How this physician aims to ‘restore’ the patient-doctor relationship

Correction: This story has been updated to expand attribution and clarify figures on Delaware population and physicians.

Scheduling an appointment can be a frustrating experience with traditional primary care.

You feel under the weather and decide to call your doctor, only to find out they are booked for weeks, if not months.

And then, when you finally see your doctor after being asked to wait some more — you are told to visit an outpatient facility that will require high out-of-pocket costs without insurance.

This is not the personalized care you would prefer.

Kimberly Rogers, owner and creator of RestoreMD in Brandywine Hundred, is trying to change that narrative.

“A lot of people realize that the current health care system model isn’t really meeting their needs, or they feel like when they do see a doctor, the care is just rushed,” the board-certified clinician said. “It’s because the traditional system forces doctors to see as many patients possible in a day.”

Delaware had 2,850 active physicians among 973,764 residents — roughly 293 per 100,000 — in 2019-2020, as reported in the Association of American Medical Colleges 2021 State Physician Workforce Data Report and 247wallst.com. Those numbers are unacceptable for Rogers, who formerly worked at Progressive Health of Delaware.

Driven to improve health care access, she decided to open RestoreMD in January. Rogers is its only staffer. The practice operates out of Silverside Medical Center, requires no health insurance and features minimal wait times. It is one of few practices in New Castle County operating with a direct primary care model.

Delaware Online/The News Journal caught up with Rogers to discuss her primary care practice and the current state of the physician-patient relationship.

The following Q&A has been edited for length and clarity.

Question: What are some of your personal feelings about the health care system that ultimately led you to open RestoreMD?

Answer: The current system doesn't allow doctors to practice medicine in the right way. We don't get enough time to spend with patients to get to the root cause of the problem, and I just realized that if I wanted to practice medicine the way that I felt it needed to be done — I had to create my own practice. Also, primary care practice is so bad in Delaware because it's a demand-and-supply thing. There are not enough doctors and just too many patients.

How does RestoreMD support its members and what kind of services are offered?

We have a low-cost membership of $129 a month, and there are no charges for an extra co-pay or anything like that. The membership gives them access to all the services — like women's health and minor skin procedures — and I can provide antibiotics and other medications through the office. The membership also provides them with my number, and they call/text me to get same or next-day visits.

What was the idea behind making this kind of practice health insurance-free?

A lot of people who don’t have insurance struggle because they can’t get in to see a doctor or they can’t pay for tests. With RestoreMD, those people who don't have insurance can really save a lot of money and get really good quality care. Not only do I have the monthly membership instead of billing insurance, but I have access to discounted bloodwork and discounted tests. I also offer a more holistic approach, so I have some people that just do consultations to talk about how they can optimize their health.

RestoreMD has been open for about seven months. What has the response been like so far from the community?

It’s been really positive, and people are intrigued by the model. I’ve had patients cry at their first visit because they finally feel heard and feel this is the way health care is supposed to be and they are just so relieved. We're growing slowly but surely. Right now, we have about 70 patients, and we have several patients in the weight loss program. I really like having this practice small because when I answer the phone when my patients call ... they like that.

Any future plans for RestoreMD?

I really want to do a lot more in the community, especially when it comes to talking about general health, prevention and wellness. I want to do a lot more community talks and workshops and as RestoreMD grows — hopefully, be able to provide scholarships for patients who need to have discounted or free memberships because there are a lot of people who can benefit from the services.

For more information about Rogers or RestoreMD, visit www.restoremdmed.com.

Contact local reporter Cameron Goodnight at cgoodnight@delawareonline.com, or by calling or texting 302-324-2208. Follow him on Twitter at @CamGoodnight.

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Why this physician seeks to ‘restore’ the doctor-patient relationship