Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Thirteen ten WIBA and full scope with doctor Nicole Hemkiss,
Wisconsin's direct care doctor. You can learn more about doctor Hemkiss,
the six soon to be eight physicians at Advocate MD.
Can learn more about the four locations of Advocate MD.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
You can learn about direct primary Care. I can learn
about membership.
Speaker 1 (00:19):
You can learn about if you're a business owner a
business leader, I'll learn about opportunities there for some great
primary care for your employees. All I got to do
is head on over to the website ADVOCATEDPC dot com.
That's advocates DPC dot com. To make it a point,
become a member at Advocate MD. Six oh eight two
six eight sixty two eleven. That's six oh eight two
six eight sixty two eleven.
Speaker 2 (00:38):
Doctor. How you doing this morning?
Speaker 3 (00:40):
I'm good, Sean.
Speaker 4 (00:41):
How are you?
Speaker 1 (00:42):
I'm doing fantastic gottai Christmas stuff squared away and you
ready for the big.
Speaker 3 (00:45):
Holiday as ready as I'm going to be.
Speaker 2 (00:49):
Yeah, No, I don't think you're alone.
Speaker 3 (00:51):
And then I'm the kind of midnight Christmas wrapper.
Speaker 2 (00:59):
That is fun. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (01:00):
So we've got we've got a great conversation, that had
an important conversation and it's unfortunately I think a lot
of people are going to relate to what we're going
to talk about, which is kind of what's become of
the patient experience and these big healthcare systems. We're going
to talk about that in just a moment, but first,
you know, we look towards the year end of the year,
and I know a lot of folks are kind of
(01:21):
looking to the future of what's twenty twenty five going
to look like for them. Businesses looking the same way
got through like the open enrollment stuff as well. It's
a really good time to be exploring direct primary care
and exploring Advocate MD. As mentioned two new doctors joining
the six physicians already at Advocate MD. It's it's a
(01:41):
great time for folks to be to be enrolling at
Advocate MD.
Speaker 2 (01:45):
Isn't it.
Speaker 3 (01:47):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (01:47):
This is the open enrollment period, or your open enrollment
period might have just ended, so you know a lot
of people are switching over to a new health insurance
or health option January first. So if you have a
deductible health plan, if you have a health share, if
you or if you're just unhappy with the current healthcare
that you are getting, or don't have access to healthcare,
(02:09):
direct primary care would be a great option.
Speaker 2 (02:11):
It's a fantastic option.
Speaker 1 (02:12):
And again you can learn more online Advocates DPC dot com.
That's Advocates DPC dot com. Let's talk about kind of
what goes on when it comes to the healthcare experience
right now, and for folks that haven't had to experience
any of it, they're very lucky for a number of reasons,
but mainly kind of just like the overall feel of
(02:36):
healthcare has gotten very, very cold. It's not particularly a
good system.
Speaker 2 (02:42):
Is it.
Speaker 4 (02:44):
Yeah, you know, I was kind of reminded of this
when I recently saw something posted on social media and
it was talking about patient self rooming. And it's funny
because I have I personally experienced this recently through one
of the local health systems, but it was it was interesting.
(03:06):
One of the different health system that's a smaller, you know,
what we would call a critical access health system had
just posted something about self rooming. And the comments on
these posts were hilarious because somebody was like, I think
I'm gonna get lost, and then and then somebody posted,
you know, I'm not sure about this, and then and
(03:28):
then the health system is responding saying we'll have plenty
of volunteers standing around to help direct you to where
you need to go. So if you think back of
you know the way it used to be done, or
the way all of us remember it being done, and
the way we still do it at our clinic, which
we'll talk about in more detail. But you know, you're
sitting in the waiting room, and you know when it's
your time to go back to the room, somebody comes
(03:50):
out and gets you and says, you know, missus Jones,
we're ready for you, and walks you back to the room.
And usually that person is the same one that takes
your vitals and asks you questions. But this this self rooming.
So the post says, how does self rooming work? Well,
patients will check in at one of our centralized registration
areas inside of the clinic, and once they're registered, you
(04:12):
will receive a corridor letter in a corridor number, and
you will go directly to the exam room and lock
the door. I also found that to be interesting. But
and then it says upon entering the room, the patient's
movement from inside the examiner will signal a light that
alerts the team that the patient has arrived. And then
vital signs and weight are taken in the privacy of
the examer So I have personally experienced this at a
(04:35):
different health system, a local system that starts with the
un ends with an upside down m.
Speaker 3 (04:43):
Trying to figure out to be subtle about that. But
so I had.
Speaker 4 (04:46):
To bring my daughter in and I had never seen
anything like this before my you know, I've been if
you include medical school, I've been in healthcare for the
last twenty two years. So I've worked in healthcare, and
if you include kind of I went back. I was
a candy striper in high school and all that. So
let's say I've been in healthcare for thirty years.
