She Named Her Practice After Her Son. Then Built It Around Everyone Else's.

Speaker A: So, um, I was in, I was working as an academic hospitalist and um, there was, we had a negative situation, um, in the hospital. And I remember being very burnt out, um, and I remember saying like, I don't think I can do this anymore. I can't work here anymore, um, in this scenario. And my husband for years has been telling me to exit, um, and very non hubris way he was saying, you're too good for this. Um, and it took me a very long time and I still have imposter syndrome all the time, but it took me a very long time to believe in myself, um, to exit the system and start my own practice. And I 100% agree with you that when you are married, whether your spouse is involved or not, it is also their project too. And, uh, both people have to be very supportive of each other and on the same page. And I have the ultimate supporter. He has been, uh, supporting me even before I believed in myself. And he to this day is the one that, you know, constantly tells me, you have built a great product. And he will be like, just believe in it. Continue to believe in it, and others will see it too. This podcast is produced by Concierge Medicine Today, LLC. All rights reserved. Concierge Medicine Today, or CMT, was founded in 2007 and serves as the industry's trade publication and annual medical conference organizer. Please note the information shared on this podcast and across all CMT platforms is intended for general informational purposes only and may contain errors or omissions. Nothing in this podcast nor across CMT platforms constitutes medical, financial, legal, nor professional advice in CMT is not liable for any inaccuracies. CMT encourages listeners to conduct their own research and consult trusted advisors before taking any action. Based on the content presented. No mention, interview or link should be considered an endorsement. This content is primarily intended for a healthcare audience and may not apply to all listeners. Thanks for tuning in.

Speaker B: Good morning OR Good evening, Dr. Nation. You're listening to Concierge Medicine Today's Doctpreneur Leadership Podcast. And today we have a special physician guest all the way from Miami, Florida, we have Dr. Priyanka Chopra. And she is with Naveen or Navon. Hello, Health. Sorry about that, Navon Health. Uh, and we're going to hear her story about how she entered this subscription based membership and concierge practice, what she's doing that's unique for her local area of patients and learn something from her, uh, about business starting up and running and thriving in this type of model. So, Dr. Chopra, thank you for being with us today.

Speaker A: Thank you for the introduction, Michael. I'm excited to be here, and I'm excited to get into it.

Speaker B: Well, before we begin, we ask a lot of our guests, you know what, how did you become interested in being a doctor? Was it a family business? Was it a personal story? Was it something that happened to you, and you're like, you know what? I'm going to do this. I'm going to make a difference.

Speaker A: Um, I'm pretty sure on my second year yearbook photo, it says, I want to be a doctor when I grow up. Um, my father is a doctor. He's a family medicine physician. And we were born in Queens, New York City, and it was the quintessential 90s Miami. I mean, 90s New York City physician. He had. It was the golden age, right? The, um, the family physician really knew their patients. They like. It was such a great relationship they had. The doctors were well compensated. There was no burnout. And it was just such a beautiful model to see, um, that you're creating such great impact in the world and still having such a great dynamic at home within your own family, that I was like, this is what I would like to do. And I never really wavered. I knew I wanted to be a physician since I was seven years old. And here I am today.

Speaker B: Wow. Seven years old. That is impressive. I know my daughter, who's actually with me here in another room today. Daddy. Daughter workday. She's 12, and she had the marine biologist kick for a while, and now she wants to be a nurse. So, you know, she's leaning in the interesting, uh, science area. And so, uh, we're excited about that. But, um, tell us a little bit about, um, you know, where you went to school and then kind, um, of what led you to the model of practice to start what you're doing today.

Speaker A: So I'm New York City born and bred. I, um, did all my education in New York, and then I moved down to Miami about 4 years ago post Covid. I don't think I need to say how New York City was during COVID Um, and we were just looking for a little bit something different, um, to get us out of, you know, the COVID slump that we were in. Both my husband and I were first responders, um, and frontline workers during COVID And then when we landed in Miami, um, we saw a great need in the area. So in the last five to 10 years, we've experienced healthcare on the other side as patients. Um, so I've been a patient. I had two Medically complex pregnancies. My father in law was a patient, he was diagnosed with cancer and he had a massive, massive heart attack. My mom had multidrug resistant zeolulitis. And you realize on the other side, um, and this is with nepotism, me and my husband are both physicians, um, how difficult the healthcare system is to navigate in a timely manner. How difficult it is to get the cure you want at the hospital you want, um, and to get everyone talking to each other. Um, and especially if you get repeated into the hospital, admittedly um, no one's quite talking to each other. Um, and we realized that you know, we do this on a day to day for our parents, our loved ones. Um, but there are people who don't have this privilege. Um, and what we wanted to really create in the market is patient advocacy. And we looked at different ways to do this. We looked at DBC models, concierge, just creating a healthcare navigation business. Um, and what we really realize is we want to be there end to end, we want to take care of you as soon as you enter a practice and be your number one healthcare advocate, advocate with Healthcare navigation throughout the entire time you're with us. Um, and it's really, and that's how we kind of phrase it to our patients. We say welcome to the Navon Health family. That's the first message you get when you sign on with us because you will become our parent, our child, our aunt, our cousin and we will treat you as such.

