Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Karen Jacobs, PA-C/MS. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Alright, Karen thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. To kick things off, we’d love to hear about things you or your brand do that diverge from the industry standard
My goal was to open a family medicine office that incorporates standard medicine and functional medicine. Generally speaking, these are separated due to insurance coverage and the standard medical world which tends to dismiss functional/integrative medicine. I have always felt that people should be able to use their medical insurance to get good care. And my definition of good care is combining both standard approaches as well as holistic approaches. Usually, these are seen as two separate options: You go to your “standard” doctor and spend 5-10 minutes with them (this is sadly a result of insurance payments, etc). If labs are ordered, they are rarely reviewed and the time is mostly spent prescribing medication or discussing guidelines like colonoscopies, vaccines, etc. On the other end, we have many integrative/functional medicine offices that do not take any insurance- the patient will be paying out of pocket for each visit and this will entail more detailed lab work, more personalized care, and also more holistic treatments. My goal is to integrate the two and provide a more holistic approach under the insurance/standard model. I am still limited due to the constraints of what insurance will cover, but at least patients can use their insurance for many of our services. My goal is to provide accessible and comprehensive care for everyone- adults and children.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I was trained as a Physician Assistant after completing my Master’s in Biology. My training was in Brooklyn, New York. Physician Assistant school is based on standard medical approaches, but PA’s are given the opportunity to learn from each MD or DO they work with. My first job was at a health clinic for underserved and uninsured patients- I learned pediatrics and women’s health as well as approaches to treat lower income clients. From there, I began working with a private Gynecologist and Fertility specialist. After that, I met Dr. Lauren Feder who was an MD and a Homeopath and I started working for her. She taught me about integrative approaches such as using Homeopathy in children to treat illnesses instead of antibiotics or steroids. This is where I developed much of my Pediatric experience. I have seen hundreds of children get better without prescribed medications and it is very rewarding. I also have the trust and expertise in using antibiotics, etc when needed- and there are many times when these are necessary as well. I have had the pleasure in working with several other integrative doctors who have taught many of the approaches I use in my current office. To be able to incorporate all of these into my own practice has been phenomenal. Some of these include: PRP and Prolotherapy- regenerative techniques to heal ligament and tendon injuries, back pain, knee/shoulder soft tissue tears, and more. I also run extensive blood work on my patients including more advanced labs such as stool testing, allergy testing, heavy metals, and mycotoxins. In addition, I am doing some aesthetic treatments like PRP/vampire facials for acne, aging, scarring, and more. We also see children of all ages and offer standard vaccinations and health physicals as well as nutrition support and holistic care. I always try to offer my families many options for treatment and I utilize supplements quite a bit in my practice. It is amazing to be able to see the entire family- both the children and their parents (and even grandparents)!
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
When I decided to go to PA School, I never imagined I would ever own my own practice. PA’s are medical practitioners that always have a supervising doctor which means we are almost always working as an employee. I was working at the same office I had been in since 2007 and the circumstances started shifting. It was around this time that I started imagining what it would be like to start my own medical practice. I had so many ideas and felt like I couldn’t implement them. My 2 daughters were also getting older- one was in college and the other was in senior year of high school. This is why timing is so important. I would have never imagined my own practice when my kids were little- there was too much parenting to do. I decided to start by looking into creating a new business and what it would entail. I came up with a name and a logo and decided to create the entity just as a start. Before I knew it, things were taking on a life of their own. I was looking at spaces around Los Angeles, compiling lists of patients I hoped would stay with me, thinking of what services I would like to offer, etc. I also decided to start looking into Insurance Credentialing. I figured that I couldn’t move until I was credentialed and honestly didn’t even know how long it would take. I found an amazing supervising DO to come onboard as my Medical Director, and things just started to blossom. It took about a year until I was ready to quit my job and move into the new space. It was scary and overwhelming, but it also felt oddly seamless and easy at the same time. It was one of the best decisions I have made yet so many things had to be aligned.
Can you talk to us about how you funded your business?
I knew that I would need to put money into the business to get it started. I had heard vague numbers being thrown around and was worried that I didn’t have the funds. I decided to work in stages. First I took some money from my savings and started furnishing the office- I relied on a dear friend who works in design and she helped me choose furniture and created an office design for me. Ikea saved the day. I think the scariest time was my first few weeks starting to see patients. I wasn’t fully credentialed with insurance yet and I was so worried that my patients wouldn’t come with me. Slowly I started to see my patients trickle in and it was so incredibly rewarding and exciting. I would love to be able to offer my advice and experience to other PA’s and NP’s who are ready to start their own practices. We have such a shortage of primary care offices- I really think there is a need.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Hfmla.com
- Instagram: holisticfamilymedicinela
Image Credits
Susan Harris, web designer
Maya Gibson (my daughter) logo design