Speaker 3 (05:07):
But so when.
Speaker 4 (05:09):
I got up to the registration, well, well, first of all,
you check in on a kiosk, So I don't know
if you've ever experienced that shine Well, well, you know, so,
like I always feel like I'm not an anti technology person,
but I do kind of if there's something about it
that just annoys me when I have to go into
someplace and click on, you know, a screen rather than
(05:30):
talk to a person, or at least you know, I'd
like to have the option to talk to a.
Speaker 3 (05:34):
Person, you know, and then you.
Speaker 4 (05:36):
You know, sometimes you get stuck on a certain screen
and it's not letting you know, you're not giving them
the right answer or whatever, and they're you know, they're
asking you the same questions over and over again. But
so the key ask thing first of all, annoys.
Speaker 3 (05:46):
Me a little bit.
Speaker 4 (05:47):
And then usually there's then at this particular health system,
there's a second line. You stand in literally a line,
and then you get up to that person and they
just ask you if you can verify your insurance information
and your address changed. So then you go through that,
and then now you go up to the registration inside
(06:08):
of the clinic and you tell them you get your
name again, and then they will tell you whether or
not you know, whether or not it looks like that
the room is available for you. And so in our case,
the room was not available, and so we had to
sit down again and wait in the waiting room, which
which is ironic because I think part of the rationale
(06:30):
that they're saying that they're using for doing it this
system is so people don't have to wait in the
waiting room. But we did actually have to wait in
the waiting room for about fifteen minutes. But so then
at some point, either I walk back up to the
registration or the person said to me, your room is available.
Speaker 3 (06:45):
I can't remember now.
Speaker 4 (06:47):
I almost think I feel like kind of like at
a restaurant, like they either either at some point they're
going to give you one of these little devices.
Speaker 3 (06:55):
Where it will light up or start playing music. It's like,
your table's available now.
Speaker 4 (07:01):
But I guess even in those cases, they have a
hostess that walks you back to your table. They don't
expect you to wander through the restaurant and find it.
But so so they we walk up to the thing,
and then she said something like you know, gold twenty four,
and so we like go through those doors there. And
so you walk into the doors and there's a big
sign up on the wall, kind of like it reminds
me of like a hotel where it says, you know,
(07:23):
rooms twenty through thirty or this direction. There's another arrow
pointing the other direction saying rooms you know, fifteen through nineteen,
and there's different colors. And I'm just kind of looking
at the friends like, Okay, I mean, I think I'm
a a you know, above average intelligence person.
Speaker 3 (07:40):
I think I can figure this out.
Speaker 4 (07:41):
But I think it would be first of all stressful
if somebody is already stressed out. You know, sometimes going
into the doctor is stressful, especially when you're dragging you know,
kids around with you, and then you know, having to
now navigate how to find your own room. So I
found the color and the number, and then I you know,
you wander into the room and it's empty, and you
(08:02):
sit down and then you hope that you went into
the right room or heard the number right or whatever,
and then about about five or ten minutes later, somebody
comes in to check your vitals. But I was just
struck by how impersonal the whole process was, right because
to me, you know, you always have to ask the
question of.
Speaker 3 (08:21):
Why, like why are they doing this? Like why did
they make this change? Right?
Speaker 4 (08:25):
There has to be a reason why they made this change,
And so you can't make the argument. I don't see
in any context how you can make the argument that
this is more patient friendly.
Speaker 3 (08:34):
The only argument that.
Speaker 4 (08:35):
I could see is that they are saving money, right,
This is saving them a staff person's time, This is
maybe allowing them to cut back on the number of
you know, medical assistants or LPNs that they have working
in that clinic, or maybe they're you know, using them
to do something else that's not you know, not direct
patient you know facing. And we've talked about Sean a
lot that the patient the direct patient facing jobs, which
(08:59):
you would say is you know, like putting the patient
in the room and taking their vitals and you know,
asking them questions about their history. You know, that is
something that you know has always historically been done by
you know, the medical assistant or the LPN, but now
they're you know, now part of that is, you know,
the patient is responsible for doing on their own.
Speaker 3 (09:18):
So I just you know, it just makes you wonder
why they're doing it.
Speaker 1 (09:21):
It feels like a lot of like almost like conditioning,
like they're like they've been slowly kind of like it
went from being you know, you go see your primary
care doctor or go into go into the clinics for
like urgent care, and he used to be somewhat personal
and you get it, and then they kind of slowly like, oh, hey,
when you come in, we've got this new this new thing.
You can go up to the receptionist or the or
(09:41):
the check in person, or if you want to try
the kiosk, you can try the kiosk. And then it's
like well, we don't have that person anymore. The kiosks
are over there available to you, and then they kind
of condition you to that that's kind of what you
expect when you go in. And then they you mentioned
kind of the labyrinth of finding rooms and and the
colors and the numbers and the like. They're trying to
like desensitize you from the fact that it used to
(10:02):
be you'd actually see a real person that cared about
your healthcare. It almost feels like they should call itself
roaming because I feel like too, there's a lot of
folks that just I just I can't imagine how confusing
it's got to be for folks to find their right room,
and it is.
