Case study: A Cardiologist Moves to Concierge Medicine

How the right membership model works for specialists who see patients on an ongoing basis

​Cardiologists make up Concierge Choice Physician’s largest specialty group. It’s no surprise. Membership
surveys show that patients consider their cardiologist the most important health provider in their network, the one they turn to before all other physicians for advice, comfort and counsel.

Today, we explore the evolution of a concierge program and practice of one of our many cardiologist clients.

Client: Initially, a cardiologist that was part of a larger group in a busy metropolitan area. Today, a solo
practictioner with a private practice in the same area. The cardiologist was originally affiliated with a cardiology
group that saw thousands of area residents. He had a large and successful practice with many loyal patients who
he treated on a long-term basis. He was highly respected by his medical community and patient base.

Concern: This cardiologist prided himself on establishing strong, personal relationships with his patients in order to move them toward better heart health. As the pressure to see more and more patients mounted, his style of medicine became impossible to sustain. He needed more time.

• His patients came to expect and enjoy longer, relaxed appointments and a comprehensive and compassionate approach to their health.
• Declining reimbursements, productivity measures, and increasing overhead made that style of medicine impossible.
• The cardiologist was looking for a way to satisfy his patients who wanted more time with him, as well as his busy practice, which required him to see a high volume of patients.

How We Got Started: As part of a larger group, the cardiologist had an obligation to his colleagues and his
patients. He didn’t want to enter into a scenario that upend their business structure or style. The physician heard that CCP’s flexible approach to to membership medicine made it possible for specialists like him to benefit and reached out.

CCP analyzed the data from his practice and surveyed his patients. The results confirmed what everyone had suspected: a membership program would be highly advantageous to the cardiologist, and extremely well received by his eager patients.

About the Model: There were several possibilities he could explore, but the cardiologist wished to pace himself and start with a no-risk, blended model called the “Hybrid Choice.” This unique model, exclusive to CCP, would allow him to offer a membership program as a service option. He’d continue to see his traditional patients and his colleagues would not need to change their practice style at all. The program would simply be an option for those patients who wanted more time and support from their cardiologist.

This approach works especially well for specialists, many of whom see patients for episodic care as well as ongoing care. It also allows them to maintain referral relationships and continue to accept insurance and government programs, as before. No patients are dismissed, and the business structure of the practice remains intact. The program operates right alongside the traditional practice, in the same space.

How Did the Program Do?: As predicted, the cardiologist’s program was overwhelmingly successful. He sold out his limited membership program immediately upon launching and had a waiting list of patients ready to join.
It became apparent that graduating to a full-model concierge practice, where all patients were members, was the right move for him. It would allow him to practice the highly personalized, relaxed and compassionate style of medicine he enjoyed practicing, with patients who valued him and prioritized their health.

How it’s Going: After two years, he left his group practice and started a solo Concierge Choice cardiology practice. Today, he has hundreds of concierge patients, and continues to see consult with new patients for episodic treatment. These new patients are invited to join his concierge practice when they become patients he sees on an ongoing basis. This new stream of patients continues to grow his membership program and keep it financially lucrative and strong.

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As Quoted in “Health News Digest”:

“What I like about this model is that it reflects the kind of medicine I practiced when I first started out—when I had the time to get to know my patients.”