Ads for Delphi in Bedford, NH

More than a checkup, your doctor should be your guide to the health care system When it comes to navigating the health care system, it somehow feels like there’s too much information and not enough at the same time. Patients seek answers from HR reps, insurance navigators, internet searches and family members. But for many, they’re not getting the support they need from the person who should be best equipped to provide it: their own doctor. Delphi Enhanced Primary Care in Bedford offers a modern model that restores the doctor-patient relationship. In less than a year, more than 700 New Hampshire patients have switched to a practice of providers who don’t just offer care but are health care guides. In the traditional model of health care, many PCPs see a patient for their annual wellness visit for an average of 15 minutes. Those doctors are seeing some 20 patients, or more, a day. There’s limited time for follow-ups, coordinating with insurance companies or meeting the urgent needs of sick patients. It’s become accepted by so many patients that they don’t even try to contact their primary care provider when they’re sick because they know the wait is too long, so their first stop is urgent care, with higher costs and no foundational patient background. Delphi’s membership model is designed with time for your doctor to meet your needs, whether it’s ongoing health maintenance, an urgent concern or a question over the phone. That time also means that Delphi doctors have time to follow up with outside providers and even call patients patients and doctors have an ongoing relationship, which improves and hastens care when an issue arises. “Patients are actually communicating with their doctors. Doctors are actually spending time reaching out to the family, if that’s what’s needed,” says Andy Vailas, president of Delphi. “When a patient calls and they know it’s so-and-so calling, the doctor knows what’s going on with them. They don’t have to review their chart or speak to someone else to analyze the chart to know what they’re dealing with.” Delphi’s doctors have the time to be health navigators because the membership model is designed to keep patient panel sizes low. While some primary care doctors have more than 2,000 patients, Delphi doctors are capped at 600. “We’ve spoken to many doctors who’ve been promised to have a limited panel of 1,600 patients who now have over 1,800” Vailas says. “A lot of these patients are sick patients, so doctors don’t have time to manage everyone.” That means patients are being cared for by nurse practitioners instead of doctors, referred to specialists for lower-level concerns or directed to urgent care and even the emergency room. That can make care more expensive for patients or their insurers, too. When a primary care doctor has time to advocate for their patients, they serve as the first point of contact for all health concerns. The doctors can provide options for high-quality care at competitive rates. They can get on the phone with insurance to make sure that needed care is covered appropriately. They have time to account for a patient’s life and livelihood to come up with a care plan that’s more supportive and realistic. Once that plan is in place, Delphi doctors have time to follow up with outside providers and even call the patient to check in. They also have time to help expedient specialist care when it’s warranted. “This past week, we had someone come in need of a hand specialist,” Vailas says. “He came in at 10 a.m. He then had an appointment with the specialist at 12:30, and he’s on schedule for next week to address that issue. So, Dr. Calegari being able to walk the patient over, introduce him to the doctor, set up an appointment with him, and then see it through definitely made an impact.” Patient care suffers when it is fragmented, but a primary care provider should be serving as a central resource in making sure the patient’s holistic needs are met. Vailas sees the benefit of that, especially for patients with significant health challenges. Delphi’s doctors are keeping track of reports from specialists, talking to the patients and their caretakers, and tracking down any notes or labs that might otherwise fall through the cracks. Patients can get complex medical procedures explained to them by a provider they already know and trust. Delphi’s relationships with other independent providers expedite lab work and follow-ups for its patients, so conditions don’t worsen while they wait on results. At first, Delphi’s patients are a bit skeptical: Can you really call or text your doctor any day, any time? The answer is YES. It wants its patients to be proactive in checking their health conditions. However, because of the stronger relationships and improved coordination of care, those calls happen less frequently than one might expect. Patients get enough time with the doctor to address all their concerns in their appointments. They are more confident in the care they are getting, too. When an urgent appointment is needed, patients can expect to be seen the same or the next day. The doctor’s navigator role not only improves care but addresses the costs as well. Doctors who have background knowledge and have been involved in care coordination can help reduce unnecessary tests or procedures, flag when multiple medications may interact, seek out specialists providing excellent care at lower costs and lessen the burden on workplace HR or insurance representatives. And for employers, having employees who are proactively managing their health through a model like Delphi’s means fewer absences and less money spent on acute care needs. If you think that your primary care doctor should know you better than Google, the providers at Delphi may be right for you. Delphi’s model offers peace of mind, faster treatment and real relationships. For patients and employers alike, this is primary care as it should be: accessible, personalized and proactive. To learn more or sign up, visit delphihc.com. 20 Washington Place, Bedford NH 03110 (603) 255–5579 https://delphihc.com/