Private Medicine”, where patients pay a certain amount of their own money directly to the physician for “enhanced” services. The physician will provide primary medical care services to the Patient/Member in an innovative manner that meets (but does not exceed) the standard of care in the local medical community. Generally, the Doctor agrees to limit his practice to no more than five hundred (500) Patients/Members.
The services and amenities provided by the Monthly Membership fee include, but are not limited to, the following:
The Doctor will maintain a small practice population (small relative to a traditional practice in the Shreveport-Bossier City area) that allows the Patient/Member same day or next day access to the Doctor, after-hour access to the Doctor, and longer appointment times with the Doctor that will be focused on a comfortable pace and interaction, as well as an attempt to provide detailed and thorough primary care.
The Doctor will be available to see the Patient/Member in an out of office setting (home, nursing home, skilled nursing facility, etc.) when clinically appropriate and agreed upon between the Doctor and Patient/Member.
The Doctor will be available to accompany the Patient/Member to an appointment with a Specialist when clinically appropriate and agreed upon between the Doctor and Patient/Member.
The Doctor will review the Patient’s/Member’s electronic health record prior to each Patient/Member visit in order to create a list of objectives for the visit that will make the visit as productive and efficient as possible.
The Doctor will provide the Patient/Member with an executive level Annual Exam (“Physical”) once every one to two years (with an attempt to do it once a year when feasible). This Annual Exam will include a screening EKG (heart scan of electrical activity) and screening spirometry testing (lung function evaluation through measuring lung volumes), meaning that there is no clinical reason to perform these tests and that these tests are not billed to the Patient’s/Member’s insurance company.
The Doctor will attempt to communicate lab results, radiologic results, and other Patient/Member results to the Patient/Member in writing (snail mail), email, or via phone conversation within five days of acquiring such data.
The Doctor will enroll the Patient/Member, when appropriate, in the Practice’s Vascular Screening Program as arranged with the Highland Clinic Vascular Lab. This is a program that screens for asymptomatic vascular disease (blockages, aneurysms, etc.) in the carotid arteries, abdominal aorta, and lower extremity arteries. This Vascular Screening Program is paid for by the Doctor out of Membership Fees received from the Patient/Member. This Vascular Screening Program is not usually done for general routine health maintenance in asymptomatic patients and is not paid for by insurance programs for asymptomatic patients.
The Doctor will refer the Patient/Member, when it is clinically appropriate, for low cost screening tests such as coronary artery screening for blockages (CT Coronary Artery Calcium Scoring), for genetic testing to evaluate disease risk and metabolism of certain medications, and for other innovative testing/technologies that are not generally done in a traditional primary care practice.
The Doctor will make arrangements for members admitted as inpatients to all local hospitals to be admitted to and cared for by the designated hospitalist services at each specific hospital. The Doctor will maintain, as best he/she can, access to the computer systems for each local hospital in order to stay aware of care of the member while in the hospital. The Doctor will make every effort to expediate care and maintain continuity of care once the member is discharged home and requires needed follow-up.
