Reimagining Patient-Centered Care: The Proactive MD Way

Reimagining Patient-Centered Care: The Proactive MD Way

In a healthcare landscape often filled with impersonal and rushed experiences, Proactive MD is on a mission to redefine what patient care can and should be. Central to this approach is our Advanced Primary Care model, which places Patient Advocacy at its foundation. Through this model, we aim to create an ecosystem where medical expertise and emotional intelligence are seamlessly integrated to offer genuinely personalized care. This case study provides a deep dive into how one of our standout Senior Patient Advocates, Cari Chavez, MSW, is transforming healthcare in rural Roswell, New Mexico.

Beyond the Walls: The Power of Proactive and Integrated Care

At Proactive MD, we understand healthcare isn't just a reaction to medical issues; it's about proactive prevention and comprehensive, ongoing care. This approach goes beyond lip service—it's a real-life practice underscored by the strong relationships between our care teams and our patients. Cari recounts a case where a seemingly simple prescription refill request evolved into a series of life-changing diagnoses and treatments. When a patient called in for a thyroid medication refill, the Proactive MD Provider reviewed the patient's chart and noticed the absence of a recent mammogram. Immediately, Cari took it upon herself to nudge the patient into action.

Though the patient was initially hesitant, Cari provided that gentle nudge, allowing the patient some space before following up. "I had to back away at first and not lecture her about the mammogram," Cari explains, "and she came back. If she hadn't, I probably would have reached out again to emphasize its importance."

This delicate balance of meeting patients where they are while guiding them toward better health decisions had a monumental impact. A subsequent mammogram led to more tests, ultimately revealing a new cancer diagnosis at a stage where timely intervention was still possible.

This story illuminates how critical it is to adopt a proactive and integrated approach. "I'm meeting her where she is," Cari adds, "but also educating her on how the place she is isn't where she needs to be."

For us, healthcare is not about reacting to issues as they arise; it’s about preventing them in the first place. "We’re not just saying you should get a mammogram but nudging them to actually get it done," notes Cari, underlining our drive to make healthcare proactive rather than reactive.

 Navigating the Healthcare Maze: Individualized Solutions and Financial Accessibility

One of the most impactful aspects of Patient Advocacy at Proactive MD is our ability to actively address financial challenges that many patients face. Cari recalled a patient who was prescribed a $600 medication for his heart arrhythmia. After paying for the expensive medication out-of-pocket, Cari stepped in: "Why didn't you tell me that? You should have called me. Let me look and see what I can find out." She managed to find a patient assistance program, enrolled him, and got him reimbursed for nearly the entire cost. Her efforts amounted to an annual savings of around $6,000 for this patient.  As Cari put it, "That's what I'm here for. I'm glad [he] called.” This level of individualized attention, finding tailored solutions that make necessary medications and medical treatments more accessible for our patients, is foundational to the Proactive MD Advanced Primary Care model. Through close partnerships with employers, insurance vendors, and healthcare providers, we're providing solutions that are both cost-effective and tailored to individual needs.

Building Trust and Ensuring Accessibility: A Holistic Approach to Care

The path to exceptional healthcare is often fraught with skepticism and accessibility barriers. At Proactive MD, we're transforming this narrative by building on two key pillars: trust and accessibility. For many, healthcare has long been a disengaging experience, marked by distance, confusion, and a lack of personalized attention. Our approach challenges these norms.

"Trust is the cornerstone of any healthcare journey," says Cari Chavez. "People don't like to feel like they're burdening anyone, even when they're not a burden." We've heard the stories and seen the skepticism. That's why we go the extra mile to build this trust—helping our patients understand that they are more than just a number in a system but individuals deserving of genuine, empathetic care.

But trust alone is not enough; we also need to make healthcare accessible. "Accessibility isn’t just a buzzword here; it’s part of our DNA," Cari continues. "Whether it’s delivering medications to those with logistical constraints or coordinating complex medical schedules for busy professionals, we’re making healthcare come to you."

It's the small acts, like Cari's medication deliveries, that embody our philosophy. "I’m happy to deliver medications to patients when needed. . . . it's not really even out of the way" she explains. In taking these extra steps, we're closing the gap between the ideal of patient-centered healthcare and the reality most people experience.

Patient Advocacy: Transforming Healthcare Through Empathy and Action

The true litmus test of healthcare doesn't lie in its technology, nor in its facilities, but in its ability to treat patients as humans deserving of empathy, understanding, and championing. At Proactive MD, we are not just committed to this ideal—we are living it each day.

Cari embodies this philosophy when she states, "It's sometimes really simple. Knowing a patient is going through a divorce and asking, 'How are you doing?' can make all the difference." That power of genuine human connection goes beyond mere words; it translates into proactive and personalized care. As Cari summarizes, “Patient Advocacy gives a voice to those who can’t be heard or who have lost their own voice.” Through Patient Advocacy we’re actively shifting the healthcare paradigm from a service to a partnership. A partnership enriched by empathy, propelled by understanding, and focused on treating not just symptoms but the individual.

Patient Advocacy is the future of healthcare. And in that future, we're not just fulfilling needs; we're exceeding expectations, one human connection at a time.

At Proactive MD, we are only and always about our patients, and we promise to always fight for their greatest good. It’s our core mission to give patients whole-person, value-based care—and our Patient Advocates are the cornerstone of that goal. We know patients are more than their temperatures or test results; they have precious lives and loved ones and deserve so much more than impersonal, indifferent care. Whether we’re serving employers with large patient populations or smaller businesses looking to offer life-changing benefits, we’re prepared to give them the best care of their life.