First the post office, now Scotia’s doctors get shaft
In 2009, Scotia nearly lost its post offi ce because “big government” determined it was not cost-effective. The locals rallied in protest and, in the end, kept the post offi ce that served the community for as long as we can remember. Now village folk face another challenge, losing their doctors: Dr. [J.W.] Chen, who has been in practice here for over 35 years, and his partner, Dr. [Saaket] Gupta. When we moved to Glenville 25 years ago, we were delighted to find local practitioners who not only cared for our physical needs, but also took the time to know us as individuals, resulting in the most holistic and comprehensive of care. Dr. Chen, Dr. Gupta and their wonderful, caring staff were always just a phone call and short drive away. We felt safe and well cared for in every way. Now, however, corporate greed in the name of Community Care Physicians has determined that Dr. Chen’s office no longer brings in sufficient revenue to make his Scotia practice viable. He and Dr. Gupta must join the large group practice in Niskayuna, where Dr. Chen will no longer be in charge. How unfair to Dr. Chen, who truly believed he would grow old caring for his patients, who are the heart and soul of his professional life; how unfair to the patients (from Schenectady, Montgomery and Saratoga counties), who could easily reach the office of their trusted physicians how unfair to Dr. Chen’s loyal staff, who now are forced to find other employment as they are not needed in the Niskayuna office; how unfair that the village of Scotia is once again the target of those whose bottom line is money! We encourage Dr. Chen’s and Dr. Gupta’s patients to write or call Community Care Physicians’ Latham headquarters or sign a petition in Dr. Chen’s office and rally to keep our doctors where they belong.
Community Care physicians is not "big government." They are a a private business. If the Scotia doctors decided to become part of the conglomerate to take advantage of purchasing power, etc...then they need to face the consequences if their branch is a drain in the big picture.
Community Care physicians is not "big government." They are a a private business. If the Scotia doctors decided to become part of the conglomerate to take advantage of purchasing power, etc...then they need to face the consequences if their branch is a drain in the big picture.
Our local Community Care is owned by a very large corporation from another state. These doctors are required to see X amount of patients per day. They are allow 15 minutes per patient. (except for yearly physicals). Nurse practitioners and physician's assistants do the bulk of the work as far as seeing patients. Why? Cause it's cheaper.
My recommendation to these 2 doctors is to go off on their own and start their own private practice. Purchasing power is just a bullsh!t ploy. A nice little false selling feature. There are private physicians out there that are doing just fine without a 'group' to negotiate.
All of my doctors are NOT corporate related. They are ALL private physicians! There is no one behind the big green curtain pulling the levers. We're not in OZ anymore!!!!! And actually NEVER were.
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
I was shocked and outraged when I opened the Jan. 11 paper and read the letter about the loss of Scotia’s doctors, Dr. Chen and Dr. Gupta, at the hand of Community Care Physicians. I implore you to cover this important story to inform the residents of Scotia and patients of surrounding counties of this development and give them a chance to once again fight for the village of Scotia to retain this wonderful, caring practice that so many people have counted on for 30-plus years to provide excellent health care. Your readers deserve all the facts in this case.
Since when is it the media's responsibility to notify a 'village' that a doctor's office is going to close? It should be up to the 'private' business to inform their patients directly...OR....perhaps the 'private' business, in this case Capital Care, should have advertised the closing in the local newspapers! I mean really!
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
Since when is it the media's responsibility to notify a 'village' that a doctor's office is going to close? It should be up to the 'private' business to inform their patients directly...OR....perhaps the 'private' business, in this case Capital Care, should have advertised the closing in the local newspapers! I mean really!
Our local Community Care is owned by a very large corporation from another state. These doctors are required to see X amount of patients per day. They are allow 15 minutes per patient. (except for yearly physicals). Nurse practitioners and physician's assistants do the bulk of the work as far as seeing patients. Why? Cause it's cheaper.
Bumble, interesting info. Curious, how do you know about the group being owned by an out of state corp. My mom had a doc in a different group locally and I'd like to look up info like that on them but I wouldn't know where to begin.
Optimists close their eyes and pretend problems are non existent. Better to have open eyes, see the truths, acknowledge the negatives, and speak up for the people rather than the politicos and their rich cronies.
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
Alot of the MD offices are 'run' under a national umbrella insurance company......again, lets ask our 'leaders' about that healthcare bill....they wont face the animal they want to take it over and take our soul with it......just different in name, they will still see X amount of patients in 1hour....AND.. there WILL be union formation of healthcare workers.....is everyone happy with that??????
...you are a product of your environment, your environment is a product of your priorities, your priorities are a product of you......
The replacement of morality and conscience with law produces a deadly paradox.
