Preventative Health  Bucks County Magazine December 2017

by Mary Beth Schwartz

You’re sitting in a doctor’s waiting room and watching the clock tick…15 minutes pass…20 minutes…35 minutes…you have so much to do today and you’re on time for your appointment. What is taking so long? You must find out what is going on with that lingering cough, that nagging pain in your leg that just won’t go away, your constant need to go to the bathroom. Finally, they call your name. The nurse leads you to a room, pulls your records, weighs you, and in a few minutes you’re finally in front of your doctor, who has roughly six to 10 minutes to go over your concerns, share some thoughts, and send you on your way.

In today’s healthcare landscape, this is now the norm.Many Americans accept a 6 to 10-minute doctor’s office visit for diagnosis and treatment. Modern medicine has patients wasting hours in the waiting room after waiting weeks, and sometimes even months, for appointments. After more than 25 years of practicing traditional medicine, Dr. Marc Rabinowitz had enough so he decided to take a leap of faith and do something about it. That’s how Southampton-based Prevention First Healthcare, a concierge medical practice, was born. (Dr. Marc, as he’s affectionately known by his hundreds of patients, prefers the term “personalized medicine,” because it is healthcare tailored to his patients’ personal needs.)

Every day for decades, Dr. Marc saw 25 to 30 patients a day and his heart was telling him his patients needed more … more face time to discuss concerns and needs, more attention to develop personalized treatment plans, more confidence and encouragement in reaching their healthcare goals. Ten years ago, he figured out a way to restructure his practice model so that he was able to give his patients hours instead of minutes. Now he is spending almost two hours with patients during their annual physical examination. He creates programs for nutrition, exercise, weight loss, and, if needed, smoking cessation. “We focus on the individual needs of our patients. Through physicals, screenings, counseling, and testing, we develop a proactive plan to keep our patients healthier and happier. We explore family histories, current medical conditions, and lifestyle choices in an effort to map out a patient’s individual health care needs and provide specific remedies.”

His office also schedules all specialist appointments for his patients and everyone receives daily access to the doctor via a private phone line and a live receptionist. He even makes a house calls if needed. Best of all, Dr. Marc offers limited wait times. “My patients’ time is their most valuable commodity.”“Patients are brought in the day that their symptoms begin. I have clients of all ages, from 18 to 102, and we give them all expeditious care. The visits are scheduled on a half-hour basis, not a five-minute basis. I personally discuss their case with any specialist that they may be referred to. When two doctors discuss a case, a diagnosis is achieved faster. I pick up the phone and work with the finest medical centers in the United States on an everyday basis. A doctor that practices in the traditional model does not have the time to do this. Seventy-five percent of primary care physicians are employed by a healthcare conglomerate, hospital, or other party—they are not working for the patient. Every patient of mine is given my utmost priority,” Dr. Marc says. The price for the service is very cost effective as well. “It was important to me that I was able to offer quality health care for less than the price of a daily premium coffee.”

A native of Philadelphia, Dr. Marc graduated Cum Laude of LaSalle University. He received his Doctor of Medicine degree from Temple University, Alpha Omega Alpha and went on to be an Assistant Professor of Medicine at the School before entering private practice. Named one of America’s Top Physicians by the Consumers’ Research Council of America, he has frequently been featured on television and radio programs throughout the region, as well as MSNBC and CNBC.

“Our goal is to add years to your life and life to your years. My patients value their life and want the best medical care, regardless of income. They treat their life and health as an asset and they make an investment in it. This is about primary preventative health care and why I have a limited size practice. Every patient is treated as if they are a member of my family. My staff treats the patients the same way. We have adopted them and they have adopted us.”

According to Dr. Marc, when primary preventative practices are studied, the results illustrate a significant reduction in hospitalization, urgent care visits, and trips to the emergency room … in some studies, up to an 85 percent. “By proactively treating our patients, we are immediately improving their health. We encourage our patients to be proactive. They have no problem reaching me—they can call and reach me on the phone right away. My patients even have my personal cell phone for emergencies after hours. This is health care elevated to its highest level.”

“The United States has the highest mortality rate in the industrialized world. We spent over three trillion dollars a year on health care, yet we have the worst outcome. It gets worse every single year. Prevention First Healthcare is my way to save the world, to restore excellent medical care.”

To schedule a complimentary 30-minute consultation with Dr. Marc Rabinowitz, call 215-PREVENT (215-773-8368) or visit www.215prevent.com. Prevention First Healthcare is located at 715 Cherry Lane in Southampton.

Mary Beth Schwartz is a freelance writer who frequently contributes to regional publications.
Original Article Here: http://www.buckscountymag.com/health/medical/preventative-health