Notices to our Patients
We would like to thank all of our patients who participated in our patient satisfaction survey. We intend to review your feedback and comments and try to improve your visit to our office. We understand a common concern for our patients is the wait time. We are working on ways to improve this, however, it is the nature of a family practice to sometimes run behind schedule.
If you do not have health insurance, please feel free to ask one of our staff members to provide you with information on our Health Access Alliance Program.
If you do not receive a receipt for payment at the time of your visit, please contact Jamie Handy/Office Manager at 467-3115 Ext. 25.
Reminder: If our phones our on service, you may always leave a message with our answering service.
Questions, suggestions, comments? Send us an email and we will be happy to assist you or you may contact Jamie Handy directly.
To contact our billing company: Ingenix: (800-478-6675)
Refills: refills are filled at the time of your office visit. If you need a refill before your appointment, please contact your pharmacy and request an E-prescription be sent. We will not be accepting refill fax requests.
Interview by Russell J. Moore from The Warwick Beacon
Dr. Martin Kerzer
Doctor of the Year says health reform should focus on primary care
by Russell J. Moore
Dr. Martin Kerzer, a popular primary care doctor with an office located on Post Road, has been selected the physician of the year by the Rhode Island Primary Care Physician Corporation.
Kerzer, a pioneer in implementing electronic medical records, has a reputation for working relentlessly on behalf his patients, and advocating real solutions to bring care to the uninsured.
“Dr. Kerzer spends more time looking at the quality of what he’s doing than anyone else I know,” said Dr. Michael Fine, a colleague of Kerzer’s whom he’s known for more than 20 years.
Fine said Kerzer thinks nothing of spending hours on trying to come up with better, more efficient systems and methods of monitoring his diabetic patients. For Kerzer, Fine said, it’s all about improving care.
Fine also said he’s impressed by Kerzer’s knack for reaching out to ethnic communities and ability to relate to people from different cultures—an important, but not always an easy task for doctors. In particular, Kerzer has reached out to Rhode Island’s Hmong population and provided them with medical care.
“He’s always been willing and able to take care of ethnic communities,” said Fine. “I’ve learned a lot from Dr. Kerzer. One man can do a lot of good by just paying close attention to the needs of their patients.”
Even today, few doctors have access to medical records. But Kerzer began implementing them at his office several years ago.
The medical records make it easier for doctors to transmit information about their patients to specialists and hospitals, making for better care. They also cut down on costs, as doctors don’t have to duplicate tests nearly as often.
Many doctors have been unwilling to implement the cost saving technology, in large part because the doctor would assume the upfront cost, whereas the insurance companies would encumber the savings.
Kerzer said his advocacy for electronic medical records was a large factor in his being named Physician of the Year.
But Kerzer has been equally involved in trying to get primary care for uninsured patients.
Kerzer was one of the first doctors to sign on to Health Access RI. Health Access RI allows the uninsured to see a primary care doctor for as little as $30 per month, and a co-pay of either $5 or $10 before each visit.
The program is an attempt to get those who can’t afford insurance regularly seeing doctors, which will cut down on illnesses through preventive care. Reduced costs soon follow.
Kerzer was modest about receiving the distinction.
“I’m honored,” he said.
“Our organization (Rhode Island Primary Care Physician Corporation) has some of the most prestigious and well respected doctors in the state. I’m very proud just to be part of that organization.”
According to the organization’s Web site, the Rhode Island Primary Care Physicians Corporation is an independent practice association (IPA) of primary care physicians located throughout the state of Rhode Island. The IPA, originally formed in 1994, represents 163 physicians from Family Practice, Internal Medicine, OB/GYN and Pediatrics. The physician corporation also has an affiliation with over 200 specialty-care member physicians.
The group honored Kerzer at their annual meeting in late May at the Crowne Plaza Hotel. Kerzer, when asked about health care reform, said it’s all about getting patients more involved with their primary care physicians.
“If we can build a system around primary care physicians, there will be better care at lower costs,” said Kerzer.
He also called for parity in compensation between primary care physicians and specialists. Specialists are paid far more than primary care doctors.
That’s given medical students an incentive to become specialists, leading to a shortage in primary care doctors. Not a good thing for the health care system.
“Until we address the compensation issue, we’re going to have less and less primary care doctors,” said Kerzer.
