Patient Centered Dermatology
At the end of each clinic week, I go through my electronic medical record to close any open loops for patients seen the previous week. For me, it’s like closing all the open tabs on an internet browser. It lets me reset my mind for a new week of challenges.
My last unread message this week was from my front desk, letting me know that a patient I treated a few weeks ago had called just to say he was feeling all better and to thank me for his care.
I see a range of emotions every day: joy, hope, anger, sadness, and sometimes even despair. For some reason, this message made me pause and think about what it means to be a physician. At the end of the day, healthcare is just people taking care of people.
As a solo private practice owner, I’ve had to learn the ins and outs of not just medicine and patient care, but the intricacies of insurance coverage, government payors, and the increasingly difficult realities of practicing medicine in America today. But despite all of it, I feel a strong sense of purpose in my practice model, and I know many of my fellow private practice physicians, especially owners, feel the same way.
I hope we can move toward a healthcare system that values private practices and supports physicians in practicing the way they choose to. The constantly shifting policies of government and private insurers make private practice harder every year.
Each year, my colleagues and I brace for the next hit to reimbursements, the next obstacle, the next set of hoops to jump through. These changes are driving consolidation, and ironically, driving healthcare costs through the roof.
Patients should be able to choose the physician they feel most comfortable with. Patients deserve personalized care. Patients deserve choice.
My hope is that we can build an environment where private practices grow in number again, where physicians have room to practice medicine instead of navigating red tape, and where patients can truly choose where and how they receive their healthcare. Ultimately, good healthcare is just a better experience for patients and the doctors who care for them.
Until then, one patient at a time. Onwards.
Schedule your appointment today with trusted board-certified dermatologist Dr. Arjun Dupati. You deserve the best.
π 248-436-4888
π Apollo Dermatology | Rochester HIlls, Michigan
By Dr. Arjun Dupati, Board-Certified Dermatologist and Fellowship-Trained Mohs Surgeon