STOP BEING GOOD DEMOCRATS---STOP BEING GOOD REPUBLICANS--START BEING GOOD AMERICANS
This is in response to the closing of Dr. J.W. Chen’s offices in Scotia by the Community Care Physicians [Jan. 11 Gazette]. The administrative/executive personnel of Community Care Physicians should be ashamed! To force a longstanding local physician out of practice because the corporation is not fiscally responsible is atrocious. Not to mention that the quality of care that the office gives to patients is not even entered into the equation. To further force the disassembling of his staff and only offer placement to one of the three primary medical professionals, is an abomination. When corporate entities enter into the medical area, only bad can come of it. While America may need a revamping of its health care system, it should be with the input of those individuals who utilize it daily, monthly or yearly. It should not be a decision for government or corporate entities, such as Community Care, to close or retire a physician solely on profit margins. Nor should it be these entities that falsely dictate what yours or my life is worth in terms of reimbursement ratios. We’ve relied on the medical staff at Dr. Chen’s office for more than 25 years. When a family member sought medical attention from another Community Care physician and was told it was just old age and the flu, we sought the advice of Dr. J.W. Chen and found his experience and understanding of the situation remarkable. If not for Dr. Chen ,this family member would have literally died. If, by chance, Dr. Chen decides to remain a practicing physician, returning to his roots in the “small blue house,” this is definitely one family that would move with him. It is this writer’s sincere hope that Dr. J.W. Chen remains in practice. This area needs individuals like him and his staff.
When we continue to purchase insurance to pay our medical bills is where we get into trouble....where do we think these companies are invested is some sort of incestuous way? along with politicians unions etc.......so really we are reaping what we have sown for a whole generation of easy money....what do we think insurance is??? it's just another form of gambling...me investing and gambling on you so that my 401k/government pension/union pension etc will grow grow grow.....so now here we sit 'legalizing' the same damn thing for our schools in NYS with the NYS lottery dept..... ....will we ever learn???.......I cant afford you and you cant afford me......get off my back and dont tread on me......
.....BTW this is AMERICA and Dr.Chen is welcome to practice as he wishes......as I am sure he will, he's not a stupid man......
...you are a product of your environment, your environment is a product of your priorities, your priorities are a product of you......
The replacement of morality and conscience with law produces a deadly paradox.
STOP BEING GOOD DEMOCRATS---STOP BEING GOOD REPUBLICANS--START BEING GOOD AMERICANS
SCOTIA Patients lament move of beloved doctor Group reportedly plans to close Chen’s village office as cost-cutting measure BY MICHAEL LAMENDOLA Gazette Reporter
For 35 years, Dr. Jung-Wen Chen has provided patients with a kind of old-fashioned medical care they have come to depend on — intimate, hands-on, take-your-time care. Now his patients are worried they will lose something special when he relocates in April from his medical office on Mohawk Avenue in Scotia to a medical facility on River Road in Niskayuna operated by Community Care Physicians. Chen, 67, does not want to relocate to Niskayuna, but Community Care Physicians is requiring he do so, he said. Chen is an employee and stockholder in the physicianowned, physician-run multispecialty medical group. The medical group is closing Chen’s office, which he has operated since 1998, to save money and boost corporate revenues, said sources familiar with the situation. Chen joined Community Care Physicians in 1996. Officials from Community Care Physicians did not return repeated phone calls for comment. They have not formally notified Chen’s patients of the move. Patients are learning about it through letters to the editor and word of mouth. Chen said his office is operating in the red and that the medical group wants to boost referrals to its radiology practice in Latham. “That is the bottom line,” he said. The medical group also operates physical therapy, general surgery, audiology, dermatology and other medical services, all tied into one another through referrals. Despite the corporation’s plans, Chen said, he wants to stay in Scotia and thinks he can increase revenues were he to remain. “We can try and make it here,” he said. His other option is to retire, although he has not made that decision yet. Dr. Saaket Gupta, who works with Chen in Scotia, is also relocating to Niskayuna. The office let go a nurse practitioner earlier as a cost-saving measure, Chen said. ....................>>>>.................>>>>..................http://www.dailygazette.net/De.....r00903&AppName=1
I thought the depiction of Community Care Physicians [CCP] in the Feb. 2 article about Dr. Jung-Wen Chen [“Patients lament move of beloved doctor”] and Feb. 4 editorial [“The business of medicine”] was unfair. CCP is owned and run by physicians, the majority of whom practice primary care, like Dr. Chen. I have been a family physician in the Capital Region since 1987. We all struggle to pay our rent, staff and ourselves. The economic reality in today’s health care is that primary care is undervalued by Medicare and the insurers. To break even, we need to see about four patients an hour. I sympathize with Scotia’s community, losing a fine doctor like Dr. Chen. However, the article mentions that he is consistently in the red. Who makes up the deficit? The other primary care doctors in CCP can do it by seeing more patients, but isn’t that shortchanging our own patients? Dr. Chen could cut his own salary, but I feel that primary care doctors are already at the bottom of the pay scale for doctors. Perhaps some of the responsibility for keeping a valuable resource as Dr. Chen falls on the village of Scotia. I’m sure that if Scotia wanted to keep Dr. Chen badly enough, there are some creative ways it could subsidize his practice.
STEPHEN KINEKE Clifton Park The writer is a member of Community Care Physicians.
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