Home 9 News 9 AIM Health Welcomes Dr. Summer Lam, as Concierge Clinics Continue to Grow

AIM Health Welcomes Dr. Summer Lam, as Concierge Clinics Continue to Grow

Feb 13, 2020

Concierge, or retainer-based medical clinics, are increasing nationally. Concierge clinics are ideal for patients who are tired of rushed office visits – often with a non-physician provider or a doctor they don’t know – because they offer patients more access to their personal physician and allow physicians the time to provide the highest caliber of healthcare service to their patients. AIM Health, in SW Portland, is honored to announce its continued growth as a concierge clinic and the addition of its newest physician, Dr. Summer Lam.

Dr. Summer LamDr. Lam is an internal medicine specialist practicing medicine in the Portland area for the past 14 years. She enjoys proving the knowledge and support to help patients make sound decisions regarding their health. Born and raised in Honolulu, Dr. Lam completed medical school at the John A. Burns School of Medicine at the University of Hawaii in Honolulu. She is certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine. Prior to AIM Health, she worked at The Portland Clinic, then Providence Medical Group in Newberg.

“As a culture, we still have an image of the country doctor with a medical bag invested in the lives of individual patients, but that’s not how today’s healthcare systems are structured,” said Dr. Lam. “In today’s world, physicians work against the clock to see a large number of patients. I joined AIM Health to practice medicine in a different way, in an environment where the patient-physician relationship is honored, and I have the time and resources to deliver the best care available for my patients.”

Today’s typical corporate healthcare model rewards doctors for seeing patients in bulk. Patients are seen in quick 15-minute office visits and doctors are often assigned more than 2,000 patients to their panels. Large panels and rushed office visits create long patient wait times and delays to getting refills or having questions answered. This structure reduces the time spent with each patient, which can impact the doctor’s ability to manage and follow up on complex issues.

At AIM Health, the concierge model of doing business changes how a patient interacts with their doctor. Patients pay a monthly fee to gain more access to their doctor, who takes care of fewer patients overall. This improves access for both appointments and phone/email access, and allows longer appointment times, as well as 24/7 access to the doctor for questions and counseling via email or phone. AIM Health has been in business for four years and continues to grow.

“Our patients have expressed the desire to experience healthcare differently,” said Dr. Amy Gillcrist, founder of AIM Health. “We’re able to spend more time with each of our patients both in office visits as well as managing their care outside of office visits. We make time to connect with each patient and to research and more deeply address health conditions. Our patients know they are getting great care and they feel valued.”

Learn more about concierge medicine.

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