Imagine a cross between George Jetson and Norman Rockwell, and you’d be close to describing Dr. Mark Gettleman’s revolutionary new medical practice, Dr. Goofy GettWell Pediatrics. Dr. Gettleman, a well-respected Valley pediatrician who ran one of the nation’s top pediatric practices* for the past 15 years, has gone solo to bring together the high-tech advancements of the Internet with the personalized service and home health visits from the good ol’ days.
Full disclosure, I find the good doctor to be rather good looking, and his maverick spirit is more than a little appealing to this journalist. But read on, dear friends, because he’s not only my warm and affable hubby, he’s also a man on a mission to reform the medical industry and put the healthcare reins back into the hands of parents and patients.
Dr. Gettleman can diagnose and treat your kids’ rashes over his HIPPA-compliant Internet connection, E-RID (E-Rash Identification), he can observe your child’s developmental progress via video conference, he can even identify a case of pink eye or eczema with a photo from your smart phone. “We have the tools and technology to treat patients without having to drag them across town,” explains Gettleman. “Why load your entire family into the car, rush to an appointment and wait in a germ- infested waiting room with 10 other infectious kids when we can take care of you right from the comfort of your own home?”
There are plenty of times when Gettleman needs to see your child in person to figure out what’s ailing. In those instances, he pulls up to your doorstep in his colorful polka-dotted mobile exam room known as the Goofy GettWell Go-Go Mobile. “I’m all about spending time with kids and really getting to know them and their families,” he says. “In a traditional pediatric practice, we had to see six kids an hour just to cover the overhead. Now I can spend as much time as parents need to answer questions and discuss a variety of healthcare and behavioral issues.” For even more convenience, Gettleman stocks most of the standard prescription medications, so you don’t have to make the trip to the local pharmacy.
“The nature of healthcare in this country has fundamentally changed,” explains Gettleman. Government and insurance company regulations now mandate how a physician can interact with his patients, what he can and cannot discuss, how much he’s allowed to charge for his services, even which diagnoses he’s allowed to make. “I have to practice the best medicine I can for my patients,” asserts Gettleman. “Instead of spending all
of my non-patient time filling out forms and doing insurance paperwork, I can use my time to read journals and update my medical knowledge so I can find new and better treatment options for my patients.”
So why wouldn’t all doctors be adopting Gettleman’s high-tech, high-convenience, high-service approach to pediatrics? The answer is simple. Insurance contracts limit doctors’ options. “Whether it’s explicitly stated in the contract or simply by refusing to reimburse for certain treatment modalities, once you sign on the bottom line, your hands are tied,” offers Gettleman. Dr. Goofy GettWell Pediatrics isn’t bound by any limiting insurance contracts. It is a strictly a fee- for-service business.
With skyrocketing insurance premiums, deductibles averaging $5,000 to $6,000 per person and co-pays for sick visits hovering around $100, it just makes sense to offer patients better service and more convenience for a slightly higher out-of-pocket fee. Gettleman’s approach differs from a typical concierge practice where annual fees can run in the thousands of dollars. While you don’t have to be a member to see Gettleman, Goofy GettWell Club members pay only $20/month and get access to Gettleman’s popular “Mommy Medical School” articles, podcasts and video seminars on his colorful interactive website. Members also enjoy reduced fees for home visits and Internet and phone appointments for as little as $25. “It’s not only easier for parents, it’s actually cost efficient,” says Gettleman, who has spent years creating this new model of medical practice.
“Consumers are smart,” proffers Gettleman. “They’re seeing insurance costs soar while service, attention and patient satisfaction are plummeting. Medicine is a commodity like anything else. You should get what you pay for and not have to settle for what some bureaucrat at an insurance company declares appropriate. “It’s not going to be for everyone,” concedes Gettleman. “But for parents who are frustrated with long waits, mediocre medical standards and rushed practitioners who have to see as many patients as possible to make ends meet, Dr. Goofy GettWell Pediatrics offers you a choice in how you take care of your kids.”
Visit the website at drgoofygettwell.com
* Ranking from Medical Group Management Association, the leading healthcare administrative management association that compiles statistics on medical office productivity, physician compensation and other practice metrics.
