I am writing to inform you of a change to my medical practice and to invite you to join me. For quite a while I have desired to redefine my practice and utilize the best way to work with the holistic principles I find so important. In 2015, I began to work with a portion of my patients in a model of primary care known as “membership medicine.” I am writing to announce that I have decided to transition to this model for my entire practice moving forward.

In the membership medicine model patients pay a fee to join the practice. The practice is set up so the physician can better concentrate their focus, and the possibilities of what can be offered are expanded. This is the step I am taking to practice in the way I see best for my patients.

Partnering to Make Wellness a Priority

This new model will limit the size of my practice to just a few hundred patients. Joining my practice will allow you to enjoy many significant benefits not typically found in a medical practice today — which will translate into better health and vitality for you. These are just a few of the many benefits:

• Extended office visits to explore more deeply the roots of issues and create a plan for optimal health
• Same-day or next-day appointments for your convenience, and brief or no office wait times
• Easy and direct communication with me via phone, text, or email – for your peace of mind and possibly eliminating the need for an appointment altogether
• Guidance and care coordination in the event of need for specialty referrals or hospital stays
• Home visits
• Reduced likelihood of emergency department visits and hospitalizations

Expanding the Illness Model of Healthcare… to Include Advanced Prevention

My practice is ideally suited for the patient with — or without — medical complexity.

Having a champion who can provide the level of advocacy needed to make sense of a health care system that can seemed fractured and complicated is essential when you have medical needs.

For those who say, “I don’t need a doctor because I’m not sick,” I embody a different model of care where coming to the doctor helps the well to stay well — and to function at a peak level. I create the space to scrutinize your daily functioning and our goal is to optimize the intricacies of your life. I think it works well to have regularly scheduled meetings regardless of “need,” where we first and foremost build a mutual understanding which will be central in times of illness. It also is the platform to instill lifestyle patterns that have the potential to avert future illness. It’s true prevention at its purest. Strong, practical approaches to stress management, nutrition, and your mental and spiritual orientation are examples of this fine-tuning arena.

In celebration of this new way of practicing, our name has changed to The Berkshire Center for Whole Health.

An Integrated Approach

In the past ten years, I’ve extended my education with a formal training and mentoring in holistic medicine. Its philosophy informs and extends the possibilities provided by modern medicine. This is not a replacement for my traditional training, it simply extends the options. Many days, having the ability to integrate a holistic perspective makes just the right difference.

I believe that medicine’s potential is much more than what we see today. A doctor’s role as educator should bring patients to a place of deeper understanding of who they are in the world. To me medicine is ultimately about self-empowerment through self-knowledge and growth.

I’m sure our new practice will redefine your expectations for medical care!

Membership Options

A membership fee allows access to the program; this fee is not covered by health insurance. In addition to the fee, your insurance will be billed for office visits as usual. There are three service tiers; payments may be made monthly, quarterly, or yearly for your convenience. Please visit the Membership Options page to see details.

How to Continue as my Patient

After July 31, 2017 I will only be seeing patients who have elected to join. I understand that some people will not choose to stay with the practice and if so, I will do everything I can to ease a transition to a new physician in the area.

Since we will limit our overall number of patients, I encourage you to assure your place now. There are three simple ways to join my practice.

If you have questions, please do not hesitate to contact me. I am always happy to talk with you in the office or by phone.

It has been my privilege to be your doctor and to care for you and I look forward to building on our relationship.

With warm regards,

Joseph Cooney, MD