Dr. Dann Fredrickson: Internal Medicine in 2026

Dr. Dann Fredrickson Internal Medicine: Concierge Care Guide (2026)

A packed waiting room changes the whole day. Forty patients in an eight-hour shift leaves an internist with only a few minutes per exam, then a pile of charts waiting after sunset. That grind wears doctors down and leaves patients feeling rushed, which is why physicians like Dr. Dann Fredrickson in internal medicine are turning toward concierge and membership-based models.

Across 167 concierge clinics in 56 cities tracked in our directory, 71% keep a public review score of 4.5 out of 5 stars or higher. Patients are paying direct retainers out of pocket for fast phone access, longer visits, and same-day scheduling. The independent retainer setup cuts out much of the billing mess tied to commercial payers, so clinicians can spend more time on careful diagnosis.

When doctors shrink their panels from 2,500 active charts to roughly 300 to 500 members, satisfaction tends to jump quickly. Small panels change the math. That is the point.

Key Takeaways

• Patient satisfaction stays high: Of the 167 concierge clinics in our directory, 71% hold a rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars or higher. Patients clearly value the slower pace.
• Adoption reaches beyond a few wealthy neighborhoods: Our directory lists 167 active concierge clinics across 56 cities. The model has spread well past a narrow luxury niche.
• Retainers steady the money side of the practice: Monthly or annual dues reduce the swings that come with insurance claims, so the clinic has a more predictable base of revenue.
• Panel size falls sharply: Doctors moving into membership medicine often reduce their active lists to 300 to 600 patients. Visits stretch into thirty or sixty minutes.
• Patients stay when access is real: Members renew when they can message the doctor directly, skip the usual reception wait, and get full preventive evaluations.

At a Glance

What is Concierge Medicine?

Concierge medicine is a direct relationship between patient and physician. The patient pays a monthly or yearly retainer for quicker access, same-day scheduling, and longer appointments. Because the panel stays far below the size common in insurance-based primary care, the doctor can do a more complete evaluation without racing from room to room.

Traditional primary care panels often grow to 2,500 or even 3,000 patients per physician. Visits shrink to brief ten-minute blocks, and the rest of the day gets swallowed by charting, lab review, and prior authorizations. Concierge internal medicine changes that by keeping the roster down to a few hundred patients (Interlochen Public Radio, 2024).

Conventional Panel (2,500+ patients) leads to 8 to 12 minute visits and heavy insurance billing overhead. Concierge Panel (300 to 500 patients) allows 30 to 60 minute visits and a predictable recurring retainer.

For patients seeing an internist like Dr. Dann Fredrickson, the first visit can run a full hour and cover metabolic, cardiovascular, and lifestyle factors in detail. The physician has time to read complex charts, coordinate with outside subspecialists, and explain lab results plainly. The pace is slower. Burnout usually drops too.

Benefits of Concierge Medicine for Patients

Concierge medicine provides patients with direct physician cell phone communication, same-day sixty-minute visits, and comprehensive preventive care protocols that conventional practices rarely have the capacity to deliver. Instead of waiting weeks to address new symptoms, patients can call their doctor directly, discuss sudden health changes, and receive coordinated treatment immediately. This level of access reduces unnecessary urgent care visits and prevents minor health issues from escalating into acute hospital stays.

Longer visits allow doctors to address multiple chronic health conditions in a single afternoon rather than forcing patients to schedule separate appointments for every symptom. During an unhurried visit, an internist can review blood panels, titrate cardiac medications, examine joint discomfort, and discuss nutritional patterns. Patients never sit in crowded waiting rooms, as clinics schedule appointments with buffer periods that keep reception areas virtually empty.

Direct access also deepens clinical rapport, which makes patients far more likely to share subtle symptoms they might otherwise minimize during a rushed visit. Consistent contact improves adherence to long-term medication regimens and helps physicians track chronic illnesses like hypertension or diabetes closely. The practice model also supports detailed annual health assessments, including advanced cardiac screenings, metabolic profiling, and personalized exercise counseling that insurance-based visits rarely cover.