Speaker 2 (10:17):
It is very unfortunate.
Speaker 1 (10:19):
And one of the great things is, especially when it
comes to when you see your doctor the most actually
seeing your doctor, your primary care doctor. Great thing about
the Madison Southern Wisconsin area as we've got direct primary
Care and Advocate MD. It's a really good day to
learn more about direct primary care. All I get to
head on over the website ADVOCATESDPC dot com. That's Advocate
(10:39):
DPC dot com to making a point become a member
at Advocate mt six oh eight two six eight sixty
two eleven. That's six soh eight two six eight sixty
two eleven. We'll talk a little bit about actually direct
primary care and what that experience is like. We will
do that next with the doctor as Full Scope with
doctor Nicole Hemkus continues right here on thirteen ten WIBA
(11:00):
thirteen ten WUIBA in full scope with doctor Nicole Hempkiss,
Wisconsin's direct care doc. Of course, you can learn more
about doctor Nicole Hemkiss, doctor Adam Balen, doctor Michaelogie, doctor
kar And Shulman, doctor Julia Dans, doctor Christina Qwy. Two
new doctors on board. We've got who do we have
joining the team?
Speaker 4 (11:19):
Doctor Mkiss, Doctor Gina di Giovanni just joined.
Speaker 3 (11:24):
Us last week.
Speaker 4 (11:25):
So she grew up with a surgeon dad and a
nurse mom and Prairie d Sox, so she's a local
gal and we're very excited to have her, and she
is accepting new patients and she works out of all
of the clinics. And then we have doctor Jennifer Philbin
who's going to be joining us in a little over
a month and she will also be working out of
(11:46):
all the clinics. Doctor Philbin is also a Madison native,
and she was working in Lake Mills for the last
few years.
Speaker 1 (11:54):
It's all and you mentioned new patients, accepting new patients,
and as Advocate MD has grown, one of the things
that has been pretty amazing is seeing more folks responding
to Advocate MD and loving it. Unlike some puppies, you know,
all lot, but patients absolutely love what you're doing and
they say, well, you know, new doctors, how does that work.
(12:15):
One of the I know, one of the primary focuses
of what you do at Advocate MD and why you
why you've been so successful, is you keep those those
patient panels small so folks have access to their doctor
when you need to see your doctor. And that's a
great benefit of Advocate MDT And you can learn more
online advocates DPC dot com. That's Advocates DPC dot com.
(12:36):
And let's contrast what we just talked about, what folks
are experiencing in these in these big box clinics and
urgent care and other things. Let's compare that with with
what you're able to do at Advocate MD and what
the experience at a primary care practice is.
Speaker 4 (12:53):
Like, Yeah, you know, I used to talk about this
a lot, especially when I was going out to talk
with the potential patients or potential employers, you know, I
would kind of contrast for them the experience that most
people have when they go into a traditional you know,
primary care clinic nowadays. You know, maybe it was different.
(13:14):
I think it was different twenty years ago, forty years ago.
I think that people had a better experience, but the
current experience, and I will base this off of, you know,
again my own personal experience, you know, as a patient,
but also as working as a doctor for many years.
Speaker 3 (13:29):
And so you go into the clinic.
Speaker 4 (13:30):
Again, we talked about kind of that check in process,
which has become more onerous and more you know, kind
of impersonal. I would say, but when you sit down
for a visit, again in a traditional fee for service,
insurance based practice, you sit down in the waiting room
and then you wait, usually you know, anywhere from twenty
thirty minutes, maybe longer, and then you're brought back into
(13:52):
the room, you know, and you know, the it may
take your vitals, and then you again wait, so you
probably wait another fifteen twenty minutes, maybe longer than that.
So typically before you even see the doctor, you have
probably been waiting, you know, I would say, you know,
twenty to forty minutes before the doctor even walks into
the room with you. And then the irony of all
(14:14):
of that is that after waiting all of that time,
you know, most people have a very short visit with
the doctor, you know. So they say, on average, a
primary care doctor now is spending you know, seven to
eight minutes actually in the room with you, talking to you,
doing an exam, asking you questions, gathering the history and
physical as opposed to all the time that they spend
(14:35):
outside of the room looking at your medical records, putting
in orders for labs, you know, putting in referrals, doing
prior authorizations, doing all the paperwork, the you know, bureaucratic
red tape. So that has cut down a lot on
the actual time that can be devoted to the patient
interaction in the traditional system. So that is the I
(14:57):
would say, I have experienced this as a patient, and
I see patients frustrations, you know, when I worked in
one of these big box you know, insurance based systems,
is that it is very frustrating to you know, wait
that long and then have a very short visit with
the doctor and then also keep in mind you've probably
waited a long time to get that appointment. So you
might have waited three months or six months or nine
(15:19):
months to see that doctor. So you have a list
of things that you've accumulated in the last you know,
six or nine months, that you would like to talk about.
