Three Central Florida Doctors Join MDVIP Primary Care Network
Drs. Lara Hitchcock, Gregory W. Nestor and Raul E. Tamayo Deliver MDVIP’s Patient-Centered, Preventive Medicine
Boca Raton, Fla. – July 31, 2019 – MDVIP, the national leader in affordable personalized healthcare, today announced that three Central Florida doctors – Lara Hitchcock, M.D., F.A.A.F.P, a family physician in Orlando, Gregory W. Nestor, M.D., an internist in St. Petersburg, and Raul E. Tamayo, M.D., an internist in Lake Mary – have opened new MDVIP-affiliated primary care practices. MDVIP’s network has grown to nearly 100 affiliated physicians across the state of Florida who deliver a better healthcare experience focused on health prevention, not just the treatment of illness.
“My passion as a family medicine physician is to provide patients with highly personalized care and attention to effectively treat – and help prevent – health issues,” said Dr. Hitchcock, who has been practicing in Orlando for 18 years and was recently selected as one of Orlando’s Elite Doctors by Orlando Style magazine. “As an MDVIP affiliate, I am able to invest the necessary time to thoroughly address every patient’s concerns and goals and coach them along their personal path to wellness.”
“I believe that providing optimal care requires a strong partnership between doctor and patient,” said Dr. Nestor, who has been practicing in the Tampa-St. Petersburg community for 30 years. “There isn’t a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach when it comes to patient health. Joining MDVIP allows me to get to know patients on an individual level so that we can work together, as a team, on creating a wellness plan that helps them achieve their best health.”
“For over 30 years of practice, I have enjoyed the privilege and responsibility of being the primary care physician to many wonderful patients in the local community,” said Dr. Tamayo, who was recognized as a 2018 Top Doctor by Orlando magazine. “Transitioning to the MDVIP model of highly personalized care enables me to provide patients more time and resources to focus on their well-being through better prevention, early detection and intensive management of multiple conditions and diseases.”
Personalized Preventive Care
MDVIP-affiliated physicians maintain significantly smaller practices, which allows them to spend more time with patients and provide highly individualized primary care compared to traditional practices. For an annual membership fee, each patient receives the MDVIP Wellness Program, a comprehensive yearly health assessment that includes advanced diagnostic tests and screenings to give a more complete view of the patient's overall health. Using the results, physicians provide coaching and tools to help patients make healthier lifestyle choices, prevent disease and achieve their wellness goals.
Proven Health Outcomes
Published research supports the MDVIP model. Medicare patients in MDVIP-affiliated practices were admitted to the hospital 79% less than patients in traditional practices, and commercial patients were in the hospital 72% less, notes an American Journal of Managed Care study. This significant reduction in hospitalizations yielded a $300-million savings for Medicare in one year. Readmission rates for Medicare patients suffering heart attack, congestive heart failure and pneumonia were dramatically lower than for non-MDVIP Medicare patients.
To take the MDVIP Heart Attack IQ Quiz and test your knowledge about this silent, but preventable killer, visit https://www.mdvip.com/heart-attack-iq-quiz.
Smaller Practice, More Time
Other benefits of an MDVIP-affiliated practice include same or next-day appointments that start on time and last an average of 30 minutes. Physicians are reachable 24/7 by phone. If patients have an emergent need while traveling, their physician can help arrange care with a local hospital, pharmacy or doctor, which may include another MDVIP-affiliated physician. Demonstrating the value of the MDVIP model, patient satisfaction and annual membership renewals consistently exceed 90 percent.
To find an MDVIP-affiliated physician in your area, visit https://www.mdvip.com/doctor-search.
About Lara Hitchcock, M.D., F.A.A.F.P.
Dr. Hitchcock received her medical degree from the Mayo Clinic School of Medicine in Rochester, Minnesota. She completed her internship and residency in Family Medicine at Florida Hospital in Orlando. Board-certified in Family Medicine, Dr. Hitchcock is affiliated with Dr. P. Phillips Hospital/Orlando Health. She currently serves as a Consultant Physician for the Independent Medical Examiner for U.S. Veterans and for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. For more information about Dr. Hitchcock, visit https://www.mdvip.com/doctors/LaraHitchcockMD.
About Gregory W. Nestor, M.D.
Dr. Nestor received his medical degree from the University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine in Tampa and completed his internship and residency in Internal Medicine at the University of South Florida Affiliated Hospitals. He is board-certified in Internal Medicine. For more information about Dr. Nestor, visit https://www.mdvip.com/doctors/GregoryNestorMD.
About Raul E. Tamayo, M.D.
Dr. Tamayo received his medical degree from the Ross University School of Medicine in Roseau, Dominica. He completed his internship at Englewood Hospital and Medical Center in Englewood, New Jersey, and his residency in Internal Medicine at St. Barnabas Hospital/Weill Cornell Medicine in New York City. He has additional training in functional-integrative medicine, which uses a systems-oriented approach to identify and address the root cause of disease. Dr. Tamayo is affiliated with AdventHealth Altamonte Springs (formerly Florida Hospital Altamonte) and is bilingual in Spanish and English. For more information about Dr. Tamayo, visit https://www.mdvip.com/doctors/RaulTamayoMD.
Click here for a list of all MDVIP-affiliated physicians in Florida.
About MDVIP
MDVIP leads the market in membership-based healthcare that goes far beyond concierge medicine services with a national network of more than 950 primary care physicians focused on prevention and personalized healthcare. Learn more about MDVIP at www.mdvip.com. Follow MDVIP on Facebook Facebook.com/MDVIP and Twitter @MDVIP.