Doctors are making house calls again

QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, October 1, 2020 Page 18 QUEENS CHRONICLE, Thursday, October 1, 2020 Page 4 by Mark Lord Chronicle Contributor D r. Erik Ilyayev began his career right after completing his residency when he was called upon to treat his own grandmother, who was in need of medical attention but unable to leave home to get it. He realized then and there the need for in-home senior medical care services. Thus was born myhousevisit.com, an anomaly in a world where it has become all but impossible to have a new patient can be seen in the privacy of his or her own home usually within 48 hours. Blood work, X-rays and a review of medications are among the services offered, as is remote patient monitoring. “Every time a patient takes his blood pressure, we can see it on our end,” the doctor said. Suggesting that “medicine has to go with the new, evolving technologies,” he called such monitoring capabilities “the Netflix of medicine.” Among his team members are sevalso accepted. “Patients are encouraged to contact us to determine if their insurance will cover visits from PAYD,” she said. Patients without coverage or who choose to go out of network may also pay by credit card or check, she said. As has been the case with most of the at-home medical providers, “The need for PAYD’s services has grown dramatically as more and more patients find themselves unable to leave home for needed medical care,” she said. “Our goal is to provide high qualiDoctors are making house calls again Senior Living Guide doctor show up at your doorstep. eral nurse practitioners, as well as ty medical care within the comfort of Ilyayev founded the business 10 various associates specializing in the patient’s home,” she added. years ago and said that it has already areas such as optometry, physical Most patients are seen by a nurse arranged more than 2,000 house calls therapy, nephrology and podiatry. Dr. Andras Fenyves, here in a promotional video, says his group, Prominis Medipractitioner within 48 hours, she said. in the Forest Hills-Rego Park area All Medicare patients and those cal Services, will “find a way to send providers out” right away if a patient’s The team is accessible 24/7 to answer alone. with many other types of insurance need is urgent. SCREENSHOT / IVAYLO SIMIDCHIEV / VIDEO EMPATHY MARKETING clinical questions from patients and There was a time when home visits are eligible, the doctor pointed out, caregivers. by doctors were common. According prompting him to ask, “Why go to an have to wear masks,” Rubenstein The home visits resumed in July. For more information or to schedto the American Family Physician office full of sick people?” said, unless they can’t due to physical Now the doctor has seen “a very sigule an appointment, visit parkerinstijournal, this was most true back in the For further information or to make limitations. As for himself, he’s nificant increase” in requests for tute.org or call (718) 289-2606. 1930s, and for the next two decades, an appointment, visit myhousevisit. always equipped with an N95 mask house calls compared to the pre-panAnother option for those seeking though to a gradually decreasing com or call (718) 569-7808 or (718) and maintains as safe a distance as demic days. at-home care is Nova Medical, PLLC, extent. But by around 1980, the prac576-4652. possible while treating patients. Members of the Prominis team founded by Dr. Dina Zheng, its mistice was almost completely a thing of Dr. Dov Rubenstein, who serves as The doctor serves all parts of include cardiologists, urologists, sion being “to offer superior healththe past. an associate podiatry consultant on Queens, and he says he can usually nutritionists and nurse practitioners. care and peace of mind for those who Now, while finding a physician or the myhousevisit.com team, also has book an appointment within a week. Mental health services are also availface the medical challenges of aging.” other medical personnel to visit you at his own practice, Home Foot Care, “If there’s an able. UltraNurse practitioner Eileen Miller, home can still be a challenging task, thanks to organizations like myhousevisit.com, and others that offer related PC. While originally working parttime in his office, he made the decision “many years ago” to devote himemergency, I make it sooner,” he said. A service that has seen sound, blood tests, X-rays and medication who has worked closely with the doctor since she joined the Nova team three years ago, comes with 45 years services, there are several options available right here in Queens. self entirely to being a full-time house-call doctor. “ Some t i me s I’m in the area ‘a very significant prescriptions are all availexperience as a nurse, she said. In a recent telephone interview And with an ever-increasing senior For a while after the pandemic outand I’ll see a increase’ in interest able at home. Miller said that “most of our population, not to mention the advent of COVID-19, demand for house calls break, he saw patients only when absolutely necessary, as he was “getpatient who calls within the during the pandemic. The company accepts a patients are homebound. My whole priority is the patient. That’s what I is perhaps at its highest level ever. ting more and more emergencies. hour. variety of pribase my life on.” “Since COVID,” Ilyayev said in a June was the busiest month I ever had. “We spend as much time with you vate and public insurance health At-home visits offer a full range recent telephone interview, “we have “We provide the same podiatric as we would if you came into the plans. of primary care services, including a lot more requests for our services. care as we would in an office,” from office, probably more,” he added. For further information or to book blood work, X-rays, EKGs and

We can offer virtual visits and go to a routine nail care and wound care to To contact Rubenstein, call (718) an appointment, visit prominis.com or ordering any medications that are person’s home.” corns, calluses and heel spurs, as well 961-5320. You will usually hear back call (718) 852-5252. necessary. So, how does it work? as diabetic foot care, he said. from him the same day. Parker Jewish Institute for Health Once a phone call is made to the In the case of myhousevisit.com, While his patients are grateful not Prominis Medical Services, a priCare and Rehabilitation, a senior livoffice, an appointment is usually which serves most parts of the borto have to leave their homes for treatmary care group that serves all five ing provider in New Hyde Park, offers available within two days, Miller said. ough, it all begins with a telephone ment, especially at this time, they are boroughs, offers much the same care a medical home visit program called “We’re very diversified,” she call. A member of the team will take understandably cautious when allowat home that would be expected in an Parker at Your Door, or PAYD. said, and thanks to modern technoldown the patient’s basic information. ing anyone in, including their doctors. office setting. And appointments can According to Lina Scacco, viceogy, “We can communicate in any For the latest news visit qchron.com SENIOR LI V ING GUIDE • Fall 2020 From there, according to the doctor, a “My patients and anyone else there Drs. Erik Ilyayev, left, Dov Rubenstein and their colleagues with myhousevisit. com offer in-home care to seniors in most of Queens. COURTESY PHOTOS usually be set up within a week’s time. According to Medical Director Dr. Andras Fenyves, “If somebody has an urgent problem, we’ll find a way to send providers out,” he said, indicating that same-day visits or prompt telemedicine are possible. As might be expected, COVID-19 altered the service’s ordinary routine. “In the initial three months,” the doctor said, “we suspended regular inperson house calls except emergencies. We tried to avoid contact” as much as possible. “There was a fear factor. People were not willing to come to the office and they were worried about house calls. We ourselves didn’t want to spread” the virus. president for corporate engagement and community health services, PAYD provides medical house calls that offer patients services similar to what they would receive in a doctor’s office, including ultrasounds, X-rays, EKGs, lab work, annual physical exams and referrals to specialists. She indicated that the service is “only available for homebound qualified patients who are unable to leave their homes due to health issues, including dementia.” Patients must be aged 50 or over. PAYD serves Queens, Brooklyn and Long Island. Scacco said the service is covered by Medicare. Other commercial and managed long-term care plans are language.” Miller is even willing to put up with patients who practice what might be considered extreme caution over COVID-19. “They spray me with Lysol,” she said. “It’s OK with me.” For further information on Nova o r t o make an appointment, visit novamedicalpllc.com or call (718) 380-7800. The Mount Sinai Health System, which encompasses a total of eight hospitals and more than 7,200 physicians, was recently awarded a grant of over $300,000 that will go toward its telehealth services during the pandemic. The system also offers several continued on page 10

Doctors are making house calls again