CovenantMD

True story. A patient of ours asked us to check out one of his moles. During the visit, we took a photo using a dermoscope that photo is pictured on this post. This looked concerning, so we did a full excisional biopsy, and lo and behold, it was a melanoma. Cost of procedure at our office: $0. Cost of pathology: $220 (usually about $800). He needed to follow-up with a plastic surgeon for a wider excision. Though he does have health insurance, he preferred to shop fo...r the best cash price. A local health system originally quoted him $89,000 for the procedure. When he mentioned he would like to pay cash, this system lowered the price to $26,000. He also looked into facilities in Cancun, Mexico, and Oklahoma, and was quoted $7,000 at both (after travel). Ultimately, he went with a plastic surgeon about an hour’s drive from our office, who did the procedure for less than $700. He had no complications. This story illustrates, that you, the patient, are a consumer, and that you, the patient, with tenacity and some time investment, can advocate for quality healthcare at a reasonable price. (It also illustrates the necessity of sunscreen!) Thanks to our patient for allowing us to share his story. See more

One of our patients has been busy at home making homemade masks, and she dropped these beauties off to us yesterday. Thank you! One for every mood. Dr. Rohal will sport the Peanuts one today. (But we’re still using those N95’s when needed!)

In these strange times, we’ve had to maintain some distance between our office and the outside world. One of our patients bore us this beautiful message this morning. Thank you! We love our patients, too! #inthistogether

Out and about this morning doing home visits. Here I am taking out stitches, while the patient dutifully holds the light for me. Thanks to mom for letting us share this photo.

Welcomed Titus last week as our newest patient. He set a record as the lowest weight so far in our 3.5 year history, 6 lbs 12oz. You can see that he loves our ceiling. Welcome to the world, little man!