And then when you actually get that visit and you
have ten or fifteen minutes, you can't make it through
the list. You know, I like to joke and say
for my patients. By by the time you know, we
get through the hey, how are you doing, how's the family,
(15:40):
how's work?
Speaker 3 (15:41):
You know, like catching up with them?
Speaker 4 (15:44):
You know it, let alone make it, you know, see
what prescriptions they need refilled, what other things have changed.
Speaker 3 (15:50):
You know that right there is a fifteen to twenty
minute span of time.
Speaker 4 (15:53):
The visit is over at that point, like we haven't
had time to even talk about the medical stuff yet.
So the beauty of direct primary care experience like Advocate MD,
is that you know your experience. When you walk into
the clinic, you know, ninety percent of the time you
will be brought straight back into a room. You don't
even wait in the waiting room, you know, unless the
(16:14):
our PCT.
Speaker 3 (16:15):
We call them patient care technician.
Speaker 4 (16:17):
If they were busy in a room with a patient,
you might sit for five minutes in the waiting room.
Speaker 3 (16:23):
So they bring you back into a room.
Speaker 4 (16:24):
They immediately take your vitals and you know, ask you
some questions and then you might wait, you know, five
or ten minutes for the doctor to walk in, and
then you still have you know, forty five minutes fifty
minutes left to talk to your doctor about everything you
need to talk about. And that is just so different.
I mean, it is like you know, apples and oranges
comparison to what people are getting in the system. And
(16:47):
then again you go back to how hard is it
to get a visit when you can get a visit
within days or maybe a week or two versus multiple,
multiple months, which is what people.
Speaker 3 (16:56):
Are waiting now because we have a shortage.
Speaker 4 (16:58):
Of doctors and doctors are booking out so far, and
the fee for service system, so yes, you are paying
for that amount of access, the ability to have a
doctor who will take time with you, the ability to
have a doctor that again will be available after hours,
but just having that amount of time again is sort
(17:18):
of unheard of nowadays, and that is what is really
kind of critical. And for most people, we know that
when we can take more time with them, we can
do a more thorough history and physical exam, we can
you know, kind of get more into the diagnostics of
you know, when somebody comes in and has, oh, you know,
I've been having these headaches or I've been having issues sleeping.
(17:38):
You know, again, I don't I always you know, go
against the stereotype that doctors are pill pushers and when
you walk in like you're going to leave every time
with a prescription.
Speaker 3 (17:48):
I don't like to practice that kind of medicine.
Speaker 4 (17:50):
So I would rather have the time to talk to
you about you know, everything going on and the possible
you know, root cause of what's what's causing your symptoms,
rather than just treat the symptoms. So again, when we
have you know, fifty minutes or an hour, we actually
have the time to do that. But if you have
a ten minute visit, you don't have the time to
do that. So so most likely you know that the
doctor unfortunately is practicing you know, symptom management and then
(18:13):
they are referring you out for things that they don't
have time to talk about it.
Speaker 1 (18:16):
And I love how one of the things I love
about what you're able to do at Advocate MD is,
you know, is respecting patients time is you know, when
you're in that system, the kind of the insurance system,
the big box system, you're treated, like you mentioned earlier,
kind of like what that experience is when you walk
in and hitting the kiosk and wandering the halls to
find the right room and you're just left sitting somewhere
(18:39):
waiting for the next unknown person to come in and
poke and prod you, and you know, you feel like
it's like I just wasted my entire day because most
of the time you're sitting in a little tiny room
with no interaction with anybody.
Speaker 2 (18:52):
You're just waiting.
Speaker 1 (18:53):
And I understand that for the doctors and nurses and
other things, they've got a very busy schedule, but you know,
we all have busy ski edules. And the great thing
about Advocate MD and direct primary care getting in to
see your doctor when you need to see your doctor,
spending time with your doctor, actually spending the time being
spent with your doctor, which is just an amazing thing
of a great feature of direct primary care affordable access.
(19:15):
You can learn more online Today is Today head on
over ADVOCATESDPC dot com. That's ADVOCATESDPC dot com. Even more
importantly this morning, make an appointment become a member at
ADVOCMD six oh eight two six eight sixty two eleven.
That's six 'h eight two six eight sixty two eleven.
Doctor Hempkis is always great chatting with you. You have a
very merry Christmas. Look forward to talking to you real soon.
Speaker 3 (19:36):
You two shall have a merry Christmas, Happy New Year.
Speaker 2 (19:38):
News comes your way next right here on thirteen ten.
