Issue link: http://southshoremagazine.uberflip.com/i/1546212
COHASSET CONCIERGE MEDICINE: Bringing Personal Connection Back to Primary Care 20 After years caring for South Shore patients, Dr. Carole Vincent found herself facing a challenge shared by many physicians across the country: there simply wasn't enough time. As patient panels grew larger and healthcare became increasingly complex, she found it more difficult to provide the kind of thoughtful, relationship-driven care that first drew her to medicine. That realization ultimately led her to open Cohasset Concierge Medicine, a new membership-based primary care practice built around a simple idea: giving patients more time, more access and a stronger partnership with their physician. For nearly two decades, that philosophy has guided her approach to patient care. Now, through her newly opened practice in Cohasset, she is creating a healthcare experience that allows her to put it into practice every day. A RETURN TO RELATIONSHIP-BASED MEDICINE After completing her internal medicine residency at Cambridge Health Alliance, Dr. Vincent built her career caring for patients throughout the South Shore, including several years practicing in Hingham. Along the way, she saw how difficult it had become for physicians to provide the level of care many patients need and deserve. For Dr. Vincent, primary care is about far more than diagnosing illness. "A primary care physician should be the patient's advocate," she says. That means helping patients navigate an increasingly complex healthcare system, coordinating care among specialists, reviewing medications, explaining test results and understanding how different aspects of a person's health fit together. At previous healthcare organizations, Dr. Vincent typically had a panel of approximately 2,000 patients, which was common amongst her colleagues. A membership-based practice allows for an approximate 80% reduction in panel size with a maximum panel target of 350 patients. With this model she can offer longer appointments, direct communication, and same-day or next- day visits when needed. Patients gain access to a physician who knows their history, understands their goals and has the time to help guide important healthcare decisions. LOOKING AT THE WHOLE PERSON One of the defining characteristics of Dr. Vincent's approach is her commitment to understanding the whole person, not just the diagnosis. Written by Zoe Pirnie, photography by Brian Doherty