Concierge Medicine 101

There’s no ceiling on excellence. This is the mentality at Cleveland Clinic, where an emphasis on continuous improvement pervades across all settings. And it extends to concierge medicine, a paid, members-only service that is raising the bar for patients with dedicated attention from a primary care provider.

“We’re trying to excel in the service of primary care and preventive care,” says Nabil Tadross, MD, Medical Director of Concierge Medicine in Fort Lauderdale and Weston, Florida.

With concierge medicine expanding to multiple Cleveland Clinic locations this year, we sought answers to a question on many readers’ minds: What are the benefits of concierge medicine?

24/7 Physician Availability

The concierge medicine program offers round-the-clock doctor availability, meaning patients can call their physician’s cell phone directly at any time, even after hours and on weekends. Whenever possible, same-day or next-day primary care appointments can be arranged Monday through Friday. The program also facilitates virtual visits, ensuring that healthcare is always within reach.

“Having a point person available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to field questions and concerns and point you in the right direction gives you peace of mind,” says Bruce Hunter, a concierge medicine patient in Parkland, Florida.

Ample Appointment Times

Concierge medicine patients benefit from ample medical appointment times, made possible by a lower volume of patients in the practice. A Cleveland Clinic concierge physician cares for an average of 325 patients, whereas traditional primary care physicians treat an average of 2,000 patients each.

Stephen Avallone, MD, the Center Director of Concierge Medicine for Cleveland Clinic who leads the West Palm Beach office, notes that concierge doctors can spend an hour if needed and sometimes more with patients. The extensive appointments allow for questions to be answered, concerns to be addressed and plans for preventive care to be formulated. Dr. Avallone describes his time with patients as “relaxed, comfortable and unhurried.”

Close Patient-Doctor Relationships

Open, direct lines of communication and ample appointment times enable genuine patient-doctor relationships to evolve.

“You know everyone by name, everyone by history,” says Dr. Tadross. “You know the personal side and the medical side.”

Each concierge medicine physician is supported by a nurse and a care coordinator, who also know their patients well. Speaking of his doctor’s team, Nitin Sahney, a concierge medicine patient in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, appreciates the excellent customer service. “To me, that’s game-changing,” he says.

Care Facilitation

Concierge medicine includes the coordination of specialty, outpatient and ancillary services — all centralized through your doctor’s office — as well as immunizations.

Bruce appreciates the efficiency of having one point of contact instead of communicating with multiple physicians. He likens the concierge office to “a traffic police officer directing the flow of information from all your health care team members, while monitoring all the information.”

A Focus on Preventive Medicine

Besides providing chronic disease management, the concierge medicine program emphasizes preventive care. Patients are welcome to see their doctors not only when they’re unwell, but when they’re healthy — to get guidance on improving their well-being. “Some patients see us once a year,” Dr. Avallone says. “Others come once a month or more frequently, depending on their needs.” The opportunity for contact allows doctors to stay attuned to current health issues and get ahead of potential new ones.

The program provides an annual health assessment, which addresses diet, exercise and preventive care strategies. Additionally, patients may be provided referrals to wellness services focused on nutrition, fitness, sleep and more.

All told, concierge medicine doctors can practice medicine in an optimum fashion, according to Dr. Avallone. “We’re afforded the time to develop meaningful relationships between the doctor and the patient, and sometimes even their families, so we can build trust,” he says. “A trusting doctor-patient relationship goes a long way in keeping people healthy.”