Wuib E
Thirteen ten WIBA and full scope with doctor Nicole Hemkiss,
Wisconsin's direct care doctor. You can learn more about doctor Hemkiss,
the six soon to be eight physicians at Advocate MD.
Can learn more about the four locations of Advocate MD.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
You can learn about direct primary Care. I can learn
about membership.
Speaker 1 (00:19):
You can learn about if you're a business owner a
business leader, I'll learn about opportunities there for some great
primary care for your employees. All I got to do
is head on over to the website ADVOCATEDPC dot com.
That's advocates DPC dot com. To make it a point,
become a member at Advocate MD. Six oh eight two
six eight sixty two eleven. That's six oh eight two
six eight sixty two eleven.
Speaker 2 (00:38):
Doctor. How you doing this morning?
Speaker 3 (00:40):
I'm good, Sean.
Speaker 4 (00:41):
How are you?
Speaker 1 (00:42):
I'm doing fantastic gottai Christmas stuff squared away and you
ready for the big.
Speaker 3 (00:45):
Holiday as ready as I'm going to be.
Speaker 2 (00:49):
Yeah, No, I don't think you're alone.
Speaker 3 (00:51):
And then I'm the kind of midnight Christmas wrapper.
Speaker 2 (00:59):
That is fun. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (01:00):
So we've got we've got a great conversation, that had
an important conversation and it's unfortunately I think a lot
of people are going to relate to what we're going
to talk about, which is kind of what's become of
the patient experience and these big healthcare systems. We're going
to talk about that in just a moment, but first,
you know, we look towards the year end of the year,
and I know a lot of folks are kind of
(01:21):
looking to the future of what's twenty twenty five going
to look like for them. Businesses looking the same way
got through like the open enrollment stuff as well. It's
a really good time to be exploring direct primary care
and exploring Advocate MD. As mentioned two new doctors joining
the six physicians already at Advocate MD. It's it's a
(01:41):
great time for folks to be to be enrolling at
Advocate MD.
Speaker 2 (01:45):
Isn't it.
Speaker 3 (01:47):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (01:47):
This is the open enrollment period, or your open enrollment
period might have just ended, so you know a lot
of people are switching over to a new health insurance
or health option January first. So if you have a
deductible health plan, if you have a health share, if
you or if you're just unhappy with the current healthcare
that you are getting, or don't have access to healthcare,
(02:09):
direct primary care would be a great option.
Speaker 2 (02:11):
It's a fantastic option.
Speaker 1 (02:12):
And again you can learn more online Advocates DPC dot com.
That's Advocates DPC dot com. Let's talk about kind of
what goes on when it comes to the healthcare experience
right now, and for folks that haven't had to experience
any of it, they're very lucky for a number of reasons,
but mainly kind of just like the overall feel of
(02:36):
healthcare has gotten very, very cold. It's not particularly a
good system.
Speaker 2 (02:42):
Is it.
Speaker 4 (02:44):
Yeah, you know, I was kind of reminded of this
when I recently saw something posted on social media and
it was talking about patient self rooming. And it's funny
because I have I personally experienced this recently through one
of the local health systems, but it was it was interesting.
(03:06):
One of the different health system that's a smaller, you know,
what we would call a critical access health system had
just posted something about self rooming. And the comments on
these posts were hilarious because somebody was like, I think
I'm gonna get lost, and then and then somebody posted,
you know, I'm not sure about this, and then and
(03:28):
then the health system is responding saying we'll have plenty
of volunteers standing around to help direct you to where
you need to go. So if you think back of
you know the way it used to be done, or
the way all of us remember it being done, and
the way we still do it at our clinic, which
we'll talk about in more detail. But you know, you're
sitting in the waiting room, and you know when it's
your time to go back to the room, somebody comes
(03:50):
out and gets you and says, you know, missus Jones,
we're ready for you, and walks you back to the room.
And usually that person is the same one that takes
your vitals and asks you questions. But this this self rooming.
So the post says, how does self rooming work? Well,
patients will check in at one of our centralized registration
areas inside of the clinic, and once they're registered, you
(04:12):
will receive a corridor letter in a corridor number, and
you will go directly to the exam room and lock
the door. I also found that to be interesting. But
and then it says upon entering the room, the patient's
movement from inside the examiner will signal a light that
alerts the team that the patient has arrived. And then
vital signs and weight are taken in the privacy of
the examer So I have personally experienced this at a
(04:35):
different health system, a local system that starts with the
un ends with an upside down m.
Speaker 3 (04:43):
Trying to figure out to be subtle about that. But
so I had.
Speaker 4 (04:46):
To bring my daughter in and I had never seen
anything like this before my you know, I've been if
you include medical school, I've been in healthcare for the
last twenty two years. So I've worked in healthcare, and
if you include kind of I went back. I was
a candy striper in high school and all that. So
let's say I've been in healthcare for thirty years.
