A letter from Dr. Lundquist - Sept. 9th 2014
We finally did it!
TCIM is open and we have started seeing patients. Yeah!!!
The first few weeks have been a “little bumpy” due to some unforeseen circumstances, but overall it has been an overwhelming success. We couldn't have done it without your support, so I want to start by thanking each and every one of you for being part of TCIM and helping create a transformational healthcare experience. If it weren't for the encouragement of my friends, family, and patients, I wouldn't be writing this letter to you today.
My passion for Integrative Medicine came many years ago when I clearly saw the benefits of a holistic approach to healthcare (whole mind, body, spirit) versus the Western Medical model of “symptom management.” Integrative medicine just makes sense. Utilize the best of “both” modalities and combine western medical philosophies with scientifically backed alternative treatments. Utilizing a full spectrum of healthcare resources like medical care, chiropractic, massage therapy, naturopathy, nutritional counseling and more…we can get to the root cause of disease and allow patients to heal at the deepest level and truly transform their lives.
Practicing Integrative medicine as a physician creates its own challenges as far as my schedule is concerned. Most of my patients are quite complicated and suffer from rare and chronic conditions that require a significant amount of my time to analyze, test, and create a systematic healthcare plan for them to follow. Each of my office visits are typically between 30-60 minutes.
To say that we have an “overwhelming demand” for our services would be an understatement. I always knew that there was a need for an integrative clinic here in Temecula but the response that we have received over the past few months has been quite mind blowing! I personally have received over 600 requests for an appointment…and I am only one of 7 practitioners! Although I am humbled by all of the demand, it has put a strain on our front desk team and they are struggling to keep up with all of the phone calls and e-mails.
Demand for our services is a “good problem to have” from a business perspective…but unfortunately I am only one person and have a limited amount of availability to see patients. Under the Western Medicine model which we all agree does not work very well, an average physician can see 25-30 patients per day (I even know some that see 60 per day. Using an integrative medical approach (which we talked about above)…I am now only seeing 8-9 patients a day (as we get started, but plan on never seeing more than 15 per day when we are at full throttle). The benefit is that I now get the time and resources I need to make lasting and profound health changes, but I am not able to see as many patients as I did before.
The good news is…this is why I wanted to create TCIM in the first place! I knew that if I was really going to practice Integrative Medicine and make an impact on people’s lives I was not going to be able to do it all by myself. I was going to have to partner with some of the best healthcare practitioners in the country, and that is exactly what I did!
The purpose of this letter is to let you know that the physicians and physician assistants at TCIM were all hand picked for their personal and professional approach with their patients. They are all well versed in Integrative Medicine and some of them have been practicing it longer than I have!
We are a very close and “integrated” unit and we constantly share notes, ideas, and diagnoses with one another. We openly discuss patient healthcare plans and I am confident that you will absolutely love each and every one of these amazing practitioners.
So please, when you call to make an appointment don’t hesitate to get in quickly to see one of our physicians or P.A’s. We can hopefully get you in within a week or two…in comparison to my waiting list which is now pushed out many months. You will get the same level of healthcare treatment that you are accustomed to when seeing me...maybe even better. ;)
It is my sincerest hope that you are able to get into see us really soon and create lasting relationships with these amazing practitioners going forward. I can’t wait for you to meet them!
Warmest regards,
Erik Lundquist, M.D.