Why does it matter that we are independent physicians?
In short, it means we work for you, not for a hospital system.
Some hospital owned physicians are under pressure to keep referrals within the hospital owned network. In other words, the needs of the hospital system can come before the needs of patients.
At Tristate Arthritis and Rheumatology, your health is our top priority. The best specialist might not necessarily be in the same hospital network. Since we are independent physicians, we are free to refer you to any physician or facility. For example, if you need surgery, we will recommend a surgeon who we feel can provide the best treatment for your needs, regardless of location. If you need testing, such as laboratory work or an MRI, we will send you to a facility that is most convenient for you and your insurance situation, such as one that has the highest quality at the lowest cost. Being independent means we will not just automatically send you to the same hospital network, but will individualize your treatment based on your needs.
Being independent physicians also means we are also not tied down to one medical record system. Some large medical record systems are not capable of importing information from outside networks. No matter where you have been for your medical care or testing, we are able to access your records and integrate them into our medical record system.
Being Independent Means Better Care
Being independent physicians also allows for better integrated care. At Tristate Arthritis and Rheumatology, we believe that integrated care does not mean that all healthcare providers need to work for the same hospital network. Integrated care requires caring physicians who are willing to put in effort to coordinate care in complex situations. As helpful as computers can be, there is no substitute for two physicians personally discussing and coordinating the best treatment for a patient. We have been in the Northern Kentucky community longer than any other rheumatology practice, and our established relationships with physicians in the tristate area along with having no restrictions on referrals allow us to provide the best coordinated and integrated care.
Because we are independent, we at Tristate Arthritis and Rheumatology have no incentive other than to provide you with the best healthcare available.