Speaker 3 (05:07):
But so when.
Speaker 4 (05:09):
I got up to the registration, well, well, first of all,
you check in on a kiosk, So I don't know
if you've ever experienced that shine Well, well, you know, so,
like I always feel like I'm not an anti technology person,
but I do kind of if there's something about it
that just annoys me when I have to go into
someplace and click on, you know, a screen rather than
(05:30):
talk to a person, or at least you know, I'd
like to have the option to talk to a.
Speaker 3 (05:34):
Person, you know, and then you.
Speaker 4 (05:36):
You know, sometimes you get stuck on a certain screen
and it's not letting you know, you're not giving them
the right answer or whatever, and they're you know, they're
asking you the same questions over and over again. But
so the key ask thing first of all, annoys.
Speaker 3 (05:46):
Me a little bit.
Speaker 4 (05:47):
And then usually there's then at this particular health system,
there's a second line. You stand in literally a line,
and then you get up to that person and they
just ask you if you can verify your insurance information
and your address changed. So then you go through that,
and then now you go up to the registration inside
(06:08):
of the clinic and you tell them you get your
name again, and then they will tell you whether or
not you know, whether or not it looks like that
the room is available for you. And so in our case,
the room was not available, and so we had to
sit down again and wait in the waiting room, which
which is ironic because I think part of the rationale
(06:30):
that they're saying that they're using for doing it this
system is so people don't have to wait in the
waiting room. But we did actually have to wait in
the waiting room for about fifteen minutes. But so then
at some point, either I walk back up to the
registration or the person said to me, your room is available.
Speaker 3 (06:45):
I can't remember now.
Speaker 4 (06:47):
I almost think I feel like kind of like at
a restaurant, like they either either at some point they're
going to give you one of these little devices.
Speaker 3 (06:55):
Where it will light up or start playing music. It's like,
your table's available now.
Speaker 4 (07:01):
But I guess even in those cases, they have a
hostess that walks you back to your table. They don't
expect you to wander through the restaurant and find it.
But so so they we walk up to the thing,
and then she said something like you know, gold twenty four,
and so we like go through those doors there. And
so you walk into the doors and there's a big
sign up on the wall, kind of like it reminds
me of like a hotel where it says, you know,
(07:23):
rooms twenty through thirty or this direction. There's another arrow
pointing the other direction saying rooms you know, fifteen through nineteen,
and there's different colors. And I'm just kind of looking
at the friends like, Okay, I mean, I think I'm
a a you know, above average intelligence person.
Speaker 3 (07:40):
I think I can figure this out.
Speaker 4 (07:41):
But I think it would be first of all stressful
if somebody is already stressed out. You know, sometimes going
into the doctor is stressful, especially when you're dragging you know,
kids around with you, and then you know, having to
now navigate how to find your own room. So I
found the color and the number, and then I you know,
you wander into the room and it's empty, and you
(08:02):
sit down and then you hope that you went into
the right room or heard the number right or whatever,
and then about about five or ten minutes later, somebody
comes in to check your vitals. But I was just
struck by how impersonal the whole process was, right because
to me, you know, you always have to ask the
question of.
Speaker 3 (08:21):
Why, like why are they doing this? Like why did
they make this change? Right?
Speaker 4 (08:25):
There has to be a reason why they made this change,
And so you can't make the argument. I don't see
in any context how you can make the argument that
this is more patient friendly.
Speaker 3 (08:34):
The only argument that.
Speaker 4 (08:35):
I could see is that they are saving money, right,
This is saving them a staff person's time, This is
maybe allowing them to cut back on the number of
you know, medical assistants or LPNs that they have working
in that clinic, or maybe they're you know, using them
to do something else that's not you know, not direct
patient you know facing. And we've talked about Sean a
lot that the patient the direct patient facing jobs, which
(08:59):
you would say is you know, like putting the patient
in the room and taking their vitals and you know,
asking them questions about their history. You know, that is
something that you know has always historically been done by
you know, the medical assistant or the LPN, but now
they're you know, now part of that is, you know,
the patient is responsible for doing on their own.
Speaker 3 (09:18):
So I just you know, it just makes you wonder
why they're doing it.
Speaker 1 (09:21):
It feels like a lot of like almost like conditioning,
like they're like they've been slowly kind of like it
went from being you know, you go see your primary
care doctor or go into go into the clinics for
like urgent care, and he used to be somewhat personal
and you get it, and then they kind of slowly like, oh, hey,
when you come in, we've got this new this new thing.
You can go up to the receptionist or the or
(09:41):
the check in person, or if you want to try
the kiosk, you can try the kiosk. And then it's
like well, we don't have that person anymore. The kiosks
are over there available to you, and then they kind
of condition you to that that's kind of what you
expect when you go in. And then they you mentioned
kind of the labyrinth of finding rooms and and the
colors and the numbers and the like. They're trying to
like desensitize you from the fact that it used to
(10:02):
be you'd actually see a real person that cared about
your healthcare. It almost feels like they should call itself
roaming because I feel like too, there's a lot of
folks that just I just I can't imagine how confusing
it's got to be for folks to find their right room,
and it is.
