In the last one hundred years, a visit to a doctor’s office has undergone many changes - some for the good and others for the not-so-good. “I really wanted to get back to a time when people had a relationship that was directly with their pediatrician,” says Dr. Blair Rolnick. That goal inspired her to open Bee Kind Pediatrics, an intentionally small practice in Westfield a year and a half ago.
Electronic medical records revolutionized medical practices by keeping health information centralized, but codes and documentation also became a time-consuming focus when it came to billing insurance. Dr. Rolnick wanted a practice that dedicated time to her patients – not a computer screen. The only way to achieve that was by cutting out insurance.
Direct primary care can be hugely beneficial in pediatrics. “Doctors spend about 15 minutes in the room with a patient. That's not enough time in my opinion to talk about sleep, development, and nutrition, just to name the basics. These things are so important in preventing healthcare issues and improving quality outcomes for our children.” A child’s well visit at Bee Kind lasts about an hour and a half with a sick visit at about an hour. A newborn’s first visit can be up to two hours.
Bee Kind offers comprehensive care for one all-inclusive membership fee. Dr. Rolnick sees two common threads in the families choosing to transition to Bee Kind. “They’re usually part of a big practice and not seeing the same pediatrician every visit. They want to have consistency with their pediatrician. Or it's a matter of feeling that they want more access to their child’s doctor.” Dr. Rolnick addresses those concerns in a few unique ways. Parents can text her directly with questions and concerns - even encouraging teenage patients, with parental consent - to reach out to her directly with questions.
While Dr. Rolnick designed her practice to have that old-fashioned feel, she utilizes innovative technology as well. Bee Kind offers a convenient telehealth service that uses AI to send real-time information like heart and lung sounds, ear and throat readings, and more directly to the doctor. “That's another way that people can interact with me without necessarily coming in and a great use of technology,” she says.
Bee Kind’s goal is to address all areas of development. “We do a lot of our adolescent skin care for acne. I think it's an underserved area of pediatric medicine. Many adolescents suffer from severe acne, which can affect their mental health and overall wellbeing.”
Screening for anxiety and depression is another critical area. Having that extra time with a child is crucial. “Because we know the earlier you pick these things up and appropriately intervene– the better the healthcare outcomes are.” "I truly feel in my heart that we would all be much better doctors if we had more time to devote to our patients - if we are not burdened by some many tasks that are not directly related to patient care and could focus on a few hundred instead of thousands of patients”