Speaker B: So healthcare navigation, I keep hearing that word tell us a little bit about the technology behind that or the soft skills required for creating that. How it sounds like it was very important because of your personal story and it's very important to Navon Health.

Speaker A: So healthcare navigation can mean a myriad of things. It's very case dependent but what it really means is that uh, the concierge practice is at the center and then there's multiple things that are rotating around it to making sure that the practice and the patient are really at the center. So suppose the patient sees six specialists. All specialists go through the patient and the practice and then we talk to the specialists. All medications are first, um, are given, suppose they are prescribed for the patient. We deliver all medications to that patient. Suppose you're not able to get a second opinion at MSK or MD Anderson, we will help you navigate to get that second opinion. So it's all like navigating your appointments, your prior auths, second opinions, medications, whatever it may be that you don't have to lift a finger. We Help you navigate this complexity or even just say what your goal is to just become healthier. We help you navigate the complexity of the system throughout your time with us.

Speaker B: So how did you go and kind of reverse a little bit. Um, work, life balance obviously seems very important to you and your husband and your family and a new family at that. Moving, um, making a move to a new city, you know, yes, you have your credentials, um, but really you're starting this and it's either 0 patients or it's like, well, the hospital owns those patients because I came from a hospital system. So what did that transition for you look like? Did you immediately move from New York City to Florida? In Miami, uh, which is a pretty popular area. The Florida, whole Florida area is very popular for concierge practices. Um, what did that journey look for? What, what did that journey look like for you?

Speaker A: So when we initially moved to Miami, we did not know Miami was going to be a permanent location. For us that ended up becoming one. Um, but the goal of starting our own practice has been in our minds for years. Um, it was just about building the referral system, um, the care, the need, the team to make sure this practice is built out in the way we envision it, where the patient can truly become number one.

Speaker B: Mhm. So when you started to learn about these models, were you already working, uh, in an ER department? Where were you already practicing in a group practice? What did that kind of educational, uh, challenge look like for you?

Speaker A: So both my husband and I were hospital, um, based workers at academic centers. So I was a hospitalist and my husband is an ER physician and he still does some ER shifts. Um, and the way it wasn't, um, an and, or an or, it was more of there is this gap that exists in the market. Um, we know the hospital based gap that exists not truly the primary care, but we. A simple thing is when a patient comes in, their blood pressure is low, but they're on four different blood pressure agents. I tell them to stop. Two of them, they come back, they're still taking the four.

Speaker B: Right?

Speaker A: And now they're here again for low blood pressure. No one's, the issue is that no one is quite talking to each other. And even if we did send home from the hospital, stop taking these medications, stop this, stop this, no one might be at home to help, you know, reassure that this patient is quite stopping it. The medications have been taken out of the medication package where you put all your meds for the day. Um, and there's so many barriers to just that one that one strain that needs to be fixed. Right. The patient has to go home to a safe place. The medications need to be removed. Someone needs to be checking on the patient. Someone needs to be taking blood pressure on that patient. There's so many barriers in that one instant that at any one, it could fall apart. And that's where I think concierge does it so beautifully, where we could be all that.

Speaker B: Um, if I was to ask a patient, you know, one of your patients, like, hey, you know, Dr. Chopra, you know that practice, you know, we talk a lot about creating a remarkable environment like, uh, in healthcare. You. You've said you've kind of been on the other side too. And. And there's this thing out there, patient burnout. Right, like there. Yeah. We work every day here at CMT about physician burnout. We talk about that every day. But then there's millions more on top of that. That's these bad experiences like you've had navigating. Nobody's talking to each other. And patients are putting on this invisible suit of armor every single time they walk into a medical practice, whether, regardless. Right. And so disarming that is. Very few practices out there like yourself, like your practice, like other concierge practices and other mod are kind of trying to say, you don't have to have that suit of armor here. Like, we're. We're not perfect, but we're trying to do something a little bit different so that you can keep us around for a little bit, you can get some, some helpful information. Um, are you. We talk a little bit about marketing off air, but creating a remarkable environment. If I was to think about one of your patients, what are they saying out in the local community? That's like they're. They're giving me something worth remarking about to others because that doesn't exist out there.

Speaker A: This is such a great question. Um, so in the last year, we have found out that we have 0 SEO, so we have no search engine optimization, and we have had no real, real inquiries through our website. And I say that because we've been able to build a practice purely on, um, referrals, which to my mind is the highest compliment I could ever receive. Um, and what I think I don't quite know. But what I do think we are doing differently is that the patient comes first. They are number one. And that's exactly what I want the patient to feel. They make the rules, they make their goals. I help them, you know, make sure that they stand with their goals and we're able to Accomplish them and we make sure that the practice is surrounded completely towards them. I want them to feel like they're the only patient in my practice. I want them to have that individualist attention. And that means sending the thank you notes, um, setting if my patient just had surgery, sending them hope you get well gift after surgery. Um, if I, uh, know this patient is not feeling well, on my way to see her, I bring an immunity booster. You know, these small little things, um, that don't, I don't, I don't know how much they truly mean to the patient, but I want them to know that I really did. I do think of them. I think of them all the time. And I want that to be expressed to them that I, that they can't imagine a life without having a concierge position.

