ONEONTA, N.Y. — A Central New York physician is about to embark on a new adventure — one that will lead her away from the typical health care model and toward an increasingly popular and innovative type of care.

As of Jan. 1, Dr. Mary Ellen Hoffman, of Oneonta, New York, will no longer be seeing patients at the local family care practice where she has worked since 2010, she said Thursday. Instead, she will be opening her own private practice called Hoffman Family Medicine.

Hoffman’s practice will make use of direct primary care, a health care model that’s gaining traction with medical personnel and patients alike. The direct primary care model, or concierge medicine, allows the patient to pay a monthly fee to the physician instead of sending claims to insurance providers.

That fee — $50 a month for individuals ages 20 and older and $15 a month for anyone younger than 20 — will give area patients unlimited primary care office visits, including check-ups, annual physicals, sick visits and chronic care management, according to Hoffman. It will also give them access to Hoffman’s email address and phone number, which they can call or text 24/7 with concerns or questions, she said.

Hoffman said she heard about the unique model while on a recent retreat in Oregon with 50 or so other doctors who are looking to make the switch. She’s hoping to open her practice, which will also employ a nurse/receptionist, in January, she said.

More and more physicians around the country are embracing direct primary care to increase patient access, improve value and reduce costs, according to the national Direct Primary Care Coalition. The model has also been discussed by various media outlets, including Time, Forbes and The New York Times in recent years.

Visits to Hoffman Family Medicine will last between 30 and 60 minutes, and appointments will be on time and not rushed, Hoffman said. Hours will be flexible, she said, and she will also make home visits if needed.

“It’s kind of like joining a gym with a monthly membership fee,” Hoffman said. “I want to give patients a different option. And the experience and support I have had while at Oneonta Family Practice has given me the confidence to give this next chapter a try.”

Medications, some lab tests, imaging and referrals will not be covered by membership fees, she said, so patients may need insurance for these. Hoffman will still be affiliated with the local family care practice she worked for, with the ability to use its labs, imaging and patient records and admit patients.

With more than 1,000 patients, costly documentation demands and administrative intrusions, Hoffman began to feel the pressure in recent years at the local family care practice because she wasn’t able to spend the appropriate amount of time with patients and felt rushed, she said. When a practice uses insurance for payment, it becomes “all about seeing a certain volume of patients,” she added.

By avoiding the obligations to insurance companies, Direct Primary Care physicians are “free to spend that time listening to and treating patients,” Hoffman said.

“The most important thing to me is building trust and relationships with the patients,” Hoffman said. “That’s how you get to the bottom of their health issues. And that takes time. Honestly, it will allow me more time to build relationships, and I believe it’s these relationships that do the real healing work.”

With a husband and two children, Hoffman felt pinched for time in her personal life, as well, she said.

“When you’re trying to see more patients, it sometimes ends up affecting your home life and you miss out on your family. I thought about cutting back my hours and even considered quitting medicine altogether,” Hoffman said. “But I feel like I still have a lot to offer so I didn’t want to do that. Hoffman Family Medicine will allow me to keep the all-important balance between my work and my family. I needed to make some changes so I can live the authentic life I’m always encouraging my patients to live.”

Two of Hoffman’s area patients, Jennifer Tesiero and Marge O’Mara, said they heard about Hoffman from friends who gave “amazing reviews” and have been impressed with her quality of care. They both plan on following her to the new practice, they said.

“The thing that attracted me to her is that she’s talking to you about your whole body and mind to get to the root of what’s going on,” Tesiero said. “She takes a lot of time, she’s not looking at her watch. She’s trying to really understand what’s going and come to a conclusion rather than throwing a pill at you. Everyone I talk to just loves speaking with her.”

O’Mara said she feels that Hoffman cares about her personally.

“I don’t feel like I’m just another person,” O’Mara said. “She’s really willing to listen and follow through.”

As Hoffman prepares to take her practice to new heights, it’s her level of care and her strong track record with patients in the area that prompt such positive reviews and compliments at a time when health care woes nationwide have individuals beyond fed up.  

“There is never any question whether Doc. Hoffman genuinely cares about her patients,” Julee Miller wrote in a Facebook review. “She is willing to discuss and try new approaches with an open mind and heart. She listens without judgment, counsels gently, and ultimately makes you feel like you have a true ally.”

Reynolds writes for The Oneonta (New York) Daily Star.