Financial Implications for Clinics

Transitioning a clinic to a concierge model trades volatile third-party insurance reimbursements for predictable, recurring annual or monthly membership fees. A practice of 400 patients paying $2,000 annually generates $800,000 in gross revenue before offering any additional clinical services. When evaluating promotional campaigns for these membership models, you can verify your compliance standards using our Free Clinic Ad Compliance Checker.

Because the clinical roster drops significantly, administrative overhead falls right along with it. Traditional medical offices often employ three administrative staff members for every working physician simply to handle claim submissions, copays, pre-authorizations, and billing disputes. By removing conventional fee-for-service insurance processing, practices can lower billing costs and focus their staff on patient hospitality and clinical support.

These financial savings allow clinics to invest in point-of-care lab instruments, updated diagnostic tools, and comfortable clinic spaces. Because retainer payments are made at predictable intervals, practice owners can forecast their revenue months ahead without worrying about delayed insurance claims. Maintaining steady practice margins requires setting subscription dues accurately to balance lower patient counts with ongoing clinic facility costs.

Monthly Membership Dues ──> Lower Billing Overhead ──> Staff Focuses on Patient Care (Covenant Clinic, 2026)

How to Transition to a Concierge Model

Transitioning an active internal medicine clinic to a concierge model requires auditing current patient demographics, setting subscription fees, and drafting a clear notification schedule for existing patients. Clinicians should examine their panel to determine what percentage of active patients have the interest and financial flexibility to enroll in a direct-access membership. Clear written notices sent at least ninety days before the conversion date help patients make an informed choice between enrolling or transferring their records.

A successful conversion strategy usually follows a structured timeline:

1. Perform a Panel and Financial Audit (Months 1–2): Review your current patient list to identify frequent visitors, assess local household income levels, and establish membership pricing targets.
2. Design Membership Tiers and Care Agreements (Month 3): Outline your exact clinical deliverables, such as guaranteed same-day appointments, direct after-hours phone access, and comprehensive executive physicals.
3. Notify Patients in Writing (Month 4): Mail clear letters to your entire patient list explaining the new model, the reasons for capping panel size, fee schedules, and the membership start date.
4. Facilitate Patient Transitions (Months 5–6): Host educational question-and-answer sessions, sign up early members, and assist non-enrolling patients with medical record transfers to other area practices.

Front-office personnel must be trained on how to explain the value of the membership model warmly and clearly to patients over the phone. Staff members must articulate why the practice is shifting to a subscription model and clearly outline what the membership fee covers. Transitioning gradually allows the clinical team to refine their daily operations, install direct-messaging systems, and protect baseline practice revenue.

Choosing the Right Concierge Model

Practice owners face a simple split. Pure concierge means every patient pays a membership fee directly. Hybrid concierge keeps insurance visits in place and adds a paid tier for people who want more time and direct access.

Pure concierge drops commercial payers and keeps the roster small, around 300 to 500 members, so visits can stay roomy. Hybrid practices hold onto their payer contracts and still sell an upgraded level of service. Clean setup. Messier setup. Both can work.

Hybrid models fit better when a practice wants to keep its current panel, but the schedule has to be protected every day or concierge visits start crowding out insurance slots. Pure models are easier on administration, though they depend on strong marketing and a full roster. During a broader practice overhaul, patient feedback can be collected with our Free Patient Review Request Kit.

Pricing has to match the local market and the services the practice actually offers. Some clinics build the retainer around prevention and longevity, with hormone testing, body composition scans, and nutritional counseling included. Others stay closer to chronic disease management and quick primary care access, and they set a lower monthly fee that a wider group of adults can afford.

Challenges and Considerations in Concierge Medicine

Moving into concierge medicine brings real logistical pain. In many practices, a significant portion of the current roster will never join the paid plan. That can sting. Physicians often feel torn about leaving long-time patients who can't cover another monthly bill, so the practice needs referral relationships with nearby providers to keep those patients from getting stranded.

