Now arriving: The new generation of concierge physicians

Amy Loden, MD

Editor's Note: Leaders of “The Next Generation of Concierge Physicians” was featured at a free webinar on Nov. 29th brought to you by Medical Economics and Specialdocs Consultants. Click here to learn more.

Too young to yearn for the days of popular and dedicated TV doctor Marcus Welby, M.D., but experienced enough to realize that our flawed health care system won’t heal itself, younger physicians are quickly becoming the newest champions of concierge medicine. Whether it’s the daily grind of seeing hundreds of patients each week but knowing none of them well, evenings filled with endless administrative tasks and no time to enjoy activities with their young families or to care for themselves, these doctors are no longer willing to accept the status quo. The physicians profiled below are part of the new generation blazing an early-career path to concierge medicine.

The freedom to practice medicine their way is one of the strongest calling cards for these proudly independent physicians.

“Working for others means no control over who gets hired, what technology is used, how much money is made, and many other factors that define your career,” says Amy Loden, M.D., who founded her St. Louis-based concierge internal and lifestyle medicine practice at age 38 in 2021. “If you don’t make decisions for how you want to live, others will make them for you. This model enables me to control of every aspect of my practice and my life.”

Spurred by her seven-year-old’s lament that “you love your job more than me,” she made the change to concierge medicine with the help of Specialdocs. Fittingly, her new office was designed with a family focus, including a conference room converted into a comfortable place for youngsters to do homework and watch TV.

John Moultrie, MD

While she now has time to enjoy simple pleasures like ice skating with her kids, she also relishes the opportunity to explore root causes during unrushed patient visits. “I dig deep to understand what a symptom like a headache really means. Is it from sleep deprivation, or worry that a spouse lost their job? It’s a responsibility and a great privilege to care for the whole patient.”

For John Moultrie, M.D., 37, the opportunity to provide more holistic care couldn’t arrive quickly enough. Employed immediately after residency by a large hospital system in Atlanta, his patient panel grew to unsustainable levels, reaching more than 6,000 in the last few years.

“I poured my heart and soul into trying to provide concierge-type care,” he says.” But I was leaving every appointment wishing I had more time to delve into patients’ issues and implement changes.” He explored his options carefully, choosing Specialdocs in 2023 as a model “with proven success where I could practice truly independently and care for patients in a much more personalized way.”

“I never felt I was too young to do this,” he says. “The short-term risk is well worth the long-term reward of spending most of your career practicing medicine and building relationships with patients the way you always envisioned and enjoying a personal life.”

Priya Mathur, M.D.

After 14 years at a large HMO, Priya Mathur, M.D., 44, joined a thriving Specialdocs-affiliated Northern Virginia concierge medicine practice at the start of 2023, and says it made a world of difference in her career. She now has unhurried appointments with each patient and newfound time for family vacations.

“Before I was always exhausted, frazzled from beginning to end of each day,” she says. “Now my patient panel is much smaller and growing at a manageable pace. I can fully listen to patients who often don’t feel heard by busy doctors, conduct hour-long physicals, and continually follow up on their progress. Having time to do this is a gift.”

Loden, Mathur and Moultrie say their experience makes a compelling case for making the change now.

“My biggest regret is waiting until I was eight years out of residency,” Loden says.

REGISTER HERE to learn more from the next generation of concierge physicians at the Medical Economics/Specialdocs webinar .

Terry Bauer is the CEO of Specialdocs, and Mindy Kolof is the public relations strategist for Specialdocs. Since 2002 Specialdocs has worked to transform physicians’ professional lives with a change to its industry-leading concierge medicine model.