Half Time

A few DC docs are using new practice plans for scoring points in the wellness game.

Ayman Hakki was in a doctor’s office— waiting for his appointment—when it sunk in. “Doctors are taught early in their residency that availability, affability and ability, in that order, are the secrets to success,” the board-certified plastic surgeon explains. “But they’re no longer available or affable. They have become unavailable and pretty much obnoxious.” Reflecting on his own cosmetic surgery practice, Luxxery, Hakki realized he wasn’t living up to the maxim himself. And that’s when the idea came to him: drop-in office hours. No appointments. No different, say, from stopping by the dry cleaner. Yes—really.

It’s a notion that has gained traction over the last decade, as long waits for appointments and lengthy office visits—where patient-doctor face time can last only five minutes—have caused sore spots. According to a 2009 survey, the average wait for a doctor’s appointment nationally is 20.5 days. In DC, it’s even longer: 22.6.

The advent of so-called “concierge medicine,” in which annual subscription fees yield on-call access to primary care, has begun to alter that frustrating landscape for a deep-pocketed niche. But the customer-focused service Model has gone a step further with some DC wellness and elective-procedure providers. By offering on-thego services, the docs are banking on big demand from a metropolis whose DNA is comprised of chronically overscheduled overachievers.

“The vibe of this city has definitely fueled this model,” says chiropractor Dr. Jen Faber, whose year-old Kinetic Health Alternatives consists of seeing patients anywhere—including backstage at Verizon Center whenever Lady Gaga and her dancers come through town. She’ll go to the homes or workplaces of mere mortals as well. “People don’t always have the time to get the care they need,” she says. “You can blow half a day sitting at red lights just trying to get to an appointment. So why not just bring it to them?”

Hakki, for his part, still performs face-lifts and other big-ticket splurges at his Waldorf surgery center in Maryland, but he opened Luxxery in Georgetown, where he administers noninvasive treatments such as Botox, Juvaderm and Restylane three days a week, including Saturdays.Hakki says the idea is partly self-serving, as he pursues revenues from smallticket beauty procedures that have become the province of nonspecialists.Still, the benefits for clients are clear: Walk-in treatments are delivered by a board-certified physician on the patient’s timetable.

Insurance isn’t accepted for these elective treatments. Yet the pay-as-yougo practice is paying off, the doctors say. At Luxxery, Hakki has brought on dermatologist Chicky Dadlani to provide chemical peels, acne removal and other skin care. Faber, who treats at the National Geographic Society and The Washington Ballet, is finding that some employers with wellness policies actually want to share costs with their employees in the interest of long-term productivity. “It’s a win-win because workers feel better, and their companies can get more out of them,” Faber says. And the docs themselves report feel-good results. Says Hakki, “Here in Georgetown, my practice is very relaxed.”