Benefits of Concierge Medicine

The concept of a family practice doctor, as we know it now, is rather new. For most of our modern history, the doctor was someone connected with the family. The doctor knew their patients. They knew their medical history, their occupation, and often even a good bit about their daily habits. They knew the names of their patient’s children, and might have even been there when the kids were born. The doctor was someone who served the family and the community. They spent time following up on health concerns.

Primary Care in the 21st Century

This picture of the personal physician is in stark contrast to how many people interact with their physicians in our 21st century model. Startling statistics have come out in the past 10 years about the average day and client load of a standard doctor.

• The New York Times reports that appointment times allocate a full 8 minutes for a doctor to spend with each of their patients.
• According to the Washington Post, physicians in the United States have an average of 2,367 patients under their care.

These crowded, overflowing practices with little time spent with patients make it impossible for physicians to know their patients how they used to. Concierge medicine is the exception to these rules. This is a branch of medical care that has arisen out of the need for more personalized attention and medical care that the bulk-service physician industry no longer allows for.

What You Get With Concierge Medicine

There is a reason not all physicians provide concierge medicine. This type of practice brings doctors one-on-one with their patients and their lives. Here are just a few of the perks of concierge medicine:

• Longer appointment times, including a complete review of test results
• Same-day and next-day appointment availability, as needed
• Wellness coaching, including medical weight loss
• State of the art medical testing
• 24/7 on-demand access to your physician

More Time With Your Doctor

Concierge medicine allows a physician to develop a closer relationship with their patients, giving them the chance to spend more time focusing on the needs of one individual. In practice, this means more time for preventative and diagnostic testing, more time to review test results, and a greater chance of catching chronic and potentially fatal issues before they develop.

Health Coach

With our concierge medicine program, you receive your personal primary care health coach, Dr. Sitapara or Nurse Practitioner Lisa Wescott. We work closely with you to:

• Understand your health
• Customize our health services to provide you with the support you need most
• Help you manage your overall health goals so you can be proactive about your health, minimize health risks, and enjoy a healthier lifestyle.

Easy Access

Patients who join our concierge medicine practice receive personal, one-on-one attention, 24/7 access to Dr. Sitapara, same or next day appointments, extended visits and detailed oversight of their medical needs. You can call, send an email, text, or video conference Dr. Sitapara so you can get the support you need, when you need it.

Extended Care During Hospitalization

Dr. Sitapara is affiliated with several area hospitals. If you are admitted to St. Mary’s Medical Center in Langhorne, PA, he will direct and supervise your care should you need hospitalization, and will monitor your care during and after a hospital visit. With your physician by your side, you have an advocate during your hospital stay to inform the staff of your health conditions and history, keep your family updated on your progress, and provide a watchful eye to ensure that the correct care is administered by the hospital staff. Dr. Sitapara also connected electronically with several downtown hospitals like University of Pennsylvania and Jefferson University so after discharge he will be able to resume your care right where it left off.

Additional Benefits

• Extensive new member medical history assessment
• Prompt referrals to leading specialists
• Preventative health screening
• Personalized nutrition and lifestyle action plan
• Access to your medical records online
• Annual preventive physical examination
• Online requests for prescription refills
• Labs conveniently drawn in-office

Signature Medicine is a medical practice for people who seek exceptional health care. Your membership at Signature Medicine is an affordable and smart investment in exceptional care and comprehensive services that you won’t find in other medical programs. We provide services that non-concierge practices cannot provide.

If you are interested in participating in a concierge medicine program, don’t wait too long to contact your personal doctor. Because of the nature of concierge medicine practices, there isn’t always open availability in a program. Contact us for more information.