Craving the type of personalized medical care he experienced in his youth, a Morristown physician found a new way to organize his practice—one that’s catching on statewide

By Laura D.C. Kolnoski • Photos By Amessé Photography

It was Dr. Bruce Aronwald’s own primary care physician growing up in Bridgewater who inspired him to enter medicine.

“It was a different time,” he said. “Back then, you could have a relationship with your doctor. The way he treated me and my family cemented my decision to be a physician.”

After graduating with a B.S. in biology from Syracuse University in 1982, Aronwald attended the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey and graduated in 1986, earning the degree of Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.), then completed his family practice residency at Kennedy Hospital in Stratford. In 1994, he founded Morristown Medical Group. At the time, the practice of medicine was changing, and in his view, not for the better.

“In the late ’90s, I realized that this wasn’t what I signed up for,” he said. “Seeing more and more people in shorter periods of time. That’s not good for anybody.” This “volume effect” of medical care led Dr. Aronwald to seek an alternative that would allow him to return to focusing on the patient. He decided to enter what was then a new kind of practice called concierge medicine, but found that that methodology, too, had flaws. The conversion model governing the shift of private practice to concierge medicine required patients to join the new service or leave and find a new doctor.

“We call it the ‘gun to the head’ model, and that didn’t appeal to me either,” Aronwald said. Instead, he opted to create a hybrid model called “Partner Medicine” that allowed patients to choose the concierge service or remain in the traditional style. It proved so successful at Morristown Medical Group that after five years, Aronwald and his partner, Dr. Anthony Cioce Jr., decided to help other doctors do the same thing. The result is Healsa Partner Medicine. (Aronwald, President of Morristown Medical Group, is also Chairman of Healsa.) Morristown Medical Group is now a part of Healsa, as are 35 other doctors who have joined Healsa Partner Medicine, while maintaining their private practices or affiliations with hospitals. It’s an economic model that eliminates the need for physicians to see too many patients in too short a time.

“Our model is inclusive and grows the primary care base by attracting new doctors,” Aronwald said. “Primary care is disappearing, largely because of economics. New doctors are coming out of school with greater debt. Healsa allows for expansion rather than contraction of primary care. We don’t turn any patients away. I now get to spend as much time as needed with my patient, with little to no wait time. We’ve created another tier in a multi-tiered system for those who want another option.”

Patients who elect to join Healsa benefit from improvements in virtually every facet of health care delivery. Patients get their doctor’s personal cell phone number and 24/7 access, and same or next-day appointments create visits that last as long as needed. This enhanced relationship begins with a Wellness Assessment and Plan—an annual comprehensive assessment that includes a physical exam and a personalized regimen of testing based on patient needs and his or her medical profile. An in-depth discussion of those exam results is the basis for developing a proactive Wellness Plan. At regular intervals, Healsa physicians follow up to discuss progress, health goals, and any concerns.

In addition to office support, Healsa offers full coordination of specialist care, including appointment setup and follow-up consultations, as well as coordination of emergency and in-patient hospital care. Pre-travel consultations and out-of-town care coordination are available, too, as is office staff assistance with insurance companies, access to medical records, and other paperwork. Doctors who join Healsa pledge to follow these high standards of comprehensive patient care.

It’s a more personalized approach, combining state-of the-art medicine with the compassionate care of years gone by,” explained Aronwald. “It’s like having a doctor in the family without unnecessary visits to urgent care centers on weekends, waiting for callbacks at night, wasting time in waiting rooms, and making calls to secure a specialist appointment; just personalized, comprehensive, unhurried attention.”

Choosing the name Healsa (Swedish for “health”) evolved during the planning stages when Dr. Aronwald engaged a marketing firm that conducted research using focus groups. It came up with many potential names, but the company owner, who is Swedish, threw in her own candidate. Aronwald initially didn’t like the moniker, but decided to trust the expert.

“I’ve grown to love the name,” he said. “People see ‘health’ in it. Some have trouble pronouncing it, though, but that opens up doors of conversation.”

Patients pay a base $150 per month fee to join, and dependents 25 and under are free with an adult membership. As part of the organization, participating doctors benefit from brand marketing, and a Healsa team trains doctors on its hallmarks of access and service. Building on its proven success and doctor/patient satisfaction, the partners hope to grow the model throughout New Jersey.

“This is not a product just for the elite,” Aronwald said, citing research showing that 74% of Americans have the discretionary funds to afford the fee.

“Patients who join Healsa find that their enhanced, ongoing relationship with one dedicated doctor leads to greater peace of mind, because they know he or she is there to guide them toward health goals and to help prevent illness. Doctors who join find that the ability to spend more time with fewer patients allows them to focus on the reason they chose this profession in the first place. Physicians get to know patients and their medical history; at a time when financial and regulatory pressures are fueling a sense of hurried, impersonal care that frustrates patients and physicians alike, Healsa offers an alternative.”

Dr. Aronwald’s pastimes include a variety of sports and back country skiing in the United States and Canada. In addition to supporting the Leukemia Society, he works with the American Heart Association and Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation to fight the diseases that claimed his father. He is also active in his local synagogue.

He currently resides in Bernards Township with his wife Benecia, a published writer of and artist for children’s books. His son Jake, a senior at Vanderbilt University, is studying business, while son Sam, a sophomore at Elon University, is studying Strategic Communications.

“I hope both of them can help me at some point,” quipped the physician.

Healsa Partner Medicine
95 Madison Avenue, Morristown
888.943.2572 / healsa.com