FROM DR. KUBINSKI:
The Men’s Center is something I have been thinking about for years, and I am excited to be rolling it out!
About me: I grew up in San Luis Obispo, CA and attended UC San Diego for college. Since 1993 I have lived in the South. I enjoy being a life-long learner and have done much of it on “Tobacco Road” in North Carolina. I have an MS from Wake Forest in Molecular Biology, an MD from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and an MBA from Duke. I have been a board-certified urologist in Charleston for 17 years, initially in private practice, and then employed by a local hospital system for 11+ years. My practice has been primarily focused on men’s health issues. I have a particular interest in prostate health and prostate cancer. In fact, I was the first urologist in the Lowcountry to perform a robotic-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy for prostate cancer 15 years ago. The decision to leave my employed position was not easy, but as medicine has evolved I was compelled to move to something that more suits my values. I want to spend time with my patients, understand their needs, and improve their lifestyles in an environment that they can count on.
Why did I start the Men’s Center and why do we utilize a direct payment model?
time
I want to be able to commit time to my patients. Medicine has changed over the years, and in order to meet the overhead required to fund a slew of middlemen, including insurance companies, pharmacy benefit managers, and administrators, doctors are now being asked to see patients every 10-15 minutes. Given the time required for non-clinical tasks which add nothing to patient care, very little time is left to actually take care of people. This is frustrating to patients and doctors alike. This is particularly challenging in urology and men’s health, which are characterized by complicated, multifactorial, and sensitive medical issues.
direct payment
A direct payment model has the following advantages. First, it eliminates the need for the considerable staff required to fight insurance companies for payment and for patient eligibility for coverage. This is a considerable time sink, and leaves doctors and patients exasperated. By eliminating all of this overhead, we are allowed to see fewer patients in a day. Smaller patient loads also makes it easier for staff members to respond appropriately to patient phone calls.
no insurance companies
By taking insurance companies out of the process, we can eliminate surprise bills and opaque pricing. What other service industry provides the service and then tells you how much it will cost? Price transparency is lacking in modern US medicine. With a direct payment model, patients know the exact price prior to agreeing to care. This allows the patient to truly be able to act as a consumer. Our visit price will include labs, exam, any in-office tests, and in some cases the first month of medications.
an actual urologist
Men’s Health clinics should have a urologist. Issues such as erectile dysfunction, premature ejaculation, low testosterone, enlarged prostate, & prostate cancer are very intertwined and all fall directly within the training scope of a urologist. No other physicians are formally trained to treat all of these conditions.
lifestyle
Treating cancer was very rewarding for sure. But I found much of my job satisfaction was predicated on making patients happy by making their lives and lifestyles better. The Men’s Center will be focused on improving lifestyle and vitality.
not your regular doctor's office
Let’s face it. You might not typically look forward to a urology appointment. I want to change that and have created an environment that I think patients will really look forward to.
And one final reason:
I would really like to be more involved in my kids' lives. This was becoming more difficult under the conventional medicine model.
it's time for a change. for you and for me.
The men's center is that change.
