What does a physician do every day? If your answer is “take care of patients,” you are actually only partially correct. Running a medical practice takes much more than diagnosing patients and administering care–billing, office management, marketing, maintaining records, hiring new talent and myriad other tasks are involved. Because the sheer volume of work can overwhelm the most stalwart physician, Affinity Healthcare Solutions is available to lighten the load.
Affinity is an innovative company made up of professionals who have experience in the health care industry. Its origins are in Palmetto Primary Care, a reputable practice with more than 23 years of caring for Lowcountry residents. According to Vivian Walton, executive director of marketing, the “a-ha” moment for starting Affinity came about when a number of colleagues at Palmetto Primary noted that services such as billing, marketing and office management were appealing to area physicians – even those who weren’t part of the practice.
“We were talking to medical practitioners who weren’t a fit for Palmetto or who didn’t want to join such a large organization,” Walton explained. “We realized there is a need in the health care industry for this, and, through Palmetto Primary Care, we were able to develop Affinity Healthcare Solutions.
“Our billing, marketing and management are now under Affinity,” she continued. “And that allows us to have other clients outside of Palmetto Primary Care. We realized we could grow our scope and expand our services.”
According to Walton, one of the key benefits for physicians who elect services through Affinity is not having to be part of a medical group or hospital network. For physicians who want to open an independent practice but lack certain office resources, Affinity is the ideal solution. Furthermore, all services are offered a la carte, so physicians can pick and choose what their practice needs most.
“Physicians will sometimes go with a hospital system because they don’t want to run a business,” she said. “With the help of Affinity, doctors can run their own practices and not be part of a system – but still have that support. They can focus on taking care of their patients.”
Walton said that the most popular service by far is billing, and, because of its popularity, Affinity has an experienced team in place to efficiently handle claims and paperwork for a variety of clients. Another practice management service offered through Affinity is oversight by an area director, whose role is to consult with the practice and determine which aspects – the front desk, for example – might need more support.
Walton said helping physicians obtain necessary resources to keep an independent practice running smoothly is beneficial for the medical landscape as a whole.
“I think independent practices are important to the general consumer,” she said. “It guarantees that patients have more health care options, and the doctor or practice is able to decide on their own policies.”
The future looks positive for Affinity, as well as for their satisfied clients and their patients. The company is growing steadily – they are already looking for new team members. And, because most services are offered remotely, the Affinity team looks forward to working with medical practices nationwide.
“That’s the beauty of this organization,” Walton said, beaming. “We aren’t bound by a geographical area. We can work with any practice in the United States.”
For more information on Affinity Healthcare Solutions, visit www.affinityhealthcaresolutions.com or call 843-474-6766.
By Denise K. James
