Drs. Josh and Doug huddled up for a second taping of the Atlas MD podcast. You can stream it on iTunes. The duo took a moment to discuss HIPAA compliance, HSA spending and Meaningful Use in context with direct care, as well as our new EMR that’s launching next month. And the team announced phenomenal news: Michael Palomino has reached 150 patients in only a couple months, vastly exceeding the predicted 10 patients per month increase.
Tag Archives: atlas md
July 22, 2013
July 17, 2013
Direct Care IS The Rare Bipartisan Idea
We came across an article called “The Rare Bipartisan Health Idea: Affordable Concierge Medicine” over on New Atlantic Ventures (navfund.com), a website promoting entrepreneurial endeavors. It makes sense that our Atlas MD style of direct care would be featured there, being as we believe healthcare can administered more effectively when coupled with free-market principles. To us it makes sense to run a business where WE are responsible for our profits and losses, WE interact with our customers directly, and WE succeed by giving them top-notch service. It so happens that in our case, doing our job well means we ensure healthy patients, something we take great pride in.
July 16, 2013
LISTEN: Atlas MD Launches Weekly Podcast
Dr. Josh and Dr. Doug have launched a weekly iTunes podcast where they’ll talk about their experience running a direct care practice, and offer advice to physicians looking to transition into the model. The Atlas MD podcast is hosted on iTunes, but you can also listen to the free episodes on your browser. New episodes will be released every week, covering the steady stream of questions that Dr. Josh is receiving. LISTEN TO ATLAS MD ON iTUNES
In the premiere episode, Drs. Josh and Doug explain why starting up a direct care practice is more viable than you would imagine. For one, having an EMR that’s capable of automating admin functions will reduce staffing needs. In Atlas MD’s case, they’ve worked days where it’s just three doctors in the office, with no hiccups. Granted, it won’t work forever, but It’s possible because the core job of the doctor becomes treating patients, instead of filling out paperwork, which we all agree is NOT the reason anyone goes to med school.
Feel free to email any questions to hello[at]atlas[dot]md. Atlas MD’s doctors are passionate about practicing direct care, and equally passionate about helping other doctors practice it, too. It’s highly likely the doctors will address your question in a future podcast.
July 16, 2013
LINKS: Open Season on EMR Shortcomings
Dark Daily compiled a list of links that fire off some major EMR problems. Looks like too many messages and poor design is proving to be one step forward, two steps back for some doctors.
July 15, 2013
The Atlantic Advocates Healthcare Accountability
Richard Gunderman wrote a phenomenal essay for The Atlantic earlier this month. In it he explains the importance of accountable health care, claiming “We can be our best only if we bear at least some of the costs of the choices we make.” It is accepted that healthcare costs have within the last few years become the single most common cause of personal bankruptcy in the U.S. Of course, the natural reaction is to think of the indebted patients as victims, and hospitals as greedy predators. It’s not like the patients tried to get sick to they could taken on expensive medical care. Meanwhile hospitals retrofitted with marbled lobbies and elaborate amenities are indicative of surplus wealth. So Gunderman begs the question, “Who could feel sympathy for a billion-dollar corporation?”
However, he also points out that if patients are to be forgiven of their debts, we might run out of hospitals to turn to. That’s because a hospital that liberally provides free care will soon find itself overrun with patients, while the other hospitals fail to generate revenues that exceed their costs, and go out of business (this is hypothetical, but still a valid point).
July 10, 2013
LINKS: Rage Against The Healthcare Machine
In case you needed any more reasons to get incensed with healthcare’s exorbitant costs, The New York Times has you covered. First, you’ll want to read their piece about how ridiculously overpriced it is to have a baby in this country (“American Way Of Birth, Costliest In The World” via The New York Times).
According to the article, “Women with insurance pay out of pocket an average of $3,400, according to a survey by Childbirth Connection, one of the groups behind the maternity costs report. Two decades ago, women typically paid nothing other than a small fee if they opted for a private hospital room or television.”
And that’s just the start. Read more
July 9, 2013
Dr. Josh Explains Membership Models versus Pay-For-Fee
Dr. Josh took a minute out of his day to answer a question he’s been getting asked a lot lately: Why does’t Atlas MD just use the fee-for-service model that’s been the staple in healthcare? Listen to Josh explain the Direct Care Membership Model and why it makes sense.
July 9, 2013
LINKS: Oh No, Everyone’s Worried About Doctor Shortages
First we came across an article in The Atlantic that discussed how doctor shortage could be the result of burnout caused by a lack of training in how to “deal with work pressures.” It was a stretch in our opinion, but we’re keeping an open mind. Unfortunately, we were not mentioned in the article as a force KEEPING doctors from retiring or getting out of practicing medicine altogether. Included within the article were some helpful links to leading publishers writing about doctor shortages. Thanks to the author Maureen Miller for directing us to this premium content.
Sunday Dialogue: Will Training More Doctors Improve Health Care? | The New York Times
One med student is one hundred percent behind insuring more Americans. Still, he asks, what’s the point if you can’t find a doctor. READ MORE
“How some states are addressing doctor shortages” | Yahoo News
An informative article comprised of blurbs about projected doctor requirements, current funding for programs, and other relevant info. It spans more than ten states including California, Delaware, Kansas, Kentucky, Ohio, The Dakotas and more. READ MORE
July 8, 2013
New Study Predicts that Majority Of Physician Practices Will Lose Money On Their EHR Systems
Dark Daily writer Patricia Kirk shares Michigan University research that suggests there are opportunities for physicians to make more money using EMR. However, a major factor that would theoretically help them make this proposed “money” includes using ONLY THE NEW EMR, not the new EMR in conjunction with pre-existing methods. Hmmm, so why would someone buy something to replace something, and then keep using the old thing? Oh right, the government paid them to buy it. We almost forgot.
July 8, 2013
MORE GREAT NEWS: Conservative Student Group Fights For Free Market In Medicine
StarTribune posted a timely article (Via Huffington Post) from Durham, North Carolina. They’re reporting on a “new conservatism” that’s taking root on some college campuses, fed in part by opposition to Obamacare. The groups are modeled after The Federalist Society for Law and Public Policy, which according to the post “has molded several generations of legal thinkers at the nation’s law schools.” We’re excited to hear that this new wave of conservative thinkers wants to take root in graduate schools of business, foreign policy, and most relevant to our fight, schools of medicine like Duke University.