- What is concierge medicine and why is it different?
-
Concierge medicine is a different type of primary care that’s based on a simple concept: eliminating barriers between patients and physicians. We believe that by spending more time with your doctor—and getting the personalized care you truly deserve—you can achieve a higher level of wellness.
Watch our video to learn more about the benefits of concierge medicine »
- Do I have to become a member in order to use your services?
- Yes. The benefits of our services depend on a contract between the doctor and the patient.
- Why are there monthly fees?
- Monthly membership fees in primary healthcare is certainly a new idea. Here's why it makes sense for both of us! In a conventional model, primary care physicians are reimbursed by insurance companies for the individual visits you make to the doctor’s office. This model creates a monetary incentive for doctors to see as many patients as possible each day. And even if you have good insurance, there can still be unpredictable costs involved in your care. With a concierge model, things are different. The predictable monthly membership fee allows your doctor to provide you with exceptional care, beyond what a typical primary care facility is setup to do. You get longer appointments, virtual visits or virtual “house calls”, and proactive data-driven health tracking. At Novara, your doctor is your trusted advisor, proactively working to improve your health.
- How does a membership start and what happens once I become a member?
- We ask interested parties to schedule a complimentary tour so we have a chance to meet and explain Novara's model, introduce our staff, and to make certain that all questions are answered. If we both feel that our practice is a proper fit for your medical needs, we schedule an onboarding visit, typically 2-4 weeks later.
- What is an Art of Wellness Visit?
- Think of this visit as a strategic planning session for your health. This two-hour session gives us a chance to learn about the real you. What do you enjoy? Who do you spend your time with? What matters most to you? Where can we improve your health? What current ailments bother you? What goals do you have in the immediate and not so immediate future? During this visit we will also perform a complete physical exam. If screening bloodwork, immunizations or an EKG are needed, we will offer these to you during this visit.
- Do you offer Women’s Health services?
- Absolutely. Erin Leber, CRNP, has extensive experience working in women’s healthcare. Prior to joining Novara, Erin worked in an Obstetrics & Gynecology practice in York, PA. She has a passion for helping women navigate the challenges they face at any stage of life. Dr. Stephanie Onguka also specializes in women's health and can answer any questions when she is available at the Lancaster office. Erin, Dr. Stephanie, and Dr. Hager can complete exams, offer advice, and coordinate women’s care.
- Do I have to pay the membership fee all at once?
- No. We have learned from iconic customer service organizations within and outside of healthcare and recognize the importance of flexibility in collecting membership fees. You can pay monthly, quarterly, semi-annually or annually. You can also cancel at any time.
- Do you see children?
- Absolutely. Dr. Hager completed a residency program that included extensive pediatric, adolescent, and newborn care. However, we believe that newborn care is best left to providers who spend most of their time with newborns. With that said, we delight and are privileged to care for children ages 5 and up. We certainly consider ourselves a concierge family practice. It is quite beneficial to provide care for one member of a family when you understand the dynamics of the rest of the members of the family.
- How does this program work with specialists?
- Dr. Hager works closely with the region’s leading medical and surgical specialists. We are often able to arrange an electronic consultation where a medical opinion is provided without patients seeing a specialist in their office. If an in-person office visit is necessary, Novara’s team will coordinate your calendar with the specialist’s availability. Many patients feel this coordination dramatically enhances the care you receive from the specialist. Additionally, Dr. Hager’s involvement allows him to “quarterback” the care delivered and make sure that all team members work together to achieve the best outcome for your health.
- Are you part of Penn Medicine/Lancaster General Health?
- Novara Health is privately owned and operated, but maintains close connections with Penn Medicine/Lancaster General Health. We utilize the Epic Electronic Health Record (a world-class system which is typically only available to large organizations and used by Penn, Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic, Johns Hopkins and others). Epic allows us to keep your health information in one, safe place and collaborate directly with other providers. Seeing a specialist at LGHealth? Excellent, we can communicate directly with them in your chart. Receive your yearly mammogram at the Outpatient Pavilion? All of your records will be visible to us right here at Novara. We are proud of the relationships we have outside of our four walls. Prefer to utilize another health system in our community? Great! We’d be pleased to honor your wishes and facilitate care accordingly. And, we routinely refer beyond our community as desired for specialty care at quaternary health systems such as Penn Medicine, the Mayo Clinic, Memorial Sloan Kettering, Johns Hopkins and others. You can rest assured that Novara provides you with the greatest resources available to deliver personalized, innovative, relationship-based care.
Read David’s StoryPartnering with a doctor who knows me and is available when I need help is incredibly beneficial.