House Calls

                House calls are a thing of the past. These days, most doctors prefer not to spend their valuable time going from home to home taking care of the sick or injured. However, as people drive to the hospital and spend all day in the waiting room, many are realizing that the doctors of the past might have been doing things right. While they didn’t have an X-Ray room, assisting nurses and EKG machines, they carried their bag of supplies and did everything they could for their patients. Dr. Sam Saadat thinks there can be a bridge between the hi-tech doctor’s office and in-home healthcare. Using this philosophy, he started Exclusive Medical Care.

                Exclusive Medical Care is innovative health care designed to maximize the quality of life in the Smith Mountain Lake community. They offer a combination of modern technology and a return to the caring doctor who makes house calls. Leaving the congestion and tension of a typical emergency room, this creative model enables Dr. Saadat to take the time he needs to effectively treat each patient. With his program, patients can benefit from individualized medical care seven days a week without wasting precious time driving to Roanoke or Lynchburg.
Dr. Saadat explains, “As fast as the lake is growing, there is a real need for urgent care. In the event of an accident, lake residents have to waste almost an entire day getting to the hospital, waiting for care and then driving home. During the summer, someone might cut their foot on the dock and need sutures. Or, during the winter, a sick patient might not be able to leave their house, and just needs antibiotics. I can come to them and provide the same care – if not better care – than they could get by going to the emergency room.”

                It’s amazing just how much Dr. Saadat can do in the comfort of your home. Specializing in ambulatory and urgent care, he takes care of everyone from pediatrics to geriatrics. He said, “I’m not bound by time restraints like many typical practices. I can be more thorough and offer complete, quality care.” He can do all types of routine medical checks including physicals, treatment of infections, flu & pneumonia vaccinations, diabetes treatment, second opinions, pain management, post-op wound management, personal weight loss, and general medical consultations. He also covers minor procedures such as suturing, injections, biopsies of skin lesions, toe nail removal, cryotherapy of warts, and excision of moles, cysts, and skin tags. And, that’s just the beginning. Many of the injuries that occur around the lake need medical attention, but can be fixed with simple procedures. Dr. Saadat gives residents a new option.

                He purchased a boat with a cabin big enough for all of his equipment so he could quickly reach patients with water access. He also spent three years researching and purchasing the best portable equipment so he can carry just about everything except a lab and X-Ray machine. Dr. Saadat wanted to make sure he met all the regulations for this type of practice. He commented, “Most insurance companies don’t want to work with practitioners outside of the typical doctor’s office, so I have a flat rate of $125 per house call. While most people don’t know about them, there is a resurgence of house call doctors across the country. The practice is becoming extremely popular in California, where doctors are even contracted by Home Owner’s Associations to be the house-call physician for the entire community.”

                Currently this West Virginia School of Medicine graduate spends four days a week at SML Family Practice in Moneta. He fell in love with the lake while on vacation here in 1998. Upon completing his residency at WVU Department Of Family Medicine and earning the Resident of the Year Award, he worked initially for Centra Health and later at Lewis Gale clinic in Westllake.  Dr. Saadat’s wife works for Bedford County Schools and their goal is to eventually retire here. Dr. Saadat commented, “I enjoy my job so much. It’s an honor to work with the people here.” Someday he wants to be able to run Exclusive Medical Care full-time and even bring on associates. Meanwhile, he’s on-call if you need a house call. (540)420-3374. Find out more at www.familydoctor.org/emc