Speaker B: Yeah, well, there's a whole book and we talked about this earlier, off air of giftology, like there's a you can system. I mean, right? It's, it's a system that you put into place where it's like, you know what, My patients are regularly having this issue. They're regularly, they're. They're older maybe, and I go visit them in the hospital. I met a concierge practice in Arizona. She's knocking it out of the park. And, uh, she said, every time I go visit a patient in the hospital, I kind of bring them this little gift basket. I don't put it in a bag because everybody does bags. I put it in a basket and we have, you know, five, six of these with, you know, making sure everything is expired, not expired and everything. And we bring that, we even bring a sleep mask. You know, the little details matter. And that's the stuff. Right? Like if you were, have you visited patients in the hospital when they advocates.

Speaker A: We don't round on them though.

Speaker B: Right. So not. Right. You don't need to do. You don't need to be the responsible one in the room. You're just the present one in the room. And it was, um, I think it was a former CEO of MDVIP years ago, he was a keynote and he said, you know, um, if you want a patient for life, go visit them when they're in the hospital. And whether or not that has beared out to be true, it is more often than not probably true. Because even if there's a loved one in the room, sitting there, you know, on their phone, concerned about their loved one or family members, or it's just the patient, it doesn't really matter who's in the room. The Fact is, that's what they remember. They remember that you showed up, even if it was just to say hi or just to make sure you're doing okay. I have no. I can't really influence anything that's going on here. I mean, a little bit because of what I do, but not really. And you know, you've got great caregivers and I trust them just knowing that, you know, use that. Oh, you trust them? Like. Yeah, I trust them too, you know. Okay, well, that makes me feel a lot better. And it's ah, that mental health. And even in the. We were talking with an interior designer and she said, you know, get rid of all of these four $700 typical lobby chairs that every practice has and put in two or $3,000. $2,000 chairs that look really weird, you know. You know, I'm talking about. It's got the thing and you feel like you're sitting in a cocoon.

Speaker A: Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Speaker B: Uh, for example is one. And she's like, the moment you walk in, you feel like, oh, this they prepared for me. Like, this place was built for me and I don't feel very well. But when I sit in that chair, it makes me feel like I'm a million bucks worth a million dollars. And um, you know, it's all the little details related to your marketing, related to what you're talking about, word of mouth, anything you want to add to that or.

Speaker A: So no, I think I, I think you can build a great product. However, what in the end the person is going to remember is how you made them feel. And I think if not more, that's more important. That's gonna be your retention.

Speaker B: Yeah. And when we ask like, you know, hey, how did you, you know, who would you. Who? The mom groups. Right. Because I take my daughter to the bus stop and it's like, usually the conversation was at centers around healthcare for, for that morning. It's like, oh, uh, you don't want to go there. You know, like, no, you want to go over here. And it's, you know, it's like, that's. That's the secret. Like, that's the marketing. That's the. I was treated differently here. There's nothing negative or bad about that other practice, but I just didn't feel like I was the center. Um, and it is, it's all the little details and it's not even that hard. Like, put the Kleenex box and get the good. Get the good soft Kleenex. Right. Like, I learned that from. I like to borrow marketing Ideas and then share them with the healthcare, especially concierge, because it's so easy to. It's so easy to, for lack of a better word, sell that product and that service because it is doing so much good work. But, for example, I borrow ideas. One was from a dentist by a mouthwash station. I've said that on other podcasts to no end. Uh, but then there's other things, like, okay, if you walk into a building or a church, for example, I learned that, like, if you go into their restroom, they've got mints and band aids there because we all get a paper cut. It's like we all had a band aid fall off. And it's like, wow, they thought of every little detail. Or, you know, the sleep mask. Um, so when you were exploring and unpacking the model, you were, you know, learning. Where did you go to learn? Did you talk to the consultancies? Did you. They were a consideration, but we really were going to kind of DIY this. And then I want you to also talk about the spouse, the importance of spouse support because you're married, you have young children, and more often than not, a lot of physicians are like, hey, I think this is a good idea around the dinner table. And then the spouse says, I don't know, I'm not there yet. And so usually that is, um, the first barometric pressure reading of, you know, what table. That idea. It's not a no, it's just a no for now, but maybe not forever. I need to feel a little bit more comfortable. So talk to us about, uh, where you got your education to learn why you wanted, how you wanted to do this, the models, the who you're surrounded yourself with, and the importance of a supportive spouse in the process.

Speaker A: This is also a great question because I think in my situation, it was, the roles were flipped. So, um, I was in, I was working as an academic hospitalist. And, um, there was, we had a negative, um, situation in the hospital. And I remember being very burnt out. Um, and I remember saying, like, I don't think I can do this anymore. I can't work here anymore, um, in this scenario. And my husband for years has been telling me to exit, um, in a, in a very non hubris way, he was saying, you're too good for this. Um, and it took me a very long time, and I still have imposter syndrome all the time, but it took me a very long time to believe in myself, um, to exit the system and start my own practice. And I 100 agree with you that when you are married, whether your spouse is involved or not, it is also their project too. And, uh, both people have to be very supportive, each other and on the same page. And I have the ultimate supporter. He has been supporting me even before I believed in myself. And he, to this day, is the one that, you know, constantly tells me, you have built a great product. You and will be like, just believe in it. Continue to believe in it, and others will see it too. And he says that to me almost every day. He's like, patients are coming. Why do you fault? And I, you know, it's just imposter syndrome. Like, can I do better? Can I be more? Can it be more perfect? Can we do this? Can we do that? Um, but I think that's the power of having a very supportive spouse. You're never really alone.

