What is Concierge Medicine?
Concierge medicine is a medical care delivery model providing patients with direct access to physicians and personalized care. The model has been around since the mid-1990s, and medical practices who use this approach typically have smaller patient panels. A typical primary care physician may have 3,500 patients in their panel while a concierge panel may be 400 to 500 patients. A smaller number of patients allows physicians to offer longer office visits, same-day or next-day visits, and after-hours care. It also gives physicians more time to address multiple concerns, provide patient education, and coordinate patient care.
While different models are emerging, the traditional concierge practice has a yearly upfront fee in addition to a patient's regular health insurance to allow for these extra benefits.
How does LifeStyle Medicine's Dr. Renae Mayer approach concierge medicine?
LifeStyle Medicine, Inc. is the private practice of Renae Mayer, M.D. in Tulsa. She developed this personalized primary care concierge practice with an emphasis on preventing, identifying, and reversing chronic disease using lifestyle medicine techniques. Lifestyle medicine is a relatively new medical specialty that uses therapeutic lifestyle interventions as the primary means to treat chronic conditions. At LifeStyle Medicine, Dr. Mayer places a special emphasis on brain and gut health.
As a board-certified internal medicine physician, Dr. Mayer also values her conventional medical education. When working with patients, she employs functional medicine techniques, looking for underlying root causes of symptoms or diseases.
Dr. Mayer's practice is also enhanced by her training in integrative treatment. She completed graduate work in pharmacology and provides patients with nutrient and supplement therapy. She also completed acupuncture training at Harvard University and offers it to concierge patients for a number of conditions.
How do patients respond to concierge medicine?
Patients select LifeStyle Medicine's concierge practice for different reasons. Those with complex medical problems involving care with numerous physicians report that they appreciate help with coordinating care between physicians - they feel like they have a conductor of their medical orchestra. Others with chronic conditions appreciate LifeStyle Medicine looking “outside the box” for testing and treatment options, and they report resolution of long-term symptoms. Patients interested in prevention and wellness report that the education they receive provides them with the confidence to take charge of their health.
Patients also note positive results as they become more educated about their health and begin to adopt lifestyle changes such as improved nutrition, stress reduction, gut care, sleep regulation, and exercise.
How can someone become a patient? What should they expect at their first visit?
Those interested in learning more about LifeStyle Medicine can visit our website, LMedInc.com, call the office at 918-488-9874, or email us at lifestyle@lmedinc.com. At LifeStyle Medicine, we view the patient-physician relationship as a partnership. The patient and physician work together to achieve health goals. Determining whether a patient and physician are a “good fit” is vitally important prior to establishing as a patient in a medical practice. With that in mind, we give prospective patients the opportunity to visit our office, meet the staff, and visit with Dr. Mayer. Potential patients learn about our communications styles and expectations prior to establishing care.
At the first visit, we listen intently to the patient’s unique story and design a personalized plan of evaluation and treatment to help them achieve their health goals.
Lifestyle medicine
Dr. Mayer's approach takes the whole person into account - from nutrition to stress management.
Internal medicine
Dr. Mayer is a board-certified internal medicine physician who trained at the University of Oklahoma.
Functional medicine
Also trained in acupuncture and other functional medicine techniques, Dr. Mayer acknowledges interactions of the body, mind, and spirit.
Pharmacology
Dr. Mayer also provides patients with support through nutrient and supplement therapies.
Dr. Mayer is a board-certified internist who previously served in local hematology and oncology practices. During that time, she became aware of the important role that lifestyle practices played in the development of numerous cancers and chronic diseases.
Dr. Mayer graduated from medical school at the University of Oklahoma and pursued master's and Ph.D. studies at the ORU School of Medicine Department of Pharmacology.