Blog
Who We Are / Why We Are Unique
By Uma Periyanayagam, MD & Chandresh A Parmar, MD
It truly does take a village. We want to be a part of yours. At Carolinas Pediatrics & Primary Care, we're more than a doctor's office — we're family! We aim to be a one stop shop for all primary care needs. We are you and your child's primary care physician + urgent care rolled into one convenient package! Imagine having 24/7 access to YOUR board certified Pediatrician or Internist. As physicians, we are blessed to know many specialists that we are happy to consult as needed — which may save you hundreds, if not thousands of dollars long term!
Medicine in this country is at a standstill. It has become increasingly unaffordable/inaccessible to the masses, even with the Affordable Health Care Act. It is increasingly corporate in nature as large conglomerates like Amazon, Wall Street, CVS/Walgreens want a piece of this multibillion dollar pie. Throw in Pharmaceutical and Health Insurance Companies, followed by big Hospital buyouts everywhere — unfortunately, the result is more and more price gouging. Which brings us to less focus on health, and more on profits only.
To cut costs, the above companies are increasingly hiring less doctors, and more middlemen, often with any to little clinical, 'real world' experience. To keep profits up, doctors — especially those in primary care — are forced to see patients back to back, giving them less than 5–8 minutes/visit. Leading to up to 30–40 visits/day! Naturally, this leads to patient dissatisfaction. After all, the doctor didn't have time or the bandwidth to discuss all health care needs, and definitely not for prevention — which is far cheaper and usually an easier fix when it comes to health. We're human, working that fast on you and your loved ones isn't good for any of us. Add to the mix that most facilities, short of being an exclusively children's hospital or urgent care, are not 100% equipped to deal with children, and/or their emergencies… children are not miniature adults.
WE WANT TO ESCAPE ALL OF THIS. BUT WE CAN'T DO IT ON OUR OWN.
We don't want to be the 'system'. We want to create a new one. Many doctors/imaging centers/small pharmacies have joined our movement. And many more to come, hopefully. But, like all movements, it can't happen without some profit. And we HATE to depend on the insurance companies which has us seeing 4–6 patients in one hour. We want to actually know you, your children, your pet's names etc. When we grow enough, we are even hoping to have parent's nights out, Peloton machines in the waiting room with some group rides (or two) to address the lack of exercise desperately needed today, some yoga classes, even a garden for all our members to grow vegetables in! We believe in veggies and exercise over pills when possible! To pay for/maintain overhead, we charge a monthly fee, similar to those of Cross Fit memberships, AND are able to provide in home medications/discount prices/same day to next day visits with no to minimal wait times. Labs/Imaging/Vaccines will be covered by the overwhelming majority of health plans. On the rare occasions they're not, we've got you covered. It's our promise to you. The possibilities are endless — if you wish to join us. Imagine having a doctor in the family who's there for you to help you avoid the ER/Urgent Care. One that can be available for sick visits based on your convenience!
Imagine never waiting at CVS for a medication marked up 70% 'covered' by insurance. Or getting that shoulder MRI because it's actually AFFORDABLE! Imagine having blood drawn in office and saving on blood drawing costs at LabCorp. We're able to shop for the best prices for you — and often, it's not through insurance. For the times it is — hey, you're family now, we're happy to let you know and let you decide what to do and how to spend your hard earned money. Take charge of you and your loved one's health care today. Get all your medical questions answered in a timely manner.
We are a primary care movement; however, we are not a replacement for insurance. We can take care of 80–90% of our patients needs and prevent many urgent care/ER/hospital visits; however, there are times these services and other specialists are needed. Insurance will be a way to cover that. That, and for true medical emergencies. However, if you have an HSA/FSA plan, you can use that for the above mentioned visits. If you need help finding insurance coverage, kindly visit www.healthcare.gov.
For those who own and operate small businesses, we are the perfect solution for you, your employees, and your families. Ask about our small business rates! Start your journey towards true health, wellness, and prevention TODAY!