Speaker B: Yeah. So when you were looking for the education, did you surround yourself with accountants, financial experts that you kind of like, ah, I'm not good in these areas, like tax advisors, legal, contractual? Or did you think, like, well, maybe I'll look at some of these consultancies, these organizations that kind of do the transition for you? Because we've seen many physicians do the DIY approach. It can be done.

Speaker A: Yeah.

Speaker B: The one thing that they successful ones have versus the average ones have, and that's not a great word, but it is, is likability. If you're not likable, like, if you don't have a little bit of charisma, like, you're not. This is not gonna work for you. And the second one is billing too low and charging less than you think. Like, here's, like, you mentioned imposter syndrome a bit. And, you know, one of the years ago, he said, you gotta charge more. Like, I remember a physician in New Jersey, she's like, I have a waiting list of like, 200 now, and I've been open a year. It's like, awesome. And she's like, I think I need to raise my rates, but I really feel bad about it. And I was like, well, tell me what your services are. I'm not an accountant. Attorney, but it's like, man, you're like, you're a bargain, like, for that price. Like your Groupon deal. Bargain. Like, you definitely, you know, your costs. Just hard costs. What's your margin? Can't even be that much. And she's like, yeah. And I was like, yeah, you got to go up on rates. But here's the thing. Don't apologize for it. Like, yeah, you know, most of the patients who go through the transition from traditional plan reimbursed, like the ones you think will join, don't. And then the ones you're like, wow, didn't think they would join, you know, like, and for that, for what I'm charging, you know, and it's not even that much, but it's. But then later on, 18 months later, usually some of those other ones keep coming back. But talk a little bit about, um, you know, how you've overcome that is it's a constant struggle, but that, ah, worth factor because you are taught to be 6 inches tall. As one doctor said, you know, medical school, you are burned out and you're struggling with your value. And did, did your expert advisors around you help you with that or did you get an organization to help you with that? What led you to that ultimate decision of how you did it?

Speaker A: So I think we're in the new decade of A.I. everything. Um, and we have really led our practice with AI, um, so AI finances, AI business plan, marketing and branding. But we really, we really leaned in to AI, um, likability. Um, you tell me, Michael. I'm not sure yet. Um, but I, we haven't quite outsourced as much as I thought we would. Um, and it has actually allowed us to, um, cut back on expenses that, you know, we initially planned for.

Speaker B: Yeah.

Speaker A: Um, so, you know, AI can be your patient care navigator, AI can send your emails, AI can create branding sheets for you.

Speaker B: Absolutely. So you're familiar, I assume you're familiar with master prompts, right?

Speaker A: Yes, yes.

Speaker B: So like, you say that. So I say that to some folks and they're like, master prompt, uh, like AI just tells you what you, it's just your best buddy. It just tells you what you want to hear. And it's like, no, you're, you're using it wrong. Right. Improperly. Um, well, that's awesome. And I remember we, we interviewed and, and I'll put the link in the show notes as well. Um, our guest today is Dr. Priyanka Chopra with Navon Health. And we'll put the links as well to, uh, her practice and her, her husband's practice. Is your husband, does he practice with you or is he currently also doing his other things?

Speaker A: He is more on the back end. Um, I, um, think when you start any, uh, business, um, you realize what your strengths and weaknesses are. Um, and I realize there's a few things that I'm very good at, and there's definitely a few things I'm not very good at, and one of them is definitely the finances. And sales aspect. Um, and the way my husband always phrase it, phrases it is if you leave it to her, she'll give everything for free. And it's true. I hear one. I'm an empath. I hear one sad story. I'm like, take it for free. What do you need? I will help you. Um, so he is purely very backend and does all the sales aspect.

Speaker B: Yeah. Well. And now what did that first or second or maybe the one yesterday or this morning feel like when you're like, you're taught that, like, I shouldn't have to sell because I got the degree, I got the education, I got the schooling, and I'm important. And you were told that you were important, but you were also kind of not told you were important, which doesn't make any sense. And I remember talking to a geneticist years ago, and she said, you know, not only is it going to take, uh, act of congress to change how we educate physicians, it's going to take an act of God. And then you see Covid. Right. Regardless of how we. We view that, a lot of things change within, like two, three, four months. I remember talking with an attorney friend, and he's like, did you see what those companies did, like, in insurance is like telehealth. I was like, I know. We've been wanting that as patients for like 20, 30 years. We got these devices, and they're not getting any less smart, they're just getting smarter. So anyway, um, you can riff on that before I ask. Jump into our next question.

Speaker A: I, um, think it's very true, um, that it just, it takes time to realize where your strengths are. And if you do have a partner in the business that you have, I highly suggest leaning into your strengths and dipping up the responsibilities. Um, it. It's. Which took us a few months to really perfect it, and we're still working towards it. But it's great for the marriage, it's great for the business.

