SECAUCUS, N.J., Jan. 05, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In a region facing some of the nation’s highest medical costs, four times the national average in some cases, the Riverside Medical Group has pioneered and proven a patient-centered model that improves healthcare and patient satisfaction while reducing costs. Riverside Medical Group has quickly become the largest private primary care and multi-specialty group in the New York City Metro area, recently expanding to over 100 providers with offices in four New Jersey Counties including Bergen, Hudson, Essex and Passaic. Open every day of the year, sometimes 24 hours a day, Riverside Medical Group physicians provide optimal patient access to healthcare while receiving the highest levels of quality certification from the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA).
Started nearly four decades ago by Dr. Azzam Baker, a Jersey City pediatrician, Riverside Medical Group now includes his three sons: Iyad, Zeyad, and Omar, each of whom followed in their father’s professional footsteps. Together they form a team of 115 providers practicing both adult and pediatric primary care – all board-certified and teaching in area medical schools to maintain their professional edge.
“Our father taught us to honor patients because patients honor us with the care of their family,” says Dr. Zeyad Baker. “My father’s example of giving good care across long hours taught us that patient access is a fundamental feature of healthcare quality. I just think it’s crazy that we can get a Dunkin Donuts coffee at midnight, but we can’t take our grandmother to a doctor at 8:00pm with a chest pain.”
According to Baker, Riverside is revolutionary for addressing the issues of healthcare access, quality and cost as a whole. “By providing quality healthcare and assuring real access with same-day appointments, seven days a week, and speedy specialist care, Riverside’s providers are cutting healthcare costs,” says Baker. “The biggest costs come when patients have medical problems and can’t see their doctor the same day. Sometimes a patient calls with a respiratory problem on a Friday, can’t get an immediate appointment, and ends up in the ER by Sunday, and then gets admitted to the hospital for 10 days at a cost of $15,000! Had this patient seen us on Friday afternoon, the patient could have been saved the suffering and our system could have saved a lot of money.”
Riverside Medical Group sees significant growth even as many physicians consider retirement in the face of declining reimbursements and rising expenses. “We’re expanding into Central and Southern New Jersey as well as Manhattan with expectations of doubling the practice in two years,” notes Baker. “This growth in patients is all due to our patient-centered approach.”
About Riverside Medical Group
Riverside Medical Group (RMG) is the premier medical group in Northern New Jersey with over providers who serve patients in Hudson, Bergen, Passaic and Essex counties. Started over 35 years ago in Hudson County, RMG has grown due to its unwavering commitment to continuity of care and evidence-based medicine of the highest caliber. RMG has over 25 locations specializing in Adult Medicine, Pediatrics, ENT, Foot & Ankle, and Physical Therapy. As a nationally designated “Patient Centered Medical Home,” RMG provides patient-focused precision medical care to families. The team consists of 85 board certified medical providers trained at the most prestigious academic institutions in the nation. RMG locations have the longest hours of operation of any private multi-specialty group in the country, with our headquarters open 365 days a year until 10pm. As an advocate for prenatal health and birthing education, RMG offers free prenatal classes. RMG is a proud partner of the Hackensack University Health Network, the top ranked hospital system in New Jersey. At RMG, we say “your family is our family.” To learn more, visit: www.riversidemedgroup.com