Dr. Annette Osher and Dr. Kimberly Parks are both leading cardiologists and primary care physicians who have partnered with Castle Connolly Private Health Partners LLC (CCPHP) to offer concierge membership style programs in major metropolitan locations—but those aren’t the only things they have in common. Both of these women also felt a duty to serve on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Would it make a big difference in your life if you had to switch primary care physicians? Michael Tetreault, editor in chief of Concierge Medicine Today, posed this question to a variety of patients, and the resounding answer was “no.”

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, most physicians have been canceling or rescheduling non-urgent appointments. In fact, Dr. Deborah Birx, coronavirus response coordinator for the White House Coronavirus Task Force, advised in mid-March, “Things that don’t need to be done over the next two weeks, don’t get it done.”

The COVID-19 pandemic has offered physicians many lessons—one of which centers on the viability of our typical healthcare model. The economic shutdowns and stay-at-home advisories have shown a spotlight on the fact that the traditional primary care model is largely unsustainable, especially during trying times.

You may now just be resurfacing after weathering the first wave of COVID-19. It’s been overwhelming and stressful, to say the least—even traumatic for some. As we recover, it’s important to begin learning from this pandemic so we can do better for ourselves and our patients, both now and the next time we face a global health crisis.

In the midst of a global pandemic, like most people, you’re probably just trying to keep your head above water, you’re in survival mode. If you’re like most physicians, the way you practice medicine changed almost overnight. You’ve probably been available around the clock, trying to either see patients while keeping yourself safe, or learning telemedicine in about five minutes. Patients are also stressed, scared and anxious, and so are you.

National Heart Month is the perfect time to commit to putting the heart back into your medical practice. Implementing a heart-centered approach to health and wellness can have meaningful and long-lasting benefits for physicians, their patients, and their practices.