MysticMag chats with Natalie Corbin-Ricchiuti, CLE, who brings over 17 years of experience in natural and holistic healing to Campbell Family Medicine. As the Office Manager, she wears many hats, ensuring that patients receive the best possible care and that their expectations are met. Natalie’s compassionate nature and dedication to patient satisfaction make her a valuable asset to the practice. Whether she’s blending custom essential oils or managing the membership program, Natalie’s goal is to provide extraordinary care and ensure a positive experience for every patient at CFM.
Natalie, can you share more about your journey in natural medicine and how it has shaped your approach to patient care?
I have to laugh because my journey in life looks much like an episode from some TV talk show, but it is what made me the woman I am today so I take heed of its lessons. I am a child of an alcoholic mother and I saw the destruction caused by substance abuse. I have always been fascinated with the body and its ability to heal or self-destruct depending on the information you give it as well as the power of energy medicine. I became a mom at 18 and my first son was a brittle diabetic, so I was not only thrust into teen motherhood but now I had to learn how food affected the body and the balance needed to keep my son alive and healthy.
I knew there was more to healing than just medications and specialists and I used my passion and interest to serve myself through a cancer diagnosis in my mid twenties. I refused most of the conventional treatment and spent time learning that food was medicine, quality supplementation made a difference, care of the human frame was important and time in nature allowed for a reconnection that most of us are missing out on.
Once I was in remission, I sought jobs in natural healthcare starting with chiropractic and lifestyle education. I aggressively pursued classes in nutritional foundation, supplementation, diabetes education, chiropractic care techniques and benefits and energy modalities.
My own journey influences every encounter I have with patients – my life journey has taught me to be kind and patient which is important when dealing with people who are sick or in pain. My knowledge and experiences allow me to help guide patients into better health and a peaceful well-being.
What inspired you to transition Campbell Family Medicine to a membership model, and how has it impacted the practice and patient experience?
In 2006, I had the pleasure of meeting Dr. Ellie Campbell at a Functional Endocrinology event and I was in awe of her. I knew I had to work with her in some way. We giggle to this day because I “forced my way” into her practice by selling my skill set that I felt would help her patients implement all of the things she was prescribing as lifestyle medicine. At that time, Campbell Family Medicine was a cash only practice but not membership. The practice grew quickly from 2006 to 2008 and our patient roster increased to the point that we felt like we could not provide stellar customer experiences, so Dr. Campbell sought out a better way to improve patient care. She met with a leader in the concierge medicine industry and flew out to meet him in late 2008 to learn about this style of practice. She knew that we needed to make this shift, so in August 2008, we transitioned the practice to a membership based model and it was the best decision we have ever made for our patients.
We decreased our patient load and now offer patients minimum 40 minute appointment times with Dr. Campbell. We take the time that each and every patient needs, expects and deserves. Some appointments are scheduled at 90 minutes! We are able to be accessible by portal, email and phone and can get sick patients in for office visits the same day. Very little to none of this was able to happen before we changed our practice style because our schedule was overloaded and the demands on our time were overwhelming.
We vouch that we know our patients by name, we know their children and their pets. We send birthday, anniversary and congratulations cards and we mourn with them in times of sorrow and loss. This style of practice really brings back the “care” to healthcare.
Revolution Practice, LLC was born out of a need to rekindle the joy of medicine. Could you tell us more about the mission and goals of Revolution Practice?
Dr. Campbell and I, through trial and error, have created an incredible patient centered practice where people look forward to coming to work each day and patients feel loved and cared for. We have a team that is loyal and has been working together for years and is dedicated to our company mission.
We knew that we had to give back what we have learned and experienced. We created Revolution Practice, LLC as the consulting business to be able to share our business experiences in patient care, team building and business success with other leaders and medical colleagues. What we have learned is not just for those seeking to create a membership practice, it is for anyone needing a boost of confidence or direction in their career in medicine.
We watched physician burnout rates increase and we saw some of our colleagues give up, give in or sell themselves to medical corporations out of desperation. These brilliant doctors and clinicians were losing all of the passion that brought them to medicine and we felt it was our purpose to help them find it again. That is the mission of and the reason behind the creation of Revolution Practice.
We reach doctors and their teams through online training, personal consultations via zoom, live conference events and webinars. We teach on medical topics, team building, best business practices and patient centered care. We have lectured for and to leading healthcare organizations such as; TOMA, GOMA, ICIM, AAFP, Mindshare Groups, AAOSH, Concierge Medicine Today and more.
How do you and Dr. Ellie Campbell work together to create a compassionate and inclusive experience for patients while ensuring a manageable career path for Dr. Campbell?
Work Life balance is key – you can’t be the Healer that you were created to be if you are not taking care of yourself first. As the practice manager, it is my duty and my honor to protect Dr. Campbell and make sure that she is getting time for the things that feed her own soul.
In this model we are able to control our schedule which means patients get the care they need and Dr. Campbell gets the time she needs both with them and away from them. When you love and care for people, they are more willing to behave in a way that reflects how they are being treated so when she is out of the office attending a conference or on vacation, they know it will ultimately benefit them. Therefore, they allow her the time away to “fill her own bucket”. Also, this model allows for patients to interact with her and I outside of just office visits which is often more convenient and beneficial for all of us.
Our practice model is about practicing what we preach and the patients see that, so they look to us to be the examples. Healthcare is self care and allows us to be the best that we can be for the patients and community. We choose to lead by example!
Patients and other practitioners love when we attend conferences because we learn new tricks, tools and pearls to enhance their journey in medicine. Dr. Campbell just returned from a two week adventure in the jungles of Peru where she learned about medicinal plants and herbs as well as the culture of an almost extinct Amazon jungle tribe. She will use this knowledge to help patients reach health goals.
What advice would you give to healthcare professionals looking to transition to a concierge or membership model for their practice?
IT IS A COMMITMENT! It is a deeply personal decision, but one that we have absolutely no regrets about.
Before you jump ship and make this transition, be sure you have a “tribe” of people who will support you and your decision. You cannot do this alone. The other really important advice that I would offer is to make sure that you do your homework on what it means to become an operational practice under this or similar model – you may find that you want to enlist the help of a company who specializes in this OR you might decide to do what we did and DIY your own model so that you retain all of the ownership, profits and tools you build to make this your successful practice.
We have heard that many doctors are taking back their power and bringing back bonafide patient care which is exciting. Patients deserve your brain, experience, expertise, skillset, passion and love. For us, this model allows us to give all of this to them without giving ourselves away. Patients need and deserve a respectful relationship with their healthcare providers and we found a way to honor that. We also found a way to teach other healthcare professionals how to create that. It is a win-win and we are working towards fulfilling our purpose!
If you would like to find out more about Campbell Family Medicine, please visit https://www.campbellfamilymedicine.com/
