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OMI - Kaufman and Chheda departure

Diwi9

Administrator
Messages
1,780
Location
USA
Received this email today:

Dear Patients,

You are receiving this letter because you are an Open Medicine Clinic (OMC) patient and have an appointment booked with us in the near future. We are writing to tell you that Drs. Kaufman and Chheda have left OMC/OMI to establish an independent clinic effective today. OMC and OMI will continue to serve ME/CFS patients with both clinic and research services and you are welcome to continue receiving your care either at OMC or the new clinic or some combination thereof. OMC/OMI will continue to offer physician visits, lab services, exercise testing, and infusion services. Please note that if you elect to be seen at the new clinic, you will need to sign a records request to have your chart information transferred - please allow adequate time for this prior to your visit. Patients remaining at OMC for their care will obviously be assigned a new provider - Dr. Kogelnik or another physician. Patients can continue to be part of any OMI research studies regardless of where they receive care.


If you have an infusion appointment scheduled, OMC has three highly qualified infusion nurses who will continue to provide care for you at your scheduled date and time - we are now operating 5 days per week with expanded services. Patients who wish to transfer their infusion care should call the office to discuss 650-691-8933 since this typically is more involved.



Open Medicine Clinic will remain at 2500 Hospital Drive - Building 2 - 650-691-8633 clinic@openmedicineinstitute.org


The new to-be-named clinic will be nearby at 2500 Hospital Drive - Building 4B - 650-447-3001


We look forward to working with you to support you on a path to health. Please do not hesitate to e-mail or call with questions regarding this re-organization.


Sincerely,

Andy



Andreas M. Kogelnik, MD, PhD

Open Medicine Institute

2500 Hospital Drive - Building 2

Mountain View, CA 94040

(650) 433-8930 x3001

andy@openmedicineinstitute.org
 

bspg

Plant Queen
Messages
547
Location
USA
I just received this too. I have my first appt scheduled for July. I wonder what's going on??
 

Diwi9

Administrator
Messages
1,780
Location
USA
@Diwi9 Now that is stunning news! Were there hints of this split before? I wonder who Dr. Kogelnik has hired for "other physicians"?
I don't really have the back story. But, I'm scheduled with Chheda later in June and have waited 6 months to get it with OMI. My interest in going to OMI was the ability to possibly participate in clinical trials...it sounds like that may still be an option even if I stay with Chheda per Kogelnik's email. Will Chheda and Kaufman be offering rituximab still? I don't know!
 

Diwi9

Administrator
Messages
1,780
Location
USA
The upside is that it sounds like Kogelnik will be bringing on additional physicians. We need more specialists, so this could lead to expansion at both practices. Wait times are horrible at the moment.

I hope that costs don't spike because of this...
 

Diwi9

Administrator
Messages
1,780
Location
USA
I really hope that treatment regimens aren't affected. I'm concerned something bad happened because the split happened so suddenly. Trying not to worry but, ack!
The fact that they are moving to another building at the same address indicates that they are being very considerate of the patients and based on Kogelnik's reference to infusions, that continuity of care can be expected. Fingers crossed!
 

Gingergrrl

Senior Member
Messages
16,171
I'm sorry I have not been able to read the board for 4-5 days due to a family emergency but Dr. Kaufman is working on an e-mail right now to his current patients. He told me that once I receive it, I have absolute permission to post it on PR (but I have not received it yet). He said that both he and Dr. Chheda along with several of the OMI staff (I believe he said Lori, Adi, Ellen but do not quote me yet on that part) will be moving to their own clinic literally a few min away.

He is the best doctor I have ever worked with and knows every aspect of my case, not to mention just an amazing human being. He is actively working on appealing the Rituximab denial w/my insurance so I started to panic as multiple people started alerting me to this thread tonight so I called him. He said not to panic and that I can remain his patient 1000% and his e-mail will explain it all and that I should post his e-mail here on PR once he sends it. I'm sorry this is so vague but this is all that I know at this time.
 
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Vojta

Senior Member
Messages
167
Location
Czech Republic
I made OMI appointment with dr.Kaufmann not even month ago with no warning what's going to happen. I haven't received any email from anybody yet. I'm scheduled for the end of August so I hope nothing changes for me and they will not loose my appointment booking in transfer because I'm flying over the half of planet to see him as housebound severe patient. Also wondering how the fees will change... I hope that money wasn't the reason for this and they will not drive prices up.

Wait times are horrible at the moment.
It was around 3 months wait time for dr. Kaufmann when I made my appointment. I thought it wasn't bad at all.
 
Messages
5
Location
San Francisco, CA
Hey all,

Im a patient of Dr. chheda and I got a call last week from Adi saying that she was reaching out to patients on her personal cell phone because they were in transition and moving offices. She said it would be Dr Kaufman, Dr Chheda, herself, Lori, and Ellen. She repeatedly emphasized that everything would be the same.

I've got an appointment with Dr Chheda on Monday, so I can confirm with her that her and Dr Kaufman's patients will still have access to all the same treatments and clinical trials as when we were patients at OMC. I'll report back!
 

Learner1

Senior Member
Messages
6,305
Location
Pacific Northwest
Dr Kaufman told me a couple of weeks ago. I've had several communications with the office and everything seems to be functioning. They switched me from the OMI appointment system to the new one without a hitch. I didn't get the sense that Dr Kaufman wouldn't be able to do what we need with the switch, but am looking forward to an explanation.
 

Strawberry

Senior Member
Messages
2,107
Location
Seattle, WA USA
I haven't talked to Dr K in a while, but from this thread, I wouldn't be concerned. My impression is that we shouldn't be saying "what happened???" but YAY! I feel this is for our benefit. There is just too much going on, and one clinic just couldn't handle it all. It may be separate, but sounds like they are all still very connected.

Considering the letter references both OMI and OMC, I assume it is now a medical "clinic" and an "institute."
 

Gingergrrl

Senior Member
Messages
16,171
I wanted to post an update that I have not received the e-mail yet but will share it when I do (per Dr. Kaufman's request). I called OMI today (the original old school version LOL) to request the "records release" so my medical records can be transferred to Dr. K at the new location (which does not have a name yet). I was told it would be e-mailed to me and that they are literally in the process of moving and setting up new phone lines, etc. I asked if the Patient Portal will still work regardless which location we are seen at and the woman I spoke with was not sure. However, when I logged into the Portal today, it still worked for me as usual. Will post if I learn anything new.
 

Gingergrrl

Senior Member
Messages
16,171
Ummmmmm Doc Kaufman is my doc does anyone know his plans?!!

Yes, he has moved to a new clinic with some of the former OMI staff (Dr. Chheda, Lorie, Adi and Ellen) and it is literally a few doors down from old clinic in Bldg 4B vs. Bldg 2 on Hospital Drive. He is working on an e-mail to send to his current patients and you can get your medical records transferred to him at the new clinic (which does not have a name yet) or choose to remain at OMI with a new doctor. So no need to panic (as I initially did :nervous:).
 

bspg

Plant Queen
Messages
547
Location
USA
Just want to pass along some info!

I have a new patient appt with Dr. Kaufman coming up soon so I called the new clinic to ask if there was anything I needed to do since they've moved. Ellen said no but had me verify my appt because apparently not all of them are moving over with the new system as they are supposed to. Mine was one that hadn't moved over!

If you have an upcoming appt scheduled with Dr. Kaufman or Dr. Chheda, I recommend calling the new clinic to verify your appt and make sure they have your records! I was planning on waiting until the dust settled a bit because I know they're busy but I'm glad I called! The new clinic number is (650) 447-3001.