CLEVELAND — For some, a visit to the doctor can be stressful.
A survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation released earlier this year found more women report having a negative experience with a health care provider than men. The most common complaint was a perception that doctors dismissed patient concerns.
That’s why an Ohio physician said she is starting her own female-focused practice to give others the level of care she hasn’t always received herself.
Dr. Alexa Fiffick wrapped up a dozen years of training and higher education this summer. She said as a kid, that was never in her plans.
“I literally remember saying I don’t want to do anything that takes 12 years of school,” she said.
She now has a wall of certificates, degrees and honors filling a wall of her new office.
“Just graduated from Cleveland Clinic’s specialized women’s health fellowship in menopause and complex hormonal conditions,” she said.
A lifetime of learning led to the title of doctor.
“It means a lot to be able to see a lot of these on the wall,” she said. “All together. Because you actually get to see everything that you’ve accomplished.”
The hard work now paying off as she walks the halls of her own clinic.
“We have six patient rooms, which anyone who’s worked in health care will appreciate this is a lot of space,” she said.
There’s still plans to offer an in-house lab, pharmacy and procedure room.
Fiffick and her family worked all summer to transform a former law office into Concierge Medicine of Westlake.
“She’s been so focused for so many years to do this, it’s amazing,” her dad, Andy Fiffick, said. “And I’m just glad she’s finally settled down, cause I got tired of moving her across the country for medical school and all her programs.”
The travels and training led Fiffick back home to northeast Ohio. She said her new clinic will be the only membership medicine model for women in the Cleveland area, where patients pay a flat fee for access to care instead of using insurance.
“I think we’re going to be able to provide better care for patients because we can take care of more things at once and we can take our time and be thorough,” Fiffick said.
With appointments lasting 30 to 90 minutes, Fiffick said she can provide personalized attention.
“With the current way that the health care system is taking care of them, they feel like they’re not being listened to,” she said. “And I’ve created a way for us to have the time, so I can listen.”
She wants to offer her clinic as an option for women who may not feel their health needs are being addressed in their current situation, which is something she experienced herself while seeking relief from painful migraines.
“I remember the first couple times that I sought care, feeling like no one thought it was much of a concern,” Fiffick said. “And I’d be like, ‘No, I really feel like my head is gonna explode.’”
She’s now hoping to heal some of the headaches of the health care system.
“To me, there’s always been a big gap in care for women outside of just those purely kind of reproductive and pre-reproductive stages of their life,” she said.
Inspired by the strong female figures in her life, to be a beacon of hope for those in need of care.
“My parents always instilled in me that helping people and being a good person is some of the utmost important thing you can do in life,” Fiffick said.
The grand opening for Concierge Medicine of Westlake is Thursday, Sept. 21.
The clinic is still accepting new patients, and limits the number of patients assigned to a physician to ensure everyone has access to the same level of time and care. Fiffick hopes to add more providers to her one-woman practice in the future.