Speaker B: Yeah. And it's a good work life balance. And I find that the ones who. The physician practices in particular in those in concierge medicine, the ones that are going to survive and that will eventually thrive because it's not easy what you're doing. It's not easy to start a practice, start a business, because you have to navigate a whole other thing, a set of skills that you're like, oh, yeah, like, I guess AI can help me with scheduling, but there's some stuff that AI can help me with. And. But it's like, wow, we have this gift. I was like, I think I was talking to somebody the other day. It was like, I don't know what I did for the last 25 years. Like, how did I function without, for example, some of these AI tools? Because it's like, this is exponentially made me a better worker. Right, Exactly.

Speaker A: Um, makes you a better physician. You know, I don't think it's something we need to. We should be scared of. It has made me a better physician.

Speaker B: Yeah. Well, that is rare to hear, but you can see that that's where the future is heading. And, you know, there are three, Three categories of AI physicians. There's the ones who. Nah, uh, that's like a fad. It's like I'm still waiting for the laptop to go out of style. Like, I can't believe that thing's still around. And then there's, you know, those. So those who are very resistant, and then there's those who think of it like a toy. And then they're trying all the different things and they like it and promote it and. But then they're on to the next one, the next day. And then there's those like yourself, who are using it and know how to use it to improve the day, improve the practice, improve the business. Um, when you talk to patients about the practice, it kind of does feel a little bit sometimes. And we hear this story often of, I just never thought I would have to be in sales. And you're not selling anything if you're doing it right. You're really just sharing your story. Um, but kind of overcoming that of like, I, here's our price and you have to share what that is, but everybody has one and everybody has a set of services under that. Uh, you know, how hard was that for you to have those first few conversations of like, I built it and I don't think anybody's going to come. How did you overcome that psychological barrier?

Speaker A: So when we first started, we were at a certain price and we've had a few price incremental increases already. Um, and I still have difficulty not justifying it when speaking with a patient. Um, and I have to constantly remind myself, just share the product. Um, you don't need to convince anyone. It's their decision whether they would like to join, but they have to see value in it. And it's the only, in the end, it's an investment. It's an investment towards your health. And if you don't see value in that right now, I completely understand. And I don't pressure any of the patients. I don't use any scare tactics. Um, I don't say imagine. You never know what's going to happen this year. You could be in the hospital and you have no one by your side. Like, I don't say any of that. Right. I think it's very important for the patient to see value. Um, and when they're ready and if they find this to be a good product, they will join. It may take years. It could be like a health scare. It could be like these. I've been now experiencing these symptoms, and then they decide to invest in their health. And I completely understand that. We all have our own financial budget in our head of what. Where money needs to go this year. And sometimes it's not. If that's not accounted for, then this may not be the year for you.

Speaker B: I learned a long time ago, and I learned this outside of. That's what we try to do on this podcast in these conversations is take things we've learned from outside of healthcare. Because I don't know if you ever saw that really silly CBS show. It was a few years ago, maybe during COVID It was called under the Dome. Did you ever see that? You can Google it. It's super silly. I think it was based on a Stephen King novel, and then they made it into a TV series. I use the word picture of this invisible bubble goes over top of this tiny little town. Think of that as, like, healthcare, our healthcare marketplace. But it's invisible. Nobody knows it's there. And then you see, you know, there's two people standing on a road and they're like, we need help. And then you see this fire engine just barreling down the road towards them. And then it hits this invisible bubble and it just accordions. And that's kind of how I feel like, business principles, good ideas about, you know, marketing and, you know, customer service and hospitality and healthcare. Like, whoa, those are great ideas, but we don't do that around here or. That's a great idea, Dr. Chopra. That's a great idea, Michael. But that's, you know, that's not us. Like, we don't do that. We're not going to put in the soft Kleenex. Like, that's not important to us. Well, I can tell you it is important. And you want, like you said, sometimes it can take months, years, days, you know, or they may never join. And that's okay, because despite your training, you're not meant to. To be for everyone. That's what led us to the exhaustion of physician burnout. Right? Like trying to be everything for everybody and helping patients feel like they belong before they believe. Right, like you belong here. We're not telling you you should join, but we want you to feel like you belong. And whether or not you like this model, hey, that's up to you. This is your choice. Um, moving into our next um, question for you. What has been some of the surprising things that you found? Like wow, I just didn't expect that, or maybe it's a surprise from yesterday, like uh, wow, like I'm continuously happily surprised. Or maybe it's something that was like didn't see that coming.

Speaker A: I have two answers to that actually. One is that so Navon Health is an in home model. So we actually go to the patient's homes and see them versus having a brick and mortar in the patient's school, going to the office. Um, and what you realize is that the range of uh, people that invest in their health are, is so wide because you have the privilege of going into patients homes and seeing how they live. And I have patients with not very much choosing to put their dollars, hard earned money towards their health. And then I have people on the very end of the spectrum who I'm probably a dime in the bucket for them. And I found that to be so interesting um, because I used to think of it as hey, unfortunately this is for a specific population type. Um, but no, it's actually not. It's, there's people on both ends of the spectrum. It just, it's where people choose to put their dollars in that moment of their life. And I find that extremely interesting.