Panel Transition Challenge:

Total Patients: 2,500 ├──> Enrolls in Concierge: 350-500 patients, retained └──> Transitions Out: 2,000+ patients, requires referrals

There's also a legal side that can't be hand-waved away. Membership contracts need to fit state insurance rules, and the retainer has to cover defined administrative and wellness services instead of looking like private insurance in disguise. If the practice treats Medicare-eligible patients, the physician has to choose between opting out of Medicare or following the rules that keep membership fees away from Medicare-reimbursable services.

Boundaries matter too. A concierge panel can turn admin fatigue into 24/7 after-hours exhaustion if nobody draws a line. People who pay thousands for direct access may expect late-night replies to non-urgent messages, even on weekends. Clear after-hours protocols, cross-coverage with trusted colleagues, and secure patient portals help keep that pressure from taking over the practice.

Marketing Strategies for Concierge Medicine

Selling a concierge practice means reaching local patients who will actually read the details. Educational content, community connections, and plain language about direct-care value all matter. High-level marketing should point to unhurried visits, direct physician contact, and proactive health management. Seminars on cardiovascular risk reduction or executive wellness can also introduce the physician to prospective members without feeling like a hard pitch.

The website has to match the tone of the exam room. Professional photos, transparent pricing, clear frequently asked questions, and simple booking forms belong there. For automated intake and scheduling workflows, clinics can use modern solutions like Clincy to handle inquiries and keep patient communication moving.

Good reviews help, plain and simple. Prospective concierge members usually research a doctor online before they sign an annual contract, so detailed patient reviews that mention short wait times, fast call-backs, and careful diagnostic work can make the value of a private retainer practice obvious.

Conclusion

Transitioning to a concierge model lets internal medicine physicians break free from high-volume insurance panels, build deeper relationships with patients, and run a dependable business. Moving away from the assembly-line demands of fee-for-service medicine creates room for unhurried clinical visits, proactive preventive health planning, and improved health outcomes for patients. While downsizing an existing patient panel requires careful planning and clear legal contracts, the clinical and professional rewards are substantial. Practice owners who audit their local markets, set transparent fee structures, and focus on delivering excellent care can build a stable, rewarding medical practice for years to come.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the cost of concierge medicine for patients?

Most concierge practices charge membership fees ranging from $1,500 to $5,000 annually, depending on their geographic market, doctor expertise, and included services. Monthly payment plans commonly run between $125 and $400. High-end executive health practices with advanced imaging and specialized longevity testing can charge $10,000 or more per year.

How does concierge medicine affect patient care?

Concierge medicine improves care by extending visit lengths to thirty or sixty minutes, which allows physicians to address multiple medical concerns in a single appointment. Direct cell phone and secure portal communication helps patients resolve urgent concerns quickly, cutting down on unnecessary emergency room visits and keeping chronic health conditions tightly managed.

Can any clinic switch to a concierge model?

Any licensed primary care or internal medicine clinic can theoretically make the switch, but long-term success depends on local household income levels and patient demand for personalized access. Converting an existing office requires analyzing the current patient roster, ensuring regional regulatory compliance, and building a professional transition strategy to transfer non-enrolling patients smoothly.

What are the challenges of adopting a concierge model?

The biggest operational hurdle is parting ways with most of your existing patient panel, as many patients will choose not to pay an annual retainer fee. Clinic owners must also navigate complex legal rules regarding Medicare and state insurance regulations, while setting clear after-hours boundaries so round-the-clock patient messaging does not lead to provider burnout.

How does concierge medicine impact clinic revenue?

Concierge models replace unpredictable insurance reimbursements with dependable subscription revenue paid directly by patients on a monthly, quarterly, or annual basis. This recurring cash flow keeps practice revenue steady, lowers billing and coding overhead, and lets clinics earn healthy profit margins while caring for significantly fewer patients.

Recommended resource

Clincy

Related reading

• Increasing Revenue and Profit Margins for Private Medical Practices
• Navigating Ethical Challenges in Clinic Operations

Sources

1. heyclincy.com
2. Accepting new patients (offer)
3. Sleep Medicine clinic new patient specials promotions discounts in Arizona (offer)