In his own words: Dan Hidaka Joins Harper Health

can’t be more pleased to start caring for patients at Harper Health. I have been a doctor for over a decade and have worked in a number of different environments. What I have learned is that I was born to be a primary care physician. I love the practice of medicine and all that it entails. It is my passion. I have also realized that concierge medicine is the right model for me. I care deeply for my patients, and a smaller volume of patients allows me to treat patients how they deserve to be treated. Thirdly, I need to practice alongside colleagues that share my core values as a physician.  I have found this at Harper Health.

There are three primary reasons I have chosen to practice concierge internal medicine:

1. You—and I—should accept nothing less than the very best healthcare, service, communication, caring and commitment possible when it comes to your physical and emotional well-being. During my time in traditional medical practice, it became clear to me that meeting these expectations in a volume based practice was unsustainable.

2. Changes in the healthcare and insurance industries have had a clear, detrimental impact on the patient-physician relationship. These changes have erected barriers to thorough, centralized, comprehensive, patient centered medical care.

3. My goal is to achieve my own work-life integration, where I can prioritize my passion for medicine and take care of patients at the very highest level while at the same time elevate my own personal health and family responsibilities. If I’m at my best, I will bring my best to you.

MY PRACTICE PHILOSOPHY

My practice philosophy aligns perfectly with the mission of Harper Health. If you change the byline to Dr. Meg or Dr. Will, this all would be true for them as well. This is why Harper Health is the best fit for me, and might be for other doctors, as well.

I (we) believe strongly in the patient-physician relationship as the foundation of good medical care. I chose primary care in order to cultivate long-standing relationships with patients, getting to know their values, medical issues and priorities in order to promote wellness and address acute medical issues when they arise. This fosters a relationship, built over time, based on trust, compassion, and caring between patient and physician.

I (we) believe medicine should be practiced at the highest level possible. To me, that means clinical excellence, physician skill/expertise, accessibility, continuity of care, access to outstanding referral specialists and a relationship with a world class tertiary care medical center (Northwestern Medicine www.nm.org). Good medicine cannot be practiced during hurried patient visits that are motivated by volume of patients seen or encumbered by artificially derived time constraints.

I (we) believe that when barriers exist between the physician and patient, the care erodes and the patient-physician relationship is compromised. “Sometimes you just need to talk to the Doctor.”

I (we) believe that with the advent of telemedicine, immediate care centers, and short primary care visits, the healthcare system in this country is losing the concept of “ownership over the patient.” What does that mean? It means that at the end of the day, “your problems are my problems.” It doesn’t matter whether your issue is “under my specialty or area of expertise.” I will champion your issue to make sure that it is addressed. This is taking “ownership over the patient.” At Harper Health you will have a team of people whose mission it is to help you reach your health goals. In this model of practice, there is less fragmentation of care, easy access to me and the team, and no restrictions on what you can discuss with me.

I (we) believe Northwestern Medicine to be the premier tertiary care medical center/network in Chicago. All of the Harper Health physicians are on faculty at Northwestern’s Feinberg School of Medicine, are on staff at Northwestern Memorial, and have a very close affiliation with its physicians, faculty and specialists. In order to provide world class healthcare, this relationship is essential to leverage all the benefits the institution can bring to bear.

I (we) have a passion for what we do. I love medicine, diagnostic dilemmas, diagnosis, treatment and patient relationships. I practice in this model to preserve our passion for medicine, not let it erode.

I (we) care. It should go without saying, but every patient I treat, I treat as though they were a family member.

I (we) want to make sure that we share the same priorities in order to foster a long-term, successful relationship. Since enrollment in my practice will be limited, you are encouraged to call or come in for a complimentary consultation to determine whether it will be a good fit for the both of us. I welcome you to contact our office at 855-947-7371 to set up a meeting.