Should I Consider Concierge Medicine?

Imagine if you had your own physician who was on call and ready to help you whenever you needed it, no matter what time or where you were. 

This type of care isn’t just something to wish for — it actually exists!

At Serenity Medical Spa, Dr. Sharon Gertzman offers concierge medicine, an “all access” pass to treatments and highly attentive routine care. She embraced this increasingly popular care model because of her belief that patients are individuals, not merely cases or sets of symptoms. 

With over 25 years as a highly accomplished board-certified family doctor and an engaged Mercer County community member, Dr. Gertzman serves patients' varied needs with respect and heart. 

Concierge care is completely patient-centered

More and more patients realize that joining a concierge medicine practice changes how doctor’s visits happen — for the better. The “old medical model” has you waiting too long for an appointment, searching for answers on your own since opportunities to communicate with your doctor are limited, and when you do get an appointment, it often feels rushed. 

The significant advantages for patients who commit to concierge medicine include:

1. The luxury of time

It shouldn’t be a luxury, but the way health care is delivered today typically means you’ve got 15 minutes — if you’re lucky — to get an accurate diagnosis, talk about your treatment plan, or weigh the pros and cons of a new medication your doctor recommends.

The truth is, that isn’t nearly enough time. With concierge medicine, when you meet with Dr. Gertzman, you have plenty of time for an in-depth conversation about whatever’s going on and what she advises treatment-wise. 

It’s not unusual for Dr. Gertzman to spend at least an hour with you.

2. Access through a variety of communication platforms

We live in a connected world, so when you’re a concierge medicine patient, you have round-the-clock access to Dr. Gertzman via text, phone calls, email, and in-office visits.

This model is especially invaluable when you have a simple question or an unusual symptom. The peace of mind in knowing that you can reach Dr. Gertzman at any time is priceless. 

3. Appointment scheduling is a breeze

One of the most frustrating aspects of getting medical care today is the often unreasonably long appointment wait times, both when scheduling an appointment and sitting in the waiting room. 

If you’re experiencing unpleasant symptoms of a new condition or one that Dr. Gertzman manages, it’s neither advisable nor sustainable to wait weeks or months for an appointment.

When you’re part of our concierge medicine family, you can simply call us and get an appointment promptly — either the same day or the next day — and if it’s an in-office appointment, you can rest assured that you won’t be twiddling your thumbs in the waiting room endlessly while your appointment time comes and goes.

Dr. Gertzman realizes her patients deserve much better, so she chooses to offer concierge medicine. The system puts patients first, not just as a stated goal, but in reality.

How does concierge medicine work?

Offering concierge medicine realizes care goals that are seemingly impossible to meet, but our model delivers excellent service.

Dr. Gertzman can offer this type of highly customized care because, rather than maintaining a patient pool of several thousand (typical for most medical offices), she sees only 100 patients — 20% of the average number of patients in most concierge medicine practices’ rosters and far fewer than traditional medical practices.

You pay a reasonable flat yearly fee to join, and that’s it. After that, it’s like having your own physician ready to consult with you and truly listen — and you deal directly with our office as a patient, not an impersonal insurance company. 

You’ll be interested to learn also that the concierge medicine model is associated with superior management of chronic health conditions and reduced hospitalizations — both key patient concerns. If you need a referral to a specialist at any point, Dr. Gertzman also helps you with that. 

Call Serenity Medical Spa at our Pennington office at 609-891-3188, or use our convenient online booking tool to learn more about our concierge medicine practice and join.