Adding The Right Amount of Doctor to Your Doctor’s Appointment

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As we age, many of us require a different, higher level of regular medical attention. In fact, about 68% of Americans over the age of 65 manage two chronic conditions.[1] So, even if you don’t currently suffer from diabetes, heart disease, or other very common chronic illnesses, odds are you will at some point.

According to a recent study, the median length of a PCP appointment was just about 15 minutes.[2] For many of us, that’s plenty of time. But as we age, and accumulate more chronic issues, we may need more time to get the care we need to stay ahead of all the important aspects of our health. If not, sometimes patients wind up getting treatment in an emergency room—which can lead to greater complications. We want to prevent that.

Offering a new care model to address your additional concerns

To offer the right level of care to every patient, Sound Family Medicine is opening their new Senior Clinic in Puyallup. The Senior Clinic’s dedicated team of specialists help keep patients out of urgent care and emergency situations with a new model of service that offers an appropriate level of care to address different levels of need. It’s called concierge style care.

You may have seen boutique health care practices popping up on the internet and at malls near you. The Sound Family Medicine Senior Clinic is different. First of all, for eligible Medicare beneficiaries, care is covered by participating plans. So, there’s no additional cost to be paid for the new level of care.

Doubling the time with your doctor—and more

The main benefit of the Senior Clinic’s concierge care is the more appropriate amount of time you get to spend with your PCP actually talking about your health issues, your life goals, and how to solve them.

Senior Clinic patients will often have appointments scheduled at between 30 and 60 minutes—sometimes doubling the average appointment time if your provider thinks it’s necessary. Even as most of that time may be spent with other members of your team, on paperwork, and other activities, it allows for enough time to address your health, ask questions, and really understand your care. It even gives you a chance to get to know your doctor.

The entire health team focuses on you

The new Senior Clinic model of care dedicates an entire team to the needs of each eligible patient. Every day, the patient’s care team meets to discuss any changes or updates in care. So when you interact with them, they know you and are familiar with your health needs right from the start.

As soon as you walk through the door, you’re personally greeted by a staff member who confirms your appointment, and welcomes you into a homey environment. They’ll offer you a beverage and find you a comfortable seat by the fireplace.

When the doctor is ready to see you, you’ll be personally escorted to one of the clinic’s brand-new, state-of-the-art examination rooms where your appointment takes place.

Your care, coordinated by dedicated lead doctors

Another unique aspect of the Senior Clinic is its dedicated lead doctors, Dr. Sean Stout and Tracie Jefferson, PA-C. They will be directing the care teams and dedicating their time exclusively to the Senior Clinic. That means you’ll have a head provider who not only knows the details of your health, but knows you as a person and is dedicated to making sure all the aspects of your care are working together for you.

The Senior Clinic goes beyond what most concierge healthcare providers can do for your convenience. Because the pharmacy and laboratory are both located in the same building on Puyallup’s South Hill, you won’t have to run all over town to get blood work, or medications. They’re all under one roof.

It’s a revolution in senior care that’s happening right here in Puyallup and may be available to you if you’re eligible. Anyone can check their eligibility now by answering a few simple questions here at the Senior Clinic website.

The Senior Clinic will be opening in December, just in time for their Puyallup neighbors to get the right Medicare coverage if necessary, and start a new level of health care with the new year.

[1] “The Top 10 Most Common Chronic Conditions in Older Adults,” National Council on Aging, April 23, 2021

[2] “Measuring Primary Care Exam Length Using Electronic Health Record Data,” Hannah T Neprash, Alexander Everhart, Donna McAlpine, Laura Barrie Smith, Bethany Sheridan, Dori A Cross, Medical Care, Vol. 59, Issue 1, January, 2021

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