Business Insight I recently visited a clinic for my own private need. A great specialist was recommended to me, and I wanted to consult with him about some medical problems. He carries a medical degree from a well-known academia and another doctorate from yet another great school. He has been a follower of all new articles and professional magazines for over 25 years and knows every single new method of treatment and approach to disease in his specialty. You would expect him to work from a nice, modern office, with a number of allied health staff assisting in his daily patients' schedule. To my surprise, I found his office to be exactly the opposite. Seven doctors of multi- specialty dedication work from a 10-room clinic, located in an older office building, sharing space with some lawyers, brokers, and labs. My specialist has 2 tiny rooms for himself: one is his office where he sees consultations, and the other is a small exam room, with a very old exam table and even older scale. He spends about 35 hours a week in this office. What a shame. I investigated more of this surprising picture and found out my doctor is a part of a larger, multi-clinic corporation, working with doctors, laboratories, physical therapists, and other medical professionals. The doctors have very little to say about their staff or place of work. The functions are centralized, so the same medical assistant works with multiple doctors. Exam rooms are shared, so it may happen that patients must wait because there are no rooms available for their doctors. They also may wait for an appointment for weeks, again depending on how every other doctor is scheduled. I met a patient who waited 3 months for his first visit to another specialist. It is not uncommon to hear from my own patients about their experience with our healthcare system. This is a real eye- opener to chat with them about bills not paid by insurances, special requirements from insurances to certify some testing, and also about doctors who are stressed out and spend more time looking at their computers and writing than actually looking at patients. Many doctors not only have no access to modern medical devices or medication, but also have no experience and involvement in on-going newer treatments and methods. presented by Arlington Dermatology Access to Modern Healthcare Thus, they cannot really share much with their patients' population. Often, what they learn in medical school must be sufficient to carry them on. For many reasons, including financial. Time is money and continuing medical education is very expensive. I will continue seeing my specialist. He is great. He has the most contemporary knowledge of what and how in his field. But I feel bad for him. He should be able to be in a better place. His patients would benefit from it too. I am also thinking about my own office. One of the reasons I always enjoyed conducting research is simply a factor that I know how to be on the top of modern medical dermatology. Learning from every new protocol, good or bad, is showing us the way dermatology has been evolving. I am also able to deliver superb healthcare for free to hundreds of my patients who enjoy education themselves in new protocols and participate in the studies. Some of them are desperate to get that care because they do not have any at all. I only wonder why more doctors do not do it. They definitely qualify to do this. I think we would be able to make them happier and more up-to-date and we definitely would open more options for patients. Michael Bukhalo, MD Arlington Dermatology 5301 Keystone Court Rolling Meadows, IL 60008 Tel. 847 392 5440 | www.arlingtondermatology.net Business Insight I recently visited a clinic for my own private need . A great specialist was recommended to me , and I wanted to consult with him about some medical problems . He carries a medical degree from a well - known academia and another doctorate from yet another great school . He has been a follower of all new articles and professional magazines for over 25 years and knows every single new method of treatment and approach to disease in his specialty . You would expect him to work from a nice , modern office , with a number of allied health staff assisting in his daily patients ' schedule . To my surprise , I found his office to be exactly the opposite . Seven doctors of multi specialty dedication work from a 10 - room clinic , located in an older office building , sharing space with some lawyers , brokers , and labs . My specialist has 2 tiny rooms for himself : one is his office where he sees consultations , and the other is a small exam room , with a very old exam table and even older scale . He spends about 35 hours a week in this office . What a shame . I investigated more of this surprising picture and found out my doctor is a part of a larger , multi - clinic corporation , working with doctors , laboratories , physical therapists , and other medical professionals . The doctors have very little to say about their staff or place of work . The functions are centralized , so the same medical assistant works with multiple doctors . Exam rooms are shared , so it may happen that patients must wait because there are no rooms available for their doctors . They also may wait for an appointment for weeks , again depending on how every other doctor is scheduled . I met a patient who waited 3 months for his first visit to another specialist . It is not uncommon to hear from my own patients about their experience with our healthcare system . This is a real eye opener to chat with them about bills not paid by insurances , special requirements from insurances to certify some testing , and also about doctors who are stressed out and spend more time looking at their computers and writing than actually looking at patients . Many doctors not only have no access to modern medical devices or medication , but also have no experience and involvement in on - going newer treatments and methods . presented by Arlington Dermatology Access to Modern Healthcare Thus , they cannot really share much with their patients ' population . Often , what they learn in medical school must be sufficient to carry them on . For many reasons , including financial . Time is money and continuing medical education is very expensive . I will continue seeing my specialist . He is great . He has the most contemporary knowledge of what and how in his field . But I feel bad for him . He should be able to be in a better place . His patients would benefit from it too . I am also thinking about my own office . One of the reasons I always enjoyed conducting research is simply a factor that I know how to be on the top of modern medical dermatology . Learning from every new protocol , good or bad , is showing us the way dermatology has been evolving . I am also able to deliver superb healthcare for free to hundreds of my patients who enjoy education themselves in new protocols and participate in the studies . Some of them are desperate to get that care because they do not have any at all . I only wonder why more doctors do not do it . They definitely qualify to do this . I think we would be able to make them happier and more up - to - date and we definitely would open more options for patients . Michael Bukhalo , MD Arlington Dermatology 5301 Keystone Court Rolling Meadows , IL 60008 Tel . 847 392 5440 | www.arlingtondermatology.net