by Mary-Kate Roan
Staff Writer
It brings a sense of nostalgia to the world when one thinks of a doctor coming to his patients’ homes to treat them. Some might picture a black bag attached to the fist of an older gentleman with thick glasses and a suit – similar to Dr. Archibald “Moonlight” Graham in the 1989 movie “Field of Dreams.”
Brian Stephens and his wife Tea are bringing back to life the days of home visits by doctors. But they’re not old, having recently completed their Family Medicine residencies at Mayo (Brian completed it in 2005 and Tea in 2007). Little Black Bag Medical isn’t Brian’s first endeavor with making house calls.
“I was with this home visit group in Miami to start with,” he said. “But I had some ethical problems with how they ran things.”
Stephens, a Georgia native and graduate of the University of Georgia and Medical College of Georgia, found himself back in Jacksonville after the stint in Miami. He admits that the main problem he had with things in Miami was the amount of time that he spent with patients – and it’s something that he quickly addressed upon opening his own practice with his wife, Little Black Bag Medical.
“I like to spend time with patients,” said Stephens. “And in a regular doctor’s office, patients have to deal with the waiting room and then they have only a limited amount of time with the doctor.”
But with the way Stephens runs his “office” patients are given quality care in the comfort of their homes and instead of a brief 10 minute visit in a doctor’s office, patients can spend as long as they need with the doctor.
From skin biopsies to a regular checkup, the husband and wife doctor team carry mobile lab equipment with them so they are capable of performing anything an urgent care center can do.
“I’ll do just about anything except a pelvic exam in the home,” said Stephens.
And if his patients need services he can’t provide, Stephens has maintained privileges at several large area hospitals, like Mayo.
But Stephens admits there are a few drawbacks to the practice.
“I don’t typically take vacations,” said Stephens. “I’m on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week.”
But on the off chance that Stephens decides to take a few days off with his wife and their three children – Asegid, five, Habtu, three, and Atticus, five months – he’s developed a close enough relationship with his patients to send out e-mails telling them he won’t be available. In the e-mails, Stephens gives out information on other physicians in the area.
“People are usually pretty understanding about vacation,” said Stephens.
The toughest part for Stephens and other doctors alike is the process of building his practice. But it’s a constant reward for Stephens.
“Most of our cases are geriatrics (which is providing health care for the elderly),” said Stephens. “But we have a lot of different patients ranging from four to 80.”
Though Stephens admits some of his peers in the medical world think him crazy, he would have it no other way.
“We’re not for the people that like just going to the doctor,” said Stephens. “We’re for the people that want quality health care at home or at the office.”
Seeing around eight to 10 patients per day, the doctor duo have around 150 patients. For more information on Little Black Bag call 371-4051 or visit www.littleblackbagmedical.com. The home office is located at 4320 Deerwood Lake Pkwy.
356-2466