Speaker 2 (10:17):
It is very unfortunate.
Speaker 1 (10:19):
And one of the great things is, especially when it
comes to when you see your doctor the most actually
seeing your doctor, your primary care doctor. Great thing about
the Madison Southern Wisconsin area as we've got direct primary
Care and Advocate MD. It's a really good day to
learn more about direct primary care. All I get to
head on over the website ADVOCATESDPC dot com. That's Advocate
(10:39):
DPC dot com to making a point become a member
at Advocate mt six oh eight two six eight sixty
two eleven. That's six soh eight two six eight sixty
two eleven. We'll talk a little bit about actually direct
primary care and what that experience is like. We will
do that next with the doctor as Full Scope with
doctor Nicole Hemkus continues right here on thirteen ten WIBA
(11:00):
thirteen ten WUIBA in full scope with doctor Nicole Hempkiss,
Wisconsin's direct care doc. Of course, you can learn more
about doctor Nicole Hemkiss, doctor Adam Balen, doctor Michaelogie, doctor
kar And Shulman, doctor Julia Dans, doctor Christina Qwy. Two
new doctors on board. We've got who do we have
joining the team?
Speaker 4 (11:19):
Doctor Mkiss, Doctor Gina di Giovanni just joined.
Speaker 3 (11:24):
Us last week.
Speaker 4 (11:25):
So she grew up with a surgeon dad and a
nurse mom and Prairie d Sox, so she's a local
gal and we're very excited to have her, and she
is accepting new patients and she works out of all
of the clinics. And then we have doctor Jennifer Philbin
who's going to be joining us in a little over
a month and she will also be working out of
(11:46):
all the clinics. Doctor Philbin is also a Madison native,
and she was working in Lake Mills for the last
few years.
Speaker 1 (11:54):
It's all and you mentioned new patients, accepting new patients,
and as Advocate MD has grown, one of the things
that has been pretty amazing is seeing more folks responding
to Advocate MD and loving it. Unlike some puppies, you know,
all lot, but patients absolutely love what you're doing and
they say, well, you know, new doctors, how does that work.
(12:15):
One of the I know, one of the primary focuses
of what you do at Advocate MD and why you
why you've been so successful, is you keep those those
patient panels small so folks have access to their doctor
when you need to see your doctor. And that's a
great benefit of Advocate MDT And you can learn more
online advocates DPC dot com. That's Advocates DPC dot com.
(12:36):
And let's contrast what we just talked about, what folks
are experiencing in these in these big box clinics and
urgent care and other things. Let's compare that with with
what you're able to do at Advocate MD and what
the experience at a primary care practice is.
Speaker 4 (12:53):
Like, Yeah, you know, I used to talk about this
a lot, especially when I was going out to talk
with the potential patients or potential employers, you know, I
would kind of contrast for them the experience that most
people have when they go into a traditional you know,
primary care clinic nowadays. You know, maybe it was different.
(13:14):
I think it was different twenty years ago, forty years ago.
I think that people had a better experience, but the
current experience, and I will base this off of, you know,
again my own personal experience, you know, as a patient,
but also as working as a doctor for many years.
Speaker 3 (13:29):
And so you go into the clinic.
Speaker 4 (13:30):
Again, we talked about kind of that check in process,
which has become more onerous and more you know, kind
of impersonal. I would say, but when you sit down
for a visit, again in a traditional fee for service,
insurance based practice, you sit down in the waiting room
and then you wait, usually you know, anywhere from twenty
thirty minutes, maybe longer, and then you're brought back into
(13:52):
the room, you know, and you know, the it may
take your vitals, and then you again wait, so you
probably wait another fifteen twenty minutes, maybe longer than that.
So typically before you even see the doctor, you have
probably been waiting, you know, I would say, you know,
twenty to forty minutes before the doctor even walks into
the room with you. And then the irony of all
(14:14):
of that is that after waiting all of that time,
you know, most people have a very short visit with
the doctor, you know. So they say, on average, a
primary care doctor now is spending you know, seven to
eight minutes actually in the room with you, talking to you,
doing an exam, asking you questions, gathering the history and
physical as opposed to all the time that they spend
(14:35):
outside of the room looking at your medical records, putting
in orders for labs, you know, putting in referrals, doing
prior authorizations, doing all the paperwork, the you know, bureaucratic
red tape. So that has cut down a lot on
the actual time that can be devoted to the patient
interaction in the traditional system. So that is the I
(14:57):
would say, I have experienced this as a patient, and
I see patients frustrations, you know, when I worked in
one of these big box you know, insurance based systems,
is that it is very frustrating to you know, wait
that long and then have a very short visit with
the doctor and then also keep in mind you've probably
waited a long time to get that appointment. So you
might have waited three months or six months or nine
(15:19):
months to see that doctor. So you have a list
of things that you've accumulated in the last you know,
six or nine months, that you would like to talk about.
