We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Alison Levine a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Alison, we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.
I am a pediatrician because being part of a child’s journey toward lifelong health is extremely important. I pursued this path to be on a team with families toward a healthier future for their children, from birth to young adulthood. As a pediatrician I’ve had the opportunity to build wonderful relationships with patients and their families. Before opening Fig Tree Pediatrics, I was part of a busy traditional pediatrics practice where there were many barriers to excellent, holistic care.
I started Fig Tree Pediatrics so that I could prioritize patient and family centered, wellness focused, personalized care every single day. This integrative philosophy ensures that my patients receive comprehensive, evidence based care that respects their individuality and nurtures their overall well-being. I’m deeply committed to building a supportive and inclusive community. I believe that connection and collaboration will create a healthier world for our children.
At Fig Tree Pediatrics, every child is treated like family. I strive to create a warm, welcoming environment where parents and children feel heard, respected, and empowered. At Fig Tree Pediatrics I partner with kids and their families to nurture the health, happiness and wholeness of our young people together, guiding them to thrive in every aspect of their lives.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
At Fig Tree Pediatrics we practice Direct Primary Care, prioritizing the doctor patient relationship in service to high quality, efficient, compassionate care for all of our patients. Families pay a monthly fee for unlimited access to all of our services rather than paying for services individually. Healthcare needs don’t always arise during regular business hours; being able to easily communicate with your doctor is a game-changer for busy parents. Whether you have a quick question or need advice on a more complicated issue, we’re here to support you every step of the way. We believe that healthcare shouldn’t be transactional, and our membership model is a reflection of that. Our commitment to the long-term health of your family includes upfront pricing, increased access, personalized care, and the peace of mind that comes with it.
Fig Tree Pediatrics represents the nurturing, supportive and inclusive health care home that we have created. Just like a fig tree provides shelter and nourishment, we strive to create safe and caring relationships with families. The fig tree’s deep roots and long life represent our commitment to providing steadfast and reliable care throughout childhood and adolescence, laying the foundations for a healthy future. Ultimately, Fig Tree Pediatrics embodies our values of complete, compassionate, reliable care ensuring that every child receives the support that they need to flourish.
Why a membership model? How does this actually look?
Here’s an example.
It’s saturday afternoon and your child has hives all over – for no known reason. In the traditional model, you would likely call the on call doctor or nurse triage, and be directed to the emergency department or urgent care. You’d wait in a crowded waiting room, be seen for a few minutes, be told how to keep your child comfortable (or perhaps worse – get a bunch of invasive and expensive tests that your child didn’t need.) You’d be told to follow up with your pediatrician or an allergist next week. You’d take time to schedule those appointments and miss school and work to attend them. Over a few days you would have spoken to multiple nurses, doctors and receptionists that don’t know you or your child, you’d have spent many hours in waiting rooms and on the phone and would end up with significant medical bills. And forget about the plans you had for the rest of the weekend…
In the direct primary care model, you’d text your pediatrician directly and include a picture of your rashy kiddo. You’d hop on a call or a facetime with Dr. Levine and make a plan together. You would likely not need a trip to the emergency department, a specialist, or anything else. Dr. Levine would send a prescription to your pharmacy if needed, and would call you the next day to check in. And if anything got worse – you know you’d be speaking right to your own doctor.
The benefits of the membership model for pediatrics are endless. When parents don’t have to worry about copays, long waits or speaking to/seeing clinicians that don’t know their child, care is just better. My patients almost never end up in the urgent care or emergency department, specialist visits are rare (because I can just call a specialist on their behalf), and parents and patients miss much less work and school because we are able to schedule convenient visits or avoid a visit all together by using technology!
In a typical practice a pediatrician has 2000-3000 patients. Even the best pediatrician can’t know every patient as an individual. Fig Tree Pediatrics aims for membership to be around 250 patients so that I can truly know each and every one. The practice is almost full!
The office is so kid friendly. Many kids ask me if I live there! (I don’t.). There are toys, couches, craft supplies, snacks and more to help children feel relaxed throughout their visits. I used to think that crying was a norm in a pediatrics office – not anymore! Most kids don’t cry, even with their vaccines, because they feel so relaxed in the office. I also take the time to use evidence based methods to reduce discomfort with procedures, which typical busy offices don’t have the time or interest in doing.
I include home visits for all visits for newborns through 6 months old – including their vaccines. New babies and their caregivers shouldn’t have to leave the house in those first few precious weeks and months. Home visits are available to older kids for a small additional fee.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Resilience – Doing anything new or challenging takes resilience. Medical training can be arduous and many practicing physicians face burnout due to the current system. Throughout those more challenging times, the ability to find the growth in each experience has been very important.
Creativity – Creativity as an outlet and a vehicle for change has been crucial in my journey. From early in my medical training I heard physicians concerns over the current state of medicine. During my training and early career, I was always looking for ways to improve the experience for patients and physicians alike. If you don’t like something, what can you do to make it better? Asking that question over and over helped me focus my goals and create a practice that serves patients and their families in a new and better way.
Community – I could never have reached this point alone. I’ve relied on others, and treasure my ability to give back to my communities as well. Some of my friends say that I “aggressively build community.” I’ll take that compliment. Many people feel disconnected these days. Friends, family, neighbors, colleagues near and far have been integral to reaching this point in my personal and professional life and to my wellbeing along the way.
Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?
Yes absolutely! Part of why I love Fig Tree Pediatrics is the opportunity to collaborate with other professionals and community members who serve families in a holistic, connected, patient centered way. So far I partner with lactation consultants, parent coaches, chiropractors, therapists, herbalists, educators and even chefs and farmers to offer the most comprehensive experience possible to member families. I welcome anyone interested in collaboration to email me at doctor@figtreepediatrics.com
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.figtreepediatrics.com
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