Medicine is more of a team sport than we might like to admit, and yet the romance of one-on-one care glorified in TV shows like Marcus Welby, M.D. continue to be mythologized. Airing from 1969-1976, the show starred Robert Young as the title character, a family practitioner with a kind bedside manner, who was on a first-name basis with many of his patients (and who also made house calls). 

There have been tectonic shifts in medicine both in terms of treatments and the delivery of care since the 1970’s and our balkanized healthcare system was struggling before Covid. In the last 30-40 years, the escalating costs and dizzying systemic gyrations—from HMOs structures to the ACA overhaul—have left many patients confused, underserved and overcharged. Despite heroic efforts from practitioners there will most certainly be lasting structural and care delivery effects from the pandemic, so it is a good time to take a look at this pivotal role in our healthcare system. Primary Care Medicine is supposed to serve as the patient's entry point into the health care system and as the continuing focal point for all needed health care services. A primary care physician is a specialist in family medicine, general internal medicine or general pediatrics who provides patient care and takes continuing responsibility for providing the patient's comprehensive care. Healthcare delivery and structure is ever morphing in our for profit system, and we are once again seeing a big shift. Join Paul for a lively conversation with Dr. John Mendelson, an addiction researcher and physician, startup co-founder and primary care physician for more than 30 years. John recently gave up his primary care practice, but has tremendous insight into the past, present and future of Primary Care Medicine.