And then when you actually get that visit and you
have ten or fifteen minutes, you can't make it through
the list. You know, I like to joke and say
for my patients. By by the time you know, we
get through the hey, how are you doing, how's the family,
(15:40):
how's work?
Speaker 3 (15:41):
You know, like catching up with them?
Speaker 4 (15:44):
You know it, let alone make it, you know, see
what prescriptions they need refilled, what other things have changed.
Speaker 3 (15:50):
You know that right there is a fifteen to twenty
minute span of time.
Speaker 4 (15:53):
The visit is over at that point, like we haven't
had time to even talk about the medical stuff yet.
So the beauty of direct primary care experience like Advocate MD,
is that you know your experience. When you walk into
the clinic, you know, ninety percent of the time you
will be brought straight back into a room. You don't
even wait in the waiting room, you know, unless the
(16:14):
our PCT.
Speaker 3 (16:15):
We call them patient care technician.
Speaker 4 (16:17):
If they were busy in a room with a patient,
you might sit for five minutes in the waiting room.
Speaker 3 (16:23):
So they bring you back into a room.
Speaker 4 (16:24):
They immediately take your vitals and you know, ask you
some questions and then you might wait, you know, five
or ten minutes for the doctor to walk in, and
then you still have you know, forty five minutes fifty
minutes left to talk to your doctor about everything you
need to talk about. And that is just so different.
I mean, it is like you know, apples and oranges
comparison to what people are getting in the system. And
(16:47):
then again you go back to how hard is it
to get a visit when you can get a visit
within days or maybe a week or two versus multiple,
multiple months, which is what people.
Speaker 3 (16:56):
Are waiting now because we have a shortage.
Speaker 4 (16:58):
Of doctors and doctors are booking out so far, and
the fee for service system, so yes, you are paying
for that amount of access, the ability to have a
doctor who will take time with you, the ability to
have a doctor that again will be available after hours,
but just having that amount of time again is sort
(17:18):
of unheard of nowadays, and that is what is really
kind of critical. And for most people, we know that
when we can take more time with them, we can
do a more thorough history and physical exam, we can
you know, kind of get more into the diagnostics of
you know, when somebody comes in and has, oh, you know,
I've been having these headaches or I've been having issues sleeping.
(17:38):
You know, again, I don't I always you know, go
against the stereotype that doctors are pill pushers and when
you walk in like you're going to leave every time
with a prescription.
Speaker 3 (17:48):
I don't like to practice that kind of medicine.
Speaker 4 (17:50):
So I would rather have the time to talk to
you about you know, everything going on and the possible
you know, root cause of what's what's causing your symptoms,
rather than just treat the symptoms. So again, when we
have you know, fifty minutes or an hour, we actually
have the time to do that. But if you have
a ten minute visit, you don't have the time to
do that. So so most likely you know that the
doctor unfortunately is practicing you know, symptom management and then
(18:13):
they are referring you out for things that they don't
have time to talk about it.
Speaker 1 (18:16):
And I love how one of the things I love
about what you're able to do at Advocate MD is,
you know, is respecting patients time is you know, when
you're in that system, the kind of the insurance system,
the big box system, you're treated, like you mentioned earlier,
kind of like what that experience is when you walk
in and hitting the kiosk and wandering the halls to
find the right room and you're just left sitting somewhere
(18:39):
waiting for the next unknown person to come in and
poke and prod you, and you know, you feel like
it's like I just wasted my entire day because most
of the time you're sitting in a little tiny room
with no interaction with anybody.
Speaker 2 (18:52):
You're just waiting.
Speaker 1 (18:53):
And I understand that for the doctors and nurses and
other things, they've got a very busy schedule, but you know,
we all have busy ski edules. And the great thing
about Advocate MD and direct primary care getting in to
see your doctor when you need to see your doctor,
spending time with your doctor, actually spending the time being
spent with your doctor, which is just an amazing thing
of a great feature of direct primary care affordable access.
(19:15):
You can learn more online Today is Today head on
over ADVOCATESDPC dot com. That's ADVOCATESDPC dot com. Even more
importantly this morning, make an appointment become a member at
ADVOCMD six oh eight two six eight sixty two eleven.
That's six 'h eight two six eight sixty two eleven.
Doctor Hempkis is always great chatting with you. You have a
very merry Christmas. Look forward to talking to you real soon.
Speaker 3 (19:36):
You two shall have a merry Christmas, Happy New Year.
Speaker 2 (19:38):
News comes your way next right here on thirteen ten.
Wuib E
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