Skypark Preferred Family Care seeks to provide coordinated,
detailed, personalized, quality care to its members in an
environment of quick easy access and high level service. Patients
can feel confident that their doctor is readily available, and as
concerned with their welfare as he would be with a close relative or
friend. Access to their own personal doctor, with rare exception,
should be prompt, direct, and whenever needed.
To this end member patients are provided with the doctor’s home,
cell phone and pager numbers. They are encouraged to call outside
office hours for any health care issue they feel needs attention, at
the time that attention is needed. Patients should rest assured that
their doctor will do whatever is needed to meet their health care
needs at virtually any hour.
Patients can expect same day or next day office appointments
routinely, even for minor illnesses. Our patients will wait no more
than a few minutes past their appointment times to see their doctor.
Office visits will be unhurried and thorough; therefore, most
appointments are scheduled at thirty minute intervals. Our
responsive staff seeks to solve problems and to serve our patients’
health care needs expeditiously. We treat our patients as honored
and valued “family members”.
Periodic, scheduled, comprehensive wellness evaluations are an
integral part of the practice. By insisting that each member receive
these detailed evaluations regularly, serious problems can be
prevented or identified early and dealt with more easily.
Dr. LaGrelius’ Personal Viewpoint and Philosophy
Being a family physician is a great privilege and carries with it
great responsibility. It is not a part time job. It is a full time
calling to which I devoted my life----a decision I made as a youth.
To me it is the most interesting, challenging, and personally
rewarding of all professions. Being a family physician is a rare
privilege.
At the same time, family physicians should not be so overwhelmed
with work that they lose their compassion and burn out prematurely,
with the resultant fragmented, disorganized and impersonal care
often seen today. There must be time for continued self education
and collegial contact. Time is needed for families, friends and
recreation. Difficulties with current health care financing make
reconciling these needs almost impossible for most 21st century
family doctors.
The concierge medical practice is a new and innovative style of practice
that provides the opportunity to meet these goals. The doctor can be
available virtually all of the time to his/her patients without
feeling overwhelmed. Because there are far fewer patients in a
concierge practice, it is possible to provide excellent preventive
care and personalized, immediate urgent care. The number of calls
outside office hours is thus minimized. Being available 24/7 is
therefore not a burden. When the phone does ring, I can be up and
ready to act without hesitation or fatigue. I want my patients, whom
I consider to be like extended family, to be able to access me
whenever they need me. I am confident they will not abuse that
trust.
