DeSimone Functional Medicine

You will experience the difference immediately when you visit us at DeSimone Functional Medicine. Our entire office has been designed to create a relaxing and comfortable experience for you, from the reception area to the exam rooms. You will experience very short, if any, wait times to see me. I will take the time to address your health concerns and questions with me; your office visits will never feel rushed.  

Because my practice is limited to just a few hundred, not thousands, of patients, I really get to know my patients so I can take a more proactive role in your health and wellness — and be there when you need me.

My goal is to provide you with an experience that will not just meet, but exceed, your expectations for a doctor’s office.

Membership medicine (sometimes referred to as “Direct Care” or “Concierge” medicine) is a form of medical practice that emphasizes wellness and disease prevention. By charging an affordable monthly or annual fee, I am able to see many fewer patients, and provide you with extremely convenient, personalized and preventive care when you need it. It’s like having your doctor available at the touch of a button. My focus on ensuring a strong and satisfying doctor-patient relationship is the key to helping you stay healthy.

In fact, it’s the way I’ve always wanted and expected to practice medicine!

Your membership includes an extensive evaluation and Functional Medicine Assessment that incorporates comprehensive screening and diagnostic tests, and focuses on nutrition, fitness and exercise, lifestyle management, mental wellness, stress management, and chronic disease management.

The result is a customized wellness plan that will guide you to achieving and maintaining more optimum health and disease prevention. The plan will include follow-up intervals in the office, as well as other forms of communication support. The exam (which is in addition to insurance- covered or Medicare-covered annual wellness visits), customized plan and individualized follow-up results in a far more holistic, integrated version of medical care.

Also, I can provide a great amount of care by phone, email and text, including virtual visits when appropriate. I am available to discuss concerns evenings and weekends when needed. I am working hard to create a practice where you can reach me when you need me, without having to jump through many hoops! 

You will enjoy greater convenience and peace of mind. You may also find a reduced need for visits to specialists and the emergency department/urgent care. 

See the many services you will receive.

Absolutely. I believe patients would see their doctor more if it were easier, less expensive, more private, and less hassle. 

At DeSimone Functional Medicine, we make it easy for my patients to communicate with me and visit me in the office.  I listen carefully to you to understand how your life, work and family may be affecting your health — physically, mentally, and emotionally. Besides chronic disease management, our focus is on screenings, risk assessments and lifestyle modifications. I want to identify, minimize and /or prevent disease risk factors, concentrating our efforts on your long-term health and wellness. Together we create a personalized plan to achieve and maintain your optimal health. 

Advanced diagnostic tests can help us identify risk factors and health issues before they cause disease, saving you money, time, suffering and higher costs in the long run. Unlike the traditional practice environment, I have the time to deliver this type of comprehensive and detailed care.

People of all ages benefit from the value-added services we offer at DeSimone Functional Medicine. 

It works especially well for:

• Patients desiring easy and direct communication with their doctor.
• Patients who want a doctor to address the root cause of illness, not just treat the symptoms with pills and procedures.
• Those who want to take part in improving their health and staying well.
• Patients who want a physician with traditional training but an open mind to non-traditional treatments (examples include health coaching, meditation, acupuncture).
• Those with high insurance premiums, high-deductible health plans or no insurance.
• Patients who are too busy to spend time waiting in a doctor’s office to be seen.

You may choose to continue with your primary care providers.

Yes, we can do both. For an additional fee we offer a “Home/Office Visit Plan” on a case-by-case basis.

If you need to see a specialist I can consult with them prior to your appointment, as needed.  After your specialist visit, I will follow up to discuss any of your questions or concerns, and arrange additional testing if needed.

If you have a life-threatening emergency, call 911 immediately. 

You can contact me from wherever you are!

As a member of DeSimone Functional Medicine, you are never alone. Even when out of town, I will still be available by phone. You will be notified by email before any vacations. If I am not available, I will always have another trusted physician available to assist you for any urgent matters or to be seen in the office.

I have chosen not to. My practice is unencumbered by the constraints and limited reimbursement from insurance plans so that I may better serve and care for my patients. There will be no charge for office visits or co-pays. You only pay the membership fee.  

My model results in significant savings: money, paperwork and time. The membership fee allows me to keep our overhead low and my practice small, and work for my patients, not the insurance company! 

Absolutely. I am a participating provider with Medicare and will bill Medicare on your behalf, as required by law.

My practice is well suited to handle the more complex medical issues often associated with older patients. I can spend the time necessary to manage — and possibly reverse — chronic disease, minimize the use of medications, and work together to optimize your health and wellness.

Yes, you do. My medical practice is NOT a health insurance program. It is very important to maintain insurance (and/or Medicare) to cover outside testing and specialists, as well as expensive, unusual and unpredictable events such as surgery, emergency care and hospitalization.  BUT NOT for everyday preventive medical care! By providing you with extraordinary preventive care, your plan use can often be reduced. 

The current insurance-based system makes medical care MORE expensive and difficult, and less effective too. My practice does the opposite. 

By charging a set fee, I can spend more time with you and focus on your individual health needs to maintain and improve your health. I want you to see me as often as you need to, because my goal is healthy and happy members!

Please call our office at (973) 547-1703 for details. We have discounts for families, and there are no long-term contracts required. You may pay annually or monthly. 

The best part is, there are never any co-pays or deductibles to meet.

I expect many patients will save money at my practice. I can better manage the risks of the majority of your health issues and concerns because of my smaller practice and more holistic, integrative care model.

In addition, the majority of the membership fee may be eligible for HSA, FSA or HRA funds — please check with your tax advisor.

Studies show that membership medicine can lead to:

• Less dependency on medications
• Fewer specialty referrals
• Fewer emergency and hospital visits
• Savings on labs and imaging
• Less need for expensive test ordering

Many people find they can lower the cost of their total medical care by combining a high deductible health plan with a membership practice. Doing so makes joining this practice quite beneficial. My type of practice is also a good fit for those who have no insurance. 

You won’t have any hidden costs or bills that come to you after-the-fact from our office or insurance company. 

I have arranged to provide many of our patients with an on-site lab service at no cost to you. Extensive lab work and supplements are not included in your monthly membership and will always be discussed ahead of time if needed in order to find the best option (i.e. via insurance or best cash pay options from each particular lab). I also have negotiated deep discounts with local labs and radiology providers for our patients who choose to pay cash for these services. 

Yes. One of the most important aspects of personalized medicine is limiting the practice size to be able to devote more time and energy to each patient. Therefore, once I have reached my ideal practice size, I will establish a waiting list.

You are welcome to cancel your membership after three months with thirty day’s notice. We will refund memberships paid for the full year at a prorated rate.

If you are interested in becoming a member and would like to take advantage of our Founder’s fee pricing, please call (973) 547-1703 or contact us.

Yes, I prefer that we meet or speak with each other to be sure our practice is a good fit for you. You may use our Contact page to set up a time.