Speaker B: I mean you can see what's in their fridge, you know, which is huge, you know, or see what's in uh, what's on their counter. What's important to them is what usually what's on the counter. And it's um, you know, it is, it is important work. And um, you know, five words from my doctor will encourage me today or lead me down a rabbit trail of doubt of like, oh, uh, the LDLs, you know, like I gotta figure something out about that. But I have that relationship and the relationship is there. I think I, I felt bad about sending him something that I found. Like he and I have a bit of a more friendly relationship because, and there's so it's like, hey, I thought you would like this because it had something to do with um, dads and Father's Day and he's a father himself and it was um, you know, like this is a great psychological tool. Maybe your patients will find this hap, you know, Because I'm in marketing. I was like, you could post this on your Facebook because remember that time you posted a Hawaiian shirt that you were wearing, like a selfie and you said, I'm going to Hawaii, See you later. I will not be back. And then patients are like, whoa, wait, I have an appointment today. Like, my appointment's tomorrow. And he's like, April Fools. You know, so like always said that likability is a very important factor. And, um, you know, we sent him something about Father's Day and said, just tell you some of your Father's Day fathers to go to the tool aisle at Home Depot. It'll make, test out all the tools, will make them feel so much better. And he's, you know, we joked about it last week, but nonetheless, um, your target audience obviously is pretty diverse. And from what you were saying, um, as we come in kind of here for a landing, uh, what's a book? You can be however long winded or short as you'd like on some of these questions. But what book do you give out most or would you say is a necessary read if you're thinking about doing this, or what's in your audible library? Um, maybe it's a pleasure book. And you're like, no, because everybody's different.

Speaker A: Um, so the book that we. So any part time, per diem, full time employee that comes in, um, we make them read the Unreasonable Hospitality. Um, and the reason is it sets the tone of the practice. Um, I want, whenever a patient comes in to feel like they're part of family and they're joining something special. Um, and I want that to come through. And that's actually the culture we have at our practice, even our employees. Like, I want them to feel like they're joining something special and I want them to feel that themselves and then deliver it to our patients. Um, and I think the small way, um, one of my favorite, like patient outcomes that I've had this year is when I say it's all about the patient, I really mean it. I have this patient who's, um, in her mid-80s and uh, she. Two years ago at that point she got into a car accident and she stopped driving after she was very scared to drive. Her children were scared to prefer to drive. Um, and when we signed with her, she said, my only goal is to drive. She's like, I want my independency back. And obviously the children had their own opinions and their own goals for her. Um, but patient patients number one in my book. Um, so what we did is we Created a very. We do this for all our patients, but we created a blueprint of their health journey for us. And it has KPIs. Um, and it has a one month, three month, six month, nine month KPI. So we're both held accountable of what the goal is for that patient. And we did a physical therapy, extensive evaluation, and occupational therapy. Um, because as much as you would like to say, like, a lot of driving is core strength, hip strength, balance, coordination, it's neuroplasticity, it's attention, focus, multitasking. It's a lot of what you lose as you get older. And. But it's all muscles. It can be brought back. It just needs the time and commitment and attention. And what we did over the course of nine months is two to three sessions of physical therapy for her every single week. Um, we did neuroplasticity exercises with her every single week. And she had her job of what she had to do. And then we tested her every month. And then by month nine, we did a driving test, and she passed.

Speaker B: Wow.

Speaker A: And.

Speaker B: Yeah, uh, yeah, go ahead, go ahead. That's awesome.

Speaker A: And to me, did I improve her quote, unquote, health? Like, do her numbers look better? Um, I have no idea. I can't tell you. But what I did is far, in my opinion, far more impactful. I gave her functionality back, and I promise you, I've decreased her dementia risk, I've decreased her fall risk, I've decreased her hearing loss risk, her vision loss risk, because all of those were tested while doing this. And to me, that is what's being a great physician. You are doing exactly what the patient wants for the good of the patient. Yeah. Wow.

Speaker B: Um, I hope everybody listening to this kind of understands, like, why this model is important, because you've just really described it perfectly, like, why these models exist. And, you know, sometimes I think, like, concierge medicine is the two most polarizing words. And, uh, whether you like the term or not, like, it gets people's interest, it gets them curious. And I like that from a patient's perspective, because it's like, oh, yeah, like, she doesn't call herself that, but that's what she is to me, you know, or that's what that practice is. And I. I can, you know, like, you got a question? I'll, uh, uh, guess what? I can text my doctor, and you can't. So. And it becomes kind of one of these things of, like, tell me a little bit about that. Like, is that one of those types of doctors? Oh, it can't Be one of those, right? And then it's amazing. Um, so thank you for what you've done, because what you've accomplished and what you guys are doing. Um, you know, you were intentional about your decisions. You were. You planned it out. Uh, where do you want to be in one year? Is there a tendency to say, yeah, things would be a lot easier if I just had, uh, an office, a practice, like. But then you get into a whole other set of unique challenges, because then it's like, are we just creating something that they're already pushing against?

Speaker A: I want to do exactly this with, like, exponential growth. So I want. I want to help as, like, uh, as naive as this is, I want to help as many people as possible, and I don't want a brick and mortar. That is not. When we built the mission. That was not what's in the mission. It's bringing medicine to you. I, um, don't think concierge should just be accessible. I think it should be individualized care. Um, so every patient gets an individual, individualized plan. So I want to expand this practice, but I also want to go into different cities. Um, and the next one we're looking to get into is New York.

