04/03/2026
Couldn’t have said it better myself. Looking for a better way of care? We’ve got you ❤️
✅ 40-80 min new patient visits where a variety of concerns can be addressed
✅ Clear transparent fees in advance with no surprise bills
✅ No automated systems or remote call centers. Real humans with clinical knowledge triage your concerns
✅ Recognizing that “normal” labs don’t always mean optimal labs. We ask the questions. And we keep digging.
✅ Minimal waiting room time. Maximal one on one provider time
✅ Plans tailored to your budget, your beliefs, your support system, and your own unique history
An apology from the American healthcare system.
Dear Patient,
We would like to take this opportunity to sincerely apologize for the following.
The 45 minutes you spent in our waiting room to be seen for 7. We value your time, which is why we asked you to arrive 15 minutes early to fill out paperwork we already had on file.
The bill you received 3 months later that no one in our organization can fully explain. We understand this may cause confusion and we encourage you to call the number on the statement, where you will be placed on hold for approximately the length of your actual appointment.
The phrase "everything looks fine." We acknowledge that this sentence has been used to end conversations that should have been starting. We are looking into it, which in our system means we are not looking into it.
The 15-minute appointment we scheduled for the three complex issues you've been waiting 4 months to discuss. We appreciate your flexibility in choosing which one of your health concerns mattered most today.
The referral process, which requires your doctor to ask permission from someone who has never met you to send you to someone who has a 6-week wait. We recognize this is not ideal.
The fact that no one asked you what you eat, how you sleep, whether you have someone to call, or if you're okay. We acknowledge that these questions are relevant and simply did not fit into the workflow.
The word "noncompliant" in your chart, which we used when your life didn't fit our plan, instead of asking whether our plan fit your life.
We appreciate your continued patience with a system that has rarely been patient with you.
Sincerely,
American Healthcare
P.S. This apology is not covered by your insurance.
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I wrote this because I've been on both sides. I've been the doctor rushing through appointments. And I've watched what that system does to the people sitting on the other side of the desk.
The system isn't going to fix itself. But you don't have to wait for it.
You can start taking back your health in the 525,570 minutes between appointments. One tiny habit at a time. One question at a time. One decision at a time.
You deserve a system that asks how you sleep before it prescribes a pill. That checks what you eat before it checks your cholesterol. That builds a plan around your life instead of blaming you for not fitting into theirs.
That's what I'm trying to build.
If this hit home, share it. Someone in your life needs to know they're not the problem. The system is.
To your health,
Dr. Laurie Marbas