Hidden Gems: Meet Falgooni Patel of Kidz Kare Doc

Today we’d like to introduce you to Falgooni Patel.

Hi Falgooni, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I was inspired to enter my field by my mother. She was a pediatrician who started in solo practice when I was 9. As a child, I saw first hand how much my mother loved her patients and how much they loved her. We could not go anywhere in the San Gabriel valley with out having children who were my mother’s patients running up to us. I knew at a young age I wanted to continue this legacy. I travelled to Michigan State for Medical School, and as soon as I finished residency at Kaiser Permanence Sunset, I joined my mother’s practice. Unfortunately my mother passed away a few months after I joined. It was a very difficult transition, as I always figured I would learn from my mother how to run a practice. Luckily my brother joined me and helped me maintain and grow my mother’s office. Today we grew to 2 offices, and sold my Mother’s original Covina practice. We still have a very successful practice in Chino Hills, and I am proud to say that my mother’s legacy endures.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
When my mother passed away, I was only 3 months into practicing. I was not fully empaneled into all the insurances and was still establishing my credentials. With her sudden death I had to scramble to obtain credentials at local hospitals and with the many insurance plans we accepted. In the first 2 years we were losing money in all of the chaos. I worked in the practice Monday through Friday and worked at Kaiser on the weekends to support myself and put money into the practice. It was a difficult time, and I almost considered giving the practice away and going back to Kaiser. Luckily my brother became my practice manager and we quickly turned things around.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Kidz Kare Doc?
I pride myself on knowing every single patient in my practice and giving them personal care. One of the reasons we sold my Mother’s original practice was because it became too big. We had so many patients seeking us out that I no longer could care for all of them myself. We needed a reset. In my Chino Hills office if you make an appointment YOU SEE ME. No NP’s, no PA’s just myself as the Doctor. In a world where Medicine has become detached and impersonal, we still offer the feeling of the Family doctor. My patients seek me out, because they know they can always count on me. Thankfully we have been blessed to grow our practice with zero advertising, just our happy patients telling others about us.

What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
The biggest trend affecting Medicine is the huge administrative burden facing physicians. It is causing more physicians to be employees of corporations and abandon private practice. This is a shame, as primary care is best delivered by a physician who knows you and your family, your history, your needs. I hope to keep providing the personalized care my patients want and deserve, for as long as I am able.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.kidzkaredoc.com