Speaker B: Wow, that's awesome. I like that idea about growth because, you know, it is one thing to say, uh, oh, we're in the service of everybody, especially because we're doctors. You know, it's like, no, you're not. Yes, that's kind of what your calling is. But really, you know exactly who you can help. Right? Like, the one who has like, hey, my goal is here. I just want to get my driver's license. I want to get that independence back. Um, and to disarm the folks out there of, like, oh, I was taught to be everything for everybody and wear it like it's a badge of honor. Oh, and by the way, the benefit is I get to make no money doing it, and money is not a bad thing. And I think that that's really a unique challenge to overcome in healthcare, because it's you, yourself, your husband, every physician I've met, 99% of them. And the colleagues you, you know, too, I'm sure, just like this. Like, the greatest people on the planet. Like, I don't know how you do it, because you're like, I want to serve people and help people. People are sometimes the worst. You know, it's like, uh, oh, you know, like, they can be problematic. They can be needy. They cannot listen to what you're saying that you're like, why are you Keep coming back here four months later and you, you did everything I told you not to do and you're still doing it. Like, that's super frustrating for me. Do you not realize? Yeah, but then, you know, there's all those challenges of, of being that. But I've seen so many great physician and individuals put that money investment back into the practice to serve who the patience. Right. And then usually if they're smart enough about where they're spending their money in the practice, putting that money, uh, back as an investment to serve others, they're not doing it in the service of selfish endeavor. Like, well, you know what? We're going to put in this new thing that, you know, we're going to put in, um, one of those sliding glass windows because that's what we've been missing, you know, like, oh, that we're going to put in a couch in a love seat in the, in the exam rooms. We're going to try and do something different. Or we're going to incorporate a better AI system for sending back and forth HIPAA secure client messages because we're not in love with our text message app that we communicate with patients on, or we're going to give you a better portal. We're investing in the practice. Anything you want to add to that before we come, uh, in for a landing here?

Speaker A: No, I, uh, well, I think I would want to say is that, um, concierge medicine does sometimes get a bad rap. But what I, there is a model that exists at almost every price point. And I think that's the beauty of it, um, whether you choose DPC or concierge. Um, and the most important thing is you just find a physician who cares, a practice that's going to invest in you. Um, and especially if you're going through something, you know, where it's complex, you need someone to quarterback your care, or it's, um, you don't quite know what's going out, but someone needs to spend the time to, you know, really go into your medical chart and figure out what's going on. Um, that, that can exist at any price model. And just, and the most important thing is that you take your health seriously and you find the one that works for you.

Speaker B: Yeah. And when we ask patients, we do polls and surveys over the years and when we ask patients, like, why did you choose to leave your current position? I didn't have a relationship. I felt like a number. You know, it was. And then, okay, well, where was cost on that pie chart? They're like, uh, like less than 11%. I mean, it was, like, wasn't really the factor. It was. I don't feel like I'm cared for here. And if you're considering doing this type of model, like what Dr. Chopra is doing at Navon Health, we'll put the links in the show notes as well. And, um, you know, this can be done, and you can do hard stuff. Like, you went through medical school, you did hard stuff. You can do, and you're going to do hard stuff again. You know, we, uh, we say a lot, like, you didn't sign up for easy. You signed up for worthwhile. You signed up for helping people and taking the entrepreneurial skills that you have these tendencies and building that container that you don't want to put a lid on. In fact, you want to keep pouring more stuff into it so that you can go help more people in New York City. And then, you know, building too fast. Like, uh, oh, it's okay. Like, you're just. Remember there's other people who've done this before you.

Speaker A: Yeah.

Speaker B: And there's going to be people behind you. Don't compare your start or your middle to their. To your start or your middle, because they're at a different part of the journey.

Speaker A: I also just start. Um, I think if I had listened to my husband or listened to the little voice inside me, I could have started five years ago. Um, and the best time to start is now. I know it's scary to believe in yourself and take the leap, but it is. I've never once looked back. I love what I do every single day. Doesn't mean it's not easy, but I still love what I do.

Speaker B: Yeah. And you're just doing it differently. Right. And you have the work life balance to go with it as a fringe benefit. I've had physicians say this saved my family. Like, it saved, uh, my marriage by doing this. And more often than not, I remember one story. He's like, I'm ready. Uh, if I hadn't have done this, I would have just become, like, the VP of operations at my wife's florist business. You know, true story. And it was like, wow. Like some. It's heartbreaking to see somebody so influential, uh, you know, leave the practice of medicine, leave their community, and then have the disrespect from the local community of, like, well, I didn't have a relationship either. And more often than not, they choose these types of models, regardless of price point, regardless of optics, and say, you know, I went from zero to hero on SEO or I Went, you know, like, they love me. And I had no idea that they even liked me. But apparently I'm, I'm pretty big deal with some of my patients. And this, this helped a lot. Years ago, learning about SEO, like you mentioned is, uh, you don't have to be everywhere, all over the world, because the Internet's like, oh, I need to be everywhere. You just have to be the superstar in your own backyard and get those patients talking about like, hey, she came to the hospital, she brought me a sleep mask. You know, like, that's no. Who does that? Guess what my doctor does is like, who's your doctor? It's like, yeah. And putting boundary. Communication boundaries in place. You got to do that every year. Like, hey, we're going to revisit our communication policies because there's always going to be some who, you know, misinterpret or probably try to abuse the system a little bit more. Um, but, uh, any of those challenges

Speaker A: you've had, I'm, um, the communication barrier, surprisingly, like, people have often asked me like, I can't believe you're on 24 7. Like you have, you must have no work life balance. Um, I will say I probably work more than what I did before. Um, but it is on my terms. Um, but I don't know why, but patients tend to not abuse it. I think I've gotten maybe five. A handful, a handful of phone calls or text messages after 8:00pm yeah, it's like in the.

