After working in the fast-paced world of traditional medicine for many years, Board-Certified Internal Medicine physician Dr. Richard Mac Donell yearned for a personalized approach to healthcare in order to make more meaningful connections with his patients. In 2006, he opened MyMD Personal Medicine, a concierge practice that allowed him to do just that.
“I didn't want to burn out and I didn't want to lose that zeal to relate to patients, to spend time with them,” he says. “To me, concierge medicine is about attention to detail and putting the patient in the center of the visit instead of the doctor.” He explains that 90 percent of diagnostic actions are based on history, so taking the time to learn everything about a patient is critical.
Concierge medicine is also about valuing patients’ time by not having them sit in a waiting room, and giving them the opportunity to have all of their questions answered. “It actually makes me push myself to be a better doctor and challenge myself because I have patients that come in with great questions,” notes Dr. Mac Donell. “They want to be proactive in their health, and they want someone to talk to about that. Oftentimes they don't get that with current traditional models because the appointments are just too short.”
MyMD Personal Medicine also provides house calls. For elderly patients or those who cannot come to the office, this allows continuous care. “They don’t have to arrange for transport or impose on family members,” Dr. Mac Donell explains. “They don’t have to go to an ER or urgent care, so we’re keeping patients out of those high cost, chaotic environments.”
Some of his patients have been with him for 20 years, before MyMD Personal Medicine was even founded, and many of those patients have referred others. “I always say you have to earn that repeat and referral business,” notes Dr. Mac Donell.
One of his patients, Debra Tebbs, is thankful for MyMD Personal Medicine, which she learned about when her husband was hospitalized. “Dr. Mac Donell was referred to us, and we were very impressed with his care and attention. I appreciate the whole team — they are attentive and caring. They respond immediately and Dr. Mac Donell is always available by cell. He is wonderful!” She notes that Dr. Mac Donell also helped diagnose her cancer and was assertive in referring her for oncology care.
To offer the most personalized care, Dr. Mac Donell can only accept a certain number of patients into his practice. So, to provide this type of unique and beneficial care to a larger population, he recently brought a new doctor, Dr. Matt Ingrassia, on board.
According to Dr. Mac Donell, “Matt has ten plus years of experience, and he's done the gamut, like I did, with hospital-based medicine before transitioning into primary care practice.”
“I really enjoyed practicing in different healthcare systems because I feel it's allowed me to really understand different patient populations, different disease processes and ways of life,” states Dr. Ingrassia. “But traditional healthcare systems make it difficult to build on relationships, and ultimately I feel like those relationships are the ones that actually lead to better health outcomes.”
He was looking for a practice where he could spend more time with patients, offer a personalized approach to their healthcare, and make sure he could help them navigate the complicated healthcare system that is in place today.
When he saw the opening with MyMD Personal Medicine, he decided to apply. “It’s funny. I had met Dr. Mac Donell years earlier when we shared a ski lift,” recalls Dr. Ingrassia. “I've always been really drawn to Oregon and all the outdoor activities there are to do here.”
Dr. Ingrassia had once lived in Oregon, and he and his wife, Alex, were happy to relocate to Bend with their infant daughter, Stella, and their four dogs.
“I’m enjoying being part of a smaller practice with more of a community feel,” he says. “Everyone is really friendly and helpful and I just look forward to working with all of them.”
“Matt’s desire to spend time interviewing patients and getting to know them is something he missed doing with hospital-only medicine,” Dr. Mac Donell notes. “It’s also nice for me to be able to share what I've learned about concierge medicine with someone who’s interested in this type of practice, because I think it's great.”
Drs. Mac Donell and Ingrassia look forward to bringing a more collaborative and next level concierge type medicine to more people. “At the end of the day, I feel fairly certain that I'm putting my best foot forward because I'm doing everything I can, spending as much time as necessary with each patient in order to help them feel seen and heard, not rushed and hopefully make them feel like they are getting the most value out of their experience with us,” says Dr. Mac Donell. “It’s just the right thing to do.”
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“To me, concierge medicine is about attention to detail and putting the patient in the center of the visit instead of the doctor.”
— Dr. Richard Mac Donell, founder and owner of MyMD Personal Medicine