In 2007, Joshua Bell was one of the best classical musicians in the world. That morning, he stood on a street corner in Washington, D.C. during the morning rush. The Washington Times described it as “one of the finest classical musicians in the world, playing some of the most elegant music ever written, on one of the most valuable violins ever made [a $3.5 million Stradivari].”
However, despite the surrounding crowd, only seven people stopped to listen.
But in a way, you can’t blame them. People have a lot on their minds today. A Kaiser survey reported in February that the number 1 concern of Americans is unexpected medical bills.
More recently, their former CEO wrote that diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart failure have doubled in the last 20 years, now striking six out of every ten Americans. These diseases are preventable and yet they are literally killing us!
What was the CEO’s solution? Primary care.
Primary care physicians should be your first point of contact for all things healthcare. They’re designed to provide you with a continuous, personal, high-trust relationship. They’re trained in the prevention of diseases—helping you to avoid unnecessary testing and treatment.
But there’s a growing shortage of primary care doctors. Nearly 70% of primary care physicians are employed by hospital systems, where the average wait time for an appointment is 26 days, and they’re saddled with such workload and productivity requirements that only one-quarter of their time is spent face-to-face with you.
That’s why we’re so excited about HealthTap.
HealthTap now powers CHM’s Virtual Care Solution, offering CHM members nearly immediate access to primary healthcare. By using HealthTap, you’ll have your primary care provider available to you from anywhere an internet signal is found.
Register for HealthTap today—and when you do, schedule an annual preventative health assessment with your new primary care physician. It can change your life.
Additional references:
- Basu S, Berkowitz SA, Phillips RL, Bitton A, Landon BE, Phillips RS. Association of Primary Care Physician Supply With Population Mortality in the United States, 2005-2015. JAMA Intern Med. 2019 Apr 1;179(4):506-514. doi: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2018.7624. PMID: 30776056; PMCID: PMC6450307.