Speaker B: Less than 15% of patients in a panel will, will text you at 2am Ah, there was a story.

Speaker A: I will say, Michael, if someone is texting me or calling me at 2am, I usually want to know because usually something is wrong. They're considering going to the er. They're urgent care, something. And I'm like, no, no, no, you should call me. That's 100. Why you have me. That's why. That's when you should call me. If you're thinking of going to the hospital, you have to call me. Yeah. So I, I'd never, I've never had had to have that communication barrier talk yet. I'm sure it will come, but thankfully I have not had, I haven't had that issue.

Speaker B: I was in a, uh, one of those like educates, like learning meet and greets with the physicians who were transitioning into their practice. And uh, the lady, 70s, probably she stood up. Any questions, you know, and there's two physicians unpacking the models and she's like, yeah, I just don't get it. Like you say you have 5,000 between the two of you. I get that that's a lot. But you're still only gonna have. You're still gonna have 500. That I just don't get how you're still gonna have time for me with 500 patients. You're like, well, they're not all calling at the same day or the same time. You know, like, there. It's usually spread out and the margin is there. And, uh, it's. It's a lovely. It's a lovely environment. Um, quick question. Have you read, um, Blue Ocean Strategy? Has that been on your reading list? Your audible library?

Speaker A: No, but I add it. Tell me about it.

Speaker B: It is a great one that we recommend to physicians. And any physician listening to. Should listen to. Should listen. Read that one. Essentially, Blue Ocean Strategy is creating a business. And business gets such a bad word in healthcare. It's like, yeah, no, you don't need creative business. You're a doctor. Don't do that. You're not equipped for that. You were built for something more. It's like, no, we don't need you going out of business because of your words weigh a thousand pounds with us. Like, we don't want you going out of business tomorrow. Which is what a lot of practices do, or make me feel like I'm just another number or I don't have a relationship. But Blue Ocean Strategy essentially says, create a business so unique that you're sailing into the blue ocean like you have. There's very few sharks in the water, bloodying the water of competition, you know, and some might say, well, it's always a pink ocean. And yes, there's collegialness in healthcare. Um, but, you know, patients don't see it that way. I know because I am a patient. I know what it's like to sit on the other side of the website or the exam room or the service window and wait two and a half hours with my daughter and be like, where is. Are they even here today? Oh, sorry, sir. You know, uh, so many glass windows broken in this space that. That, you know, it is. It's. It's just, uh, an easy thing to do. So, anyway, our last final question for you, Dr. Chopra, and our guest today has been Dr. Priyanka Chopra of Navon Health. We'll put the links in the show notes of how you can connect with her and her husband and their practice. Navon Health is just such a wonderful thing that you're doing for your local community. Ah. Of patients. Um, but we ask this of all of our guests is Dr. Chopra. At the end of the day, what do you want to be known for?

Speaker A: At the end of the day, what do I want to be known for? I think that I was a good person and had impact. Yeah.

Speaker B: Well, that can. That is awesome. And I think that you've built a model that has allowed you to do that, and it's given you the freedom to do that. And I think that the opportunity is limitless. You know, you've not put a lid on the container that you've built, so it will grow. And, uh, I hope that others will feel the same if they're building something similar or they're thinking about building or they're already in that building process and they're like, yeah, I am just inspired, and I hope that that's the way they feel. Left from your story. Dr. Chopra, thank you for your time today. It has been a, ah, pleasure. And I can't wait to. I've got a number of notes, probably 15post it notes on my desk ready to go back and forth with you after this. So we'll keep on trucking and, uh, if there's anything we can do for you, please don't hesitate to reach out. And those who are listening as well, um, please reach out to Dr. Chopra if you're listening. You want to learn more. I think that, uh, she would love to share and have a conversation with you. Thanks so much, Dr. Chopra.

Speaker A: Thank you so much, Michael. Ah, this was wonderful and such easy conversation. You asked amazing questions. Thanks again.

Speaker C: All right, friends, that's a wrap on today's conversation. But here's the thing. Every physician listening to this show is standing at the same time crossroads. You can keep doing medicine the way it's always been done, or you can build something that actually works for you, for your patients, and for the community you serve. Uh, that's what this show is for. Not hype, not theory. Real stories from real doctors who decided to lead instead of just survive. So here's my ask, and it really does take two seconds. If this episode gave you something worth thinking about, do me a favor and share it with one person. You know, a colleague, a doctor in your call group, someone standing right where you used to stand. You never know, this might be the conversation that changes the whole trajectory of their career. And if you've got 30 more seconds, leave us a review. It genuinely helps other physicians find this show. And honestly, we read every single one last thing. Don't miss what's coming next. New books, upcoming events, and a front row seat to the Concierge Medicine Forum. Um, all waiting for you at. Ah, www.conciergemedicinetoday.com. go build something sustainable. Go lead well, and we'll see you next time. This has been the Docpreneur leadership podcast.