Business Profile: Putnam Gastroenterology, Carmel
By Janine Bowen
The world of medicine is full of large conglomerates, but there are still local small practices that aim to give individual medical care to local residents.
Putnam Gastroenterology, located in Carmel, serves Putnam and Northern Westchester Counties and is an office of two doctors who believe that a small practice is the best way to serve patients.
“We decided to keep it small just to give more personal attention. When you become part of a big group, you can get lost in the system,” explained Dr. Sunil Gupta. “Here we can make quicker decisions, we have one to one, and the nurses get to know the patients very well,”
Gupta, who runs the practice with Doctor Michael Kushner, believes that practicing in a small office gives him more freedom to treat patients in a way that he wants, but also to be more considerate and lenient when it comes to the financial hardships of his patients. Many big medical groups become bogged down by politics, and often refuse to see patients because of outstanding balances. Gupta, however, deals with patients on a case by case basis and often works out payment plans, or offers services at nominal fees or pro bono for patients in need.
Of course, being a small practice in a world of major corporations does have its challenges. Without the power of a large group, it was difficult for the doctors at Putnam Gastroenterology to gain leverage with insurance companies to secure better rates. But Gupta believes that going through the hardships of the early days are worth it.
“Someone told me that when you join a big group, your first days are comfortable because…you have administration work nitty gritty [tasks] for you but then, the rest of your life, you are bound…you have to conform to a hundred other people in the group” he said. “On your own, your first years may be tougher, but after that, you are in a much more comfortable position because you can set the pace, the tone of the practice the way you’re comfortable with,”
Freedom from large groups has also allowed the doctors at Putnam Gastroenterology to make additions and expansions without red tape. Most recently, they opened a state of the art surgery suite, behind their offices in 2012. Going forward, the hope to hire a female doctor, to create more diversity and give patients more options for physicians.
They also hope to enhance local awareness of the importance of intestinal health during Colon Cancer Awareness Month in March, by holding an open house at the practice.
“We’re a small practice with big ideas. We would like to cater to patients in a comfortable environment,” said Gupta.
Putnam Gastroenterology is located at 667 Stoneleigh Ave., Suite #A201. Its phone number is 845-278-5223.
Adam has worked in the local news industry for the past two decades in Westchester County and the broader Hudson Valley. Read more from Adam’s author bio here.