Press Release For Thursday July 5, 2012

MDPrevent & Consumer Reports Agree 
On The Need For Preventive Medicine

MDPrevent Offers The “Prevention Attention” 
Advocated For By July 2012 Issue

MDPrevent, a primary care medical practice focused on preventive medicine and wellness offers the full range of preventive medicine and wellness services desired by patients.

Delray Beach, FL July 3, 2012

According to Consumer Reports on Health (CR), “Immunizations, cancer screenings, lifestyle counseling, and other wellness measures can save lives. But your doctor may be falling short when it comes to making sure you’re up to date on the services you need.” CR cites a January 2012 study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine to support is conclusions.

CR is spot on. In 2011, Medicare implemented new coverage for Annual Wellness Visits (AWV) as part of a growing menu of preventive services. As with many other preventive services, the AWV requires no co-payment or deductible.  Yet, in 2011, only 6% of patients received this service from doctors who performed it and many did not receive the proper service. Why? As CR writes, “wellness gets squeezed” because “it doesn’t pay for doctors” to do it, for many doctors “its awkward territory,” and “most doctors don’t have the time.” Wellness, according to CR, when even done, is typically not the “focal point”; rather, “wellness gets squeezed into visits when people have a problem.”  

Working within Medicare’s guidelines for AWV, MDPrevent, a primary care, preventive medicine, and wellness center was launched to fully address the wellness needs of Americans. MDPrevent’s innovative medical practice combines in one location the expertise needed to provide the full spectrum of wellness services. With a team consisting of a physician, nurse practitioner, nutritionist/registered dietitian, health psychologist, fitness and yoga instructor, and health educator, MDPrevent can uniquely help patients enjoy life to the fullest, free of disease.

The MDPrevent model is sure to become the future of integrative medicine enabling patients to draw on the full expertise and guidance they need from their primary care office to avoid, delay, or mitigate chronic diseases and improve their current quality of life.

As one part of MDPrevent’s offerings, it custom developed the LEAN program, a medically supervised 12 week personalized lifestyle modification program that includes initial medical assessment, coupled with private consultations with a nutritionist/dietitian, psychologist, fitness and yoga instructor, and health educator, and rounded out with a final medical assessment. Patients then continue with private consultations as needed or join support group and educational group sessions. The program aims for slow, but steady and sustainable lifestyle modification and weight loss by focusing on healthy living and well-being. In addition, MDPrevent is also a Certified Diabetes Education Center catering to the nutritional and educational needs of diabetics.

MDPrevent was founded by Dr. Steven Charlap, a pioneering physician with an MD from New York University, an MBA from Harvard, and general surgery training. In 1989, he founded HealthDrive, which grew it to be the largest U.S. medical and dental practice serving the extended care industry. Over twenty years, HealthDrive cared for over 5 million seniors and Dr. Charlap witnessed first-hand what happens to people who don’t take adequate care of their health, are institutionalized and become dependent on the kindness of strangers. According to Dr. Charlap, “It is sad to see people end their lives in a nursing home. You realize that in such a setting relatively little can be done to improve health at that point. Even more frustrating was that one couldn’t even try because Medicare and Medicaid basically shunned preventive services.”

In 2010, after Dr. Charlap learned that Medicare was initiating coverage for wellness services that can positively impact people’s lives while saving Medicare money, he founded MDPrevent to create an innovative preventive medicine, primary care, and education center focused on providing community based services to help people change their lifestyles to avoid and mitigate chronic diseases. Dr. Charlap states, “The scientific evidence shows that the longer you live, the healthier you’ve been.” After extensive research and consultations with the experts in the field of primary prevention, an interdisciplinary dream team of Preventioneers was assembled.

Testimonials from patients include comments like, “I finally have my head on straight” or “it’s changed my life.” (See www.mymdprevent.com, Testimonials). According to Dr. Charlap, “I see the smiles on people’s faces when they complete a session for the day. They feel empowered and for the first time in a long time, in control of their health and their weight. I know we are really on to something that can change the future of healthcare.”

About MDPrevent

MDPrevent is a new concept in primary care that seamlessly integrates primary care, preventive medicine, and wellness. The healthcare practice helps American’s prevent problems before they happen, reduce healthcare costs, stay healthy, and enjoy a life well lived through free Annual Wellness Visits (paid 100% by Medicare and most major insurances) The Annual Wellness Visit includes a comprehensive health risk assessment, biometric measurements, review and analysis of prescription, supplement and vitamin use, nutrition review, and development of a five- to 10-year prevention plan.

MDPrevent’s Preventioneers, or Prevention Pioneers, include MDs, nurse practitioners, health psychologists, registered dietitians and nutritionists, fitness and yoga instructors, and health educators, offer private consultations and experiential group sessions, medically supervised weight loss (with no pills, injections or surgery - paid 100% by most insurances if you qualify) and other classes on health, diet and nutrition, fitness and exercise, stress management, mindfulness, relationship and social network building, and other key elements of a healthy life. The goal: to improve life and smooth out the effects of aging by identifying, preventing, delaying or mitigating the development of chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, stroke, dementia and some forms of cancer. Learn more at http://www.MyMDPrevent.com. Read Dr. Charlap’s blog at mdprevent.blogspot.com

MDPrevent
5130 Linton Blvd. Suite H1

Delray Beach, FL 33484
(561) 807-2561