The Doctor Will See You Now

n an ideal world, when you got sick you would be able to see your physician right away. Obviously we don’t live in a perfect world. But the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health is doing its part to improve at least the health care part.

The department has introduced a new patient scheduling concept, called open access, which emphasizes “doing today’s work today.” That means patients can schedule an appointment—and be seen—within hours of that phone call. Already in place in offices across the country, open access scheduling enables the doctor to see 50 percent of patients on the same day they make an appointment. This strengthens a central tenet of family medicine: providing preventive care, catching and treating health problems before they become health crises.

The Miller School of Medicine’s family medicine practice at Park Plaza West is leaving 70 percent of patient slots open and booking the remaining appointments for people with chronic problems or special needs. New patients will get appointments the same day or the next day.

“Physicians are happy because it allows them to spend more time doing patient care. They can also see patients with acute needs and be able to treat them quickly,” says Anique Bryan, M.D., assistant professor of clinical family medicine, who oversees the general administration of the faculty practice.

The Department of Family Medicine is the first department at the medical school to implement this new policy.