BEST CHOICE CARE IS TRUE COLLABORATIVE CARE

Doctors from different disciplines working together to enhance the recovery and long term health of the patient is goal that many group practices advertise but very few accomplish.  I am a member of a new type of group known as the Manhattan Collaborative.  Members are independent physicians from many disciplines all practicing in their own offices.  No single roof practice.  We meet every 6 weeks and discuss what we have done in our practices and how we could add to cases in each other’s practice.  It gives a unique spin to the word collaborative or the more often used integrative medicine. 

Included in our group are internists, rheumatologist, allergist, cardiologist, obstetricians, dentists (all specialties of dentistry), gastroenterologist, psychologists, as well as myself, a kinesiologist chiropractic orthopedist.  In addition, there are other musculoskeletal specialists, physical therapists and osteopaths. 

When choosing your direction for a particular condition the choice can be daunting if you are not comfortable with your first step.  It is best to find someone that is associated to a collaborative group so that the options are familiar to the doctor.  The referral, if needed, is then made to a specialist that the doctor has met, sometimes several times, and the communication is open.   Your best treatment maybe from multiple sources or just one.  Your care will be directed to whom your first choice doctor deems as best in his or her field and not just the next in line in the group practice or the next on your network list.