Re: money

[Guest guest]

Congratulations, Sharon! I am envious that you get to practice out of your home. A very short commute, indeed.Looking over your impressive-looking website, I have a few suggestions. I think you need a good photo of yourself on your website. Patients want to know what their potential doctor looks like. I also think you need to mention something about another doctor covering for you when you are away traveling. I think patients want another option besides phone contact and the ER while you are out of town. It took me time to meet other local solo FPs who agreed to cross-cover, but I didn't go out of town for a while when I first started. Also, I think potential patients would want to know upfront what your registration and membership fees are. I couldn't find those listed anywhere. I'm glad to see you referring people to the Micropractice Frappr map. But the link doesn't seem to work. Speaking of the Frappr map (http://www.frappr.com/medicalmicropractices), I noticed a new name on it that I haven't seen before on this listserve: Dr. Albenberg of ton, SC. I found this article about his unique practice: http://www.charlestonbusiness.com/issues/6_14/news/2889-1.html.I assume Dr. Albenberg is part of this listserve, because I don't think anyone else knows about the Frappr map yet. (If so, welcome Dr. Albenberg!) I'm always happy to hear about other physicians adopting a micropractice-type model. It makes me wonder how many others have started their own micropractices whom we haven't even heard about yet. Perhaps we're just the tip of a growing iceberg? SetoSouth Pasadena, CA Lynn & all,         I think this is a great topic....how to help serve the under served in our practices.  I'm just starting....saw my first patient in my home office yesterday.  I have been doing some house calls, but this was the first one here.  It was fun.  She is 82, huge list of meds, was thrilled I was willing to sit down & talk about each one & consider options to lower costs.  Still have lots of organizing to do and some painting trim work and supply purchasing to be fully functional, but it is exciting to get started.  She loved the printed prescriptions from Amazing Charts and the fact that I faxed them to her pharmacy.  She couldn't believe I called the pharmacy to check availability of a medication for her.  I did learn I need a hand rail on the three steps up to my door....some things you don't learn until you start.         Anyway, my goal is to see a portion of patients without fees.  I guess this is a Robin Hood approach, and you could argue that the paying patients are paying more than they would otherwise.  But they are paying less than at other practices for the service I provide because of lower overhead, so I think everyone will be happy.  It doesn't answer the questions of how to provide labs, X-rays, specialists for these patients.  Keeping track of ways to get those free or the cheapest is a major project that I won't have time for.  But if everyone helps a little, at least we are doing something.  I feel strongly that I needed to step out of the predominant health system and stop helping to prop it up.         It is wonderful to be a part of this group.....thanks for all the help in the planning of this adventure.  It would have been much harder without you guys, and I'm not sure I would have had the courage. Sharon Sharon McCoy , M.D. Renaissance Family Medicine The Rebirth of Personal Healthcare www.SharonMD.com  Phone      Fax         No virus found in this outgoing message.Checked by AVG Free Edition.Version: 7.0.409 / Virus Database: 268.13.32/523 - Release Date: 11/7/2006

[Guest guest]

I hope you have MANY memorable experiences

like this – they make it worthwhile (an happen fairly often in IMP

offices to my knowledge)

A. Eads, M.D.

Pinnacle Family Medicine, PLLC

phone fax

P.O.

Box 7275

Woodland

Park, CO 80863

From: [mailto: ] On Behalf Of Sharon McCoy , M.D.

Sent: Tuesday, November 07, 2006

9:54 AM

To:

Subject: RE:

Re: money

Lynn

& all,

I think this is a great

topic....how to help serve the under served in our practices. I'm just

starting....saw my first patient in my home office yesterday. I have

been doing some house calls, but this was the first one here. It was

fun. She is 82, huge list of meds, was thrilled I was willing to sit down

& talk about each one & consider options to lower costs. Still have

lots of organizing to do and some painting trim work and supply purchasing to

be fully functional, but it is exciting to get started. She loved the

printed prescriptions from Amazing Charts and the fact that I faxed them to her

pharmacy. She couldn't believe I called the pharmacy to check

availability of a medication for her. I did learn I need a hand rail on

the three steps up to my door....some things you don't learn until you start.

Anyway, my goal is to

see a portion of patients without fees. I guess this is a Robin Hood

approach, and you could argue that the paying patients are paying more than

they would otherwise. But they are paying less than at other practices

for the service I provide because of lower overhead, so I think everyone will

be happy. It doesn't answer the questions of how to provide labs, X-rays,

specialists for these patients. Keeping track of ways to get those free

or the cheapest is a major project that I won't have time for. But if

everyone helps a little, at least we are doing something. I feel strongly

that I needed to step out of the predominant health system and stop helping to

prop it up.

It is wonderful to be a

part of this group.....thanks for all the help in the planning of this

adventure. It would have been much harder without you guys, and I'm not

sure I would have had the courage.

Sharon

Sharon McCoy , M.D.

Renaissance

Family Medicine

The Rebirth of Personal Healthcare

www.SharonMD.com

Phone Fax (949)

281-2197