www. Char l es tonPhys i c i ans . com | www.Hea l thL i nksChar l es ton . com | 73 physician in which the patient pays an annual fee or retainer. In exchange, patients gain enhanced care from their primary care physician – no wait times, personalized attention and care and more time for appointments. Concierge medicine allows physicians to really get to know their patients on a deeper level since their appointments are not rushed. Charleston Medicine and Behavioral Health, where Dr. Brown works, does the retainer fee but also files insurance for its patients. Dr. Brown calls it more of a “hybrid” model of concierge medicine. “We will collect a co-pay and bill your insurance,” he said. “But the fee that patients pay allows them to have increased access to us.” He added that under the concierge model, Charleston Medicine and Behavioral Health doesn’t have to have 5,000 patients. And due to that increased personal attention, Dr. Brown is able to do more for his patients. He said that he actually met with a patient early in the morning recently at the last minute. “I don’t think you would find that level of care with a traditional corporate primary care model,” he said. His patients run the gamut as far as age and demographics go, but he does not see children at this time. He said seniors really love the concierge model because of the personalized attention to their care. When they call to speak to him, they don’t have to wait long for him call back, and they can make as many appointments as they want since insurance isn’t a hindrance. “Concierge care is really about having a direct relationship and access to your primary care doctor,” he said. He added that he will refer his patients to specialists as needed, just like all other primary care doctors, but he is not affiliated with just one system of doctors. "I can link them up with the best according to their specific needs,” he said. Dr. Brown is hoping that the concierge model will attract more young doctors to specialize in primary care. For him, becoming a doctor was all about helping his community, and he said he sees how that feeling has been lost with all the corporate issues that many doctors must deal with. He also pointed out that medical school is expensive and that primary care may not be as lucrative as other specialties when it comes to paying off all the loans. “But the other specialties will not have that connection to the community like primary care does,” he added. As medical care continues to evolve along with the population’s ever-changing needs, it’s apparent that doctors will always be needed. C H A R L E S T ON COU N T Y M E D I C A L S OC I E T Y HealthLinks Charleston is a proud partner of the Charleston County Medical Society. For more information on joining CCMS, contact Dana Holladay at [email protected]. For more information on Dr. Brown and Charleston Medicine and Behavioral Health, visit charlestonmedicine.com.
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