My New Beginning
We officially opened our doors just 7 weeks ago, and I am asked all the time how things are going...am I "getting busy"? It is interesting to me that I'm not entirely sure how to answer this question. When I look at where we were hoping to be in terms of patients enrolled, the answer should be an astouinding "yes!" I am so incredibly blessed to have so many amazing patients that I have taken care of the past decade that have made the switch with me to DPC, and I hope I can keep that momentum going!
The most amazing thing I am experiencing so far is that, although we are gaining a good amount of patients at the clinic, I have not felt at all overwhelmed with my clinical work and patient care. I have found myself having TIME. It has been such a joy to be able to have a patient send a picture and not have to tell them to make an appointment. Instead I can call them to get some additional information and in 10 minutes get them the medicine they need without taking more time out of their lives (and another hour of mine). I have time now to send a message to someone a few weeks after starting a new treatment to see how its going. I have time to look deeper into those obscure concerns some patients have and then actually be able to relay to them what I found out. Not having a jam packed clinic schedule has meant that when another patient sends a message about needing an urgent procedure that day, I can actually do that for them! That would never have happened before. When can you call your PCP for a procedure and have them say, "I'm here now, come on in any time!?" I know my schedule in the past would NEVER have allowed that.
I have to be honest, the idea of giving patients a direct number to use all hours of the day and night was scary at first. I am doing this so I can spend quality time with my family as well, right? Well, so far I have again been pleasantly surprised that everyone is as respectful of my time as I try to be of theirs. And even more, when a patient did send a message after hours when not feeling well, instead of making her wait 3 days to be seen (or sending her to an urgent care) I was able to call and talk to her for 20 minutes and send medication before the weekned. It seems like a small thing, but doing this (hopefully) improved her weekend, kept my schedule open for another patient, and honestly, because I have the time to do these things now, I just feel happy to do them...it hasn't yet felt like I am working "after hours'.
It is going to take some time for me to realize that I may never have to experience the feeling of drowning that had been all too familiar during all of those years practicing in a traditional clinic model. I know it is early, and my patient base is still building, but for now, I feel like I want to shout from the rooftops to all of the new Family Doctors "you gotta start a DPC!" It has reignited my love for this speciality and is truely the best way to care for our patients.
Dr. Martens
