Dr. Ashok Chopra
Dr. Ashok Chopra, Medical Director and specialist in geriatric medicine at St. John’s Medical Group says that recent changes have expanded services and opportunities for patients.
“St. John’s Medical Group has been around for 15 years and initially started with a few physicians,” Dr. Chopra explains. “There was a goal to serve the community and provide better care for St. John’s Riverside patients. Over the years, and especially last year, the group has experienced exponential growth, and we now have more than 45 providers in the group. We are also onboarding new physicians right now and talking to many more physicians in the community who want to be part of the Group.”
After graduating from Government Medical College, Nagpur, India, