To hear Tracey Bottazzi, APRN, tell it, she has never felt more connected to her patients since she began working for Hearthside Family Health, a local health care provider utilizing the Direct Primary Care (DPC) model.
“Primary care providers love taking care of patients and their families,” she said. “That’s why we went into medicine in the first place. But under a traditional practice model involving insurance and pre-determined appointment time slots, there’s a layer of paperwork in addition to patient care, as well as some other administrative responsibilities that comes with the territory.”
“I think I can speak for others as well as myself that the amount of time we spend on non-patient interactions can be frustrating,” Bottazzi said.
The angst with paperwork was the impetus behind Bottazzi joining colleague Siobhan Benham, APRN, at Hearthside Family Health one year ago. The practice is organized under the DPC concept in which patients and families pay a monthly fee to be part of the practice. In exchange for this membership fee, which ranges from $25 to $75 a month, the patients enjoy better access to providers, longer office visits in some instances, the option of home visits, with no insurance billing.
You read that right, home visits.
While this might remind some of days gone by when a doctor arrives with a black bag in hand to treat the family maladies, Bottazzi says the notion in her practice is not that far-fetched.
“For instance, I take care of one family with several young children,” she says. “And if one or more of the kids are sick, it’s much easier for a busy family to have me come to them. We also have patients who are home-bound, so this is an option they can take advantage of.” She added that the practice will be looking to introduce HIPPA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) compliant telehealth and other online resources, such as self-scheduling, for those they serve.
To ensure patient access and an optimal experience, Bottazzi and Benham limit the size of their patient panels. They work out of offices in Bedford and Peterborough and will be bringing on a new provider, Carrie Klonel, DO in December. As a board-certified Family Physician, Dr. Klonel is skilled in managing chronic conditions such as diabetes, COPD, high blood pressure, asthma as well as acute illnesses such as infections and lacerations. As an Osteopathic Physician, she is also trained in hands-on musculoskeletal treatment techniques called Osteopathic Manipulative Therapy (OMT), which can ease pain and restore proper function for various maladies.
Bottazzi notes that both clinics follow the same rules and regulations as do other providers and are fully accredited and certified by the state of New Hampshire. Hearthside performs well-child and adult visits, annual physicals and immunizations. If needed, the practice has relationships with area labs for X-rays and blood work.
“Patients who utilize our practice can still use insurance for other health needs like emergency room visits, surgery and in-hospital care,” noted Bottazzi.
“Because we don’t accept health insurance, we also don’t incur the overhead of having to manage authorizations and billing,” said Bottazzi.
The direct primary care model is taking hold in the Granite State, as well across the United States, says industry expert Timothy Hirsch. “Direct primary care is providing a more direct line from the provider to his or her patient. It can represent quality care at a lower cost.”
Hirsch serves as Regional Sales Manager for Planstin, a nationally recognized health benefits company. Planstin provides employers with a platform to manage and self-fund employee health benefits. In many instances, employers who contract with Planstin, support the Direct Primary Care Model.
“Health care is in our country is at crossroads,” said Hirsch. “While patients now have access to amazing technology and leading-edge medicine, costs continue to rise, and many patients remain dissatisfied with access in terms of scheduling appointments and time spent with one’s provider.”
It is precisely that improved access that sets Hearthside apart, says Bottazzi. “One of the most important things a primary care provider does is to help their patients manage chronic disease. Due to the complexity of many conditions, you need more time than the typical 20-minute visit allows. At our practice, we can spend more time with our patients which we know can lead to better outcomes.”
The providers at Hearthside are currently accepting new patients at both locations, to learn more about their practice, please visit www.hearthsidefamilyhealth.com. To learn more about the Planstin benefits platform, please visit: https://planstin.com/.
Chris Dugan writes about New Hampshire medical newsmakers and health care news and innovation. He can be reached at chrisdugan@manchesterinklink.com
