HomeWhat's NewPerspectivesHope for Primary Care Letter from Robin Kollman, MD

Hope for Primary Care

A letter from Robin Kollman, MD
Kollman Clinic, Inc - Dover, OH

The health care system is broken in the United States, all parties are responsible and primary care is on the ropes. The government started choking primary care by blackmailing physicians to accept their inappropriate fee schedule and treating us as criminals with all their new regulations and "guilty until proven innocent" attitude towards us. Major insurance companies readily admit they will continue lower physician reimbursement so they can pay dividend to their stockholders. Patients really don't understand health care or what is appropriate for their illnesses as they run to urgent care centers, Emergency Rooms, and physician offices with no understanding of the confusion they cause to a health care provider trying to help them. Medical college graduates are continuing to avoid the primary care training programs. The medical profession itself has avoided government politics for too long, not valued the primary care specialties for some time and not stayed in tune with our patients' needs. What a huge mess! No wonder primary care doctors think it would be easier to leave the profession of medicine.

But things are changing...some good and some bad. The economy in this world is doing poorly but a primary care physician can still make a good living right now and we are not as hurting as a number of our patients are financially.

The AAFP has recognized that primary care needed to evolve and become more scientific about practicing medicine for our patients. AAFP did the Future of Family Medicine study and invested in doing the TransforMED project. AAFP is working with large businesses to educate them about health care and understand their needs as employers. AAFP is working hard to educate the government. AAFP is building alliances with other primary care specialties and organizations to strength the foundation of the US health care system-PRIMARY CARE.

Medicare is doing medical home projects. Large businesses are doing medical home projects. We are at the Renaissance of Primary Care in this country!

We can be part of this if we work with our organizations such as the AAFP and focus on evolving our individual practices and continue to be aware of the care we give to our patients and work with our patients to improve their health.

Yes, it will require work, money, and faith that US health care system will improve...not too much different than going to medical school! The choice is ours...we can on work improving the health care system or just give up. It just all depends on how much you value your family and friends...because we, the primary care physicians of this country are very important and we can be the answer if we want to be.

Robin Kollman, MD - Family Physician for 24 years
Kollman Clinic, Inc.
Dover, OH

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