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VIP HEALTH Concierge medicine grows in CT as healthcare landscape shifts \\ By Natalie Missakian D r. Fausto Petruzziello has been a primary care physician for more than two decades. But over the last several years he saw big changes in the way he was practicing medicine — and not for the better. He was spending less time with patients and more time on the phone or in front of his computer, filling out paperwork, keeping tabs on federal requirements and wrangling with insurance companies over coverage. ree years ago, he added staff to free up his schedule so he could focus on high-need patients, but still he wasn't happy. "It got to the point where it really became unsustainable," said the Hamden physician. "Not just because of the financials — that's probably the last aspect — but because of the results and the level of service that I could give." So last fall, aer months of research, he decided to take a leap. He culled his list of patients, which was once as high as 4,000, down to 180 and opened CareMEDICA Elite, joining a growing number of doctors around the country who have switched to a "concierge" or "retainer-based" practice. e business model typically offers patients longer appointment times, round-the-clock access and other amenities in exchange for an annual fee, typically between $1,000 and $5,000. Concierge medicine has been around for more than a decade, but has become more popular in recent years as changes in the healthcare landscape — including shrinking physician reimbursements and increased reporting requirements — have led to burgeoning caseloads, shorter appointments, longer patient wait times and a high rate of physician burnout, industry officials say. Tom Blue, chief strategy officer for the American Academy of Private Physicians, said there are roughly 6,500 concierge doctors practicing in the U.S., a figure that has been growing at a rate of 25 percent a year. Figures for Connecticut were not available, but several physicians agreed the number is growing in the Nutmeg State as well. "I think the reason is people are looking for more hassle-free care," said Denis Lafreniere, medical director for the UConn Medical Group and associate dean of clinical affairs at the UConn Medical School. "Providers are very much not satisfied with the current situation, and patients aren't either." ere are a number of concierge practices across Connecticut ranging from solo shops to franchises such as Concierge Choice and MDVIP. Among the latest are Petruzziello's practice, which opened in Hamden in October, and Concierge Physicians of Westport, scheduled to open in July. While some think of it as health care for the well- to-do, Blue said many of today's concierge practices have much broader appeal. He said the fastest-growing category of concierge medicine is priced under $100 a month and is geared toward working-age people Hamden Dr. Fausto Petruzziello talks with one of his patients, Michael Iezzi, during a recent consultation. Petruzziello practices concierge medicine, which means he charges patients an annual fee for access to longer appointment times, round-the-clock services and other perks not typically offered by primary care physicians. P H O T O S \ \ B I L L M O R G A N 16 GREATER HARTFORD HEALTH • Summer 2017