Hartford Business Journal

HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM | NOVEMBER 7, 2022 11 I always have faith when we need something we're going to get it from Ion Bank. Dan Titus - CEO, HRP Associates Environmental and Engineering Consulting, Farmington, CT TM IonBank.com • 203.729.4442 Member FDIC of 4,000 patients, he'd like to build out his roster to only about 300. He said adding more than that would mean he'd lose some of the per- sonal touch he can offer members. For example, he spends about 90 minutes with patients for their annual physical. Some doctors who belong to large practice groups complain about pressures to see signifi- cant numbers of patients to meet organizational benchmarks. Conversely, smaller physician practices have struggled to sur- vive over the past decade due to the increasing costs of doing business and administrative head- aches, including dealing with health insurers. The direct primary care model aims to avoid some of those issues, Kainkaryam said. In addition to adding patients — via word of mouth and through a marketing strategy that includes a podcast and social media — he also plans to add a second doctor to his practice within the next three to six months, with the possibility of add- ing a third in the next few years. And, he said, he'd like to expand in two areas of the state by the first quarter of 2023 — the Enfield/ Somers region near the Mas- sachusetts border and Greater New Haven. Patient relationship Experts said direct primary care — albeit adopted by a small number of doctors overall — could have broader appeal because of what it can offer: accessible care at a low cost. "Physicians can have increased time and more access with their patients with real-time texting and no layers of bureaucracy with call centers, and patients are given priority with same-day scheduling," said Dr. David Hass, a gastroenterologist and the recently-named president of the Connecticut State Medical Society. The medical society, he said, sup- ports any model, like direct primary care, that allows patients to "receive comprehensive, effective care in a manner in which they are well cared for." Dr. Teresa Lovins, a physician for 30 years, started her own direct primary care practice in Indiana two years ago. She's also a board member of American Academy of Family Physicians, which advocates for family physician prac- tices across the country. Lovins, who has about 150 patients, said the model affords her the ability to develop a "very close relationship" with members. "The main benefits are the length of time you spend with patients," she said. "In my previous practices, administrators were trying to push more patients into the day and were cutting patients' visits down to 10 or 15 minutes. I didn't really feel like I was getting to know the patients well enough to be able to care for them the way I wanted to care for them." With direct primary care, Lovins said, "I have anywhere from 30 to 90 minutes with the patient — as opposed to a few minutes — depend- ing on what that patient needs. So, we get to know each other very well." Hass said a potential downside with direct primary care is that it can create inequitable care access. "You need to have resources to be able to apply for the subscription model," Hass said. "So, while we certainly support the model, we are also cognizant of the fact that it may impair certain populations and might not allow everyone to take advantage of this model." Dr. David J. Hass Dr. Teresa Lovins Dr. Kainkaryam on the first floor of his two-level South Windsor-based direct primary care business. HBJ PHOTO | STEVE LASCHEVER

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