CHRONIC ILLNESS MANGEMENT

Whether due to genetic circumstances or acquired life events, a group of patients will develop ongoing illnesses that must be dealt with as effectively and efficiently as possible. We have the time and resources necessary to see or consult with patients promptly and to personally arrange specialist appointments and imaging studies. Dr. Rod can discuss your case on the phone or in person with other doctors who are caring for you and help you find the best specialist for your problem when the need arises.

I do not want to see patients suffering needless anxiety while waiting to get their test results. We try to track things down and report them back to the patient as quickly as we can. If there is something significant that comes up on a big test, I will make every attempt to call the patient personally because I know they will have many questions that, they will want to ask and have answers in a timely manner.

Patients with chronic illness or life-long diseases are often pushed around from one specialist to another. It can be confusing and frustrating—especially during periods of dire illness—to control your medical treatment and communicate with new doctors. At Santa Maria Medicine we will advocate for you as a patient. If you find yourself in the emergency room—we will be a step-ahead, speaking with your ER physicians and helping to explain your medical history. More patients avoid unnecessary, repetitive or ineffective treatment by having one doctor follow them throughout their lives. 

We keep the stress, as well as the cost of emergency medicine down. One of our top goals is to ensure preventative care—so that costly and often inefficient treatment doesn’t become a part of your busy schedule. Emergency room visits, lengthy and unnecessary hospital stays and disorganized trips between specialists are no longer a reality for our patients—and the investment they make in our practice results in dramatic savings.