Over fifteen years ago, while working at an outpatient clinic at Montefiore Medical Center, he started commuting into a tiny Soho office space after work so that he could see a few patients in the evening and begin building a small private practice. Over time, his practice grew so big that he has had to move offices twice and he’s currently gearing up for a third, larger space. Meet Dr. Barry Cohen, one of Oscar’s 40,000 in-network physicians.
Tell us a little about your practice.
We are a true adult primary care office. Our youngest patients are in their teens and our oldest is 95. We treat everything but our primary focus is on health maintenance. We don’t want our patients to get sick before they reach out for help. We see our role as doing everything we can to make sure our patients stay well. Supporting that goal, we have two Nurse Practitioners who are trained in both Women’s Health and Alternative Medicine. Within the larger practice, we each have our own specialties. For example, our Nurse Practitioners are well versed in the use of herbs and one is trained in everything from trigger point therapy for muscle pain to hypnotism for situations like smoking cessation and anxiety disorders. But, we are also very collaborative, and the culture of the office is such that patients feel as though they are treated by all of us. We’ve also embraced technology in everything from computerized medical records to prescription submission. Our patients are able to enter all their health and insurance information on an iPad-like device when they first come in, avoiding paperwork that has become ubiquitous with a doctors office visit.
How did you first learn about Oscar?
I believe in insurance for everybody. One of my first jobs in medicine was medical assisting in a free clinic in my hometown of Chicago. So I am a big fan of the Affordable Care Act. We made a point of ensuring that we were taking most of the exchange plans from the beginning. I started hearing about Oscar from patients-and the number who were mentioning it began growing exponentially.
And what’s your experience been like?
I have been really happy with what I have been hearing from my patients. They often mention the ease of enrollment and the support they receive from the website. And my staff continues to give me positive feedback on how easy it has been to work with them. It really seems like Oscar’s thinking ahead and trying to solve old problems in new ways. This is what I think needs to happen if we’re going to make sure this new healthcare environment lives up to it’s potential. As a result, I’ve recommended Oscar to many patients who currently don’t have insurance.
Is there one piece of health advice you always give new patients?
Try to relax! Over the years I’ve noticed that the people who have a hard time in this city are the ones who never slow down. This is an incredible place. Have fun, but don’t feel like you have to do everything at once. Keep a balance.
And please remember to drink water! Everybody in New York is dehydrated; we’re made out of water and it’s important to replace what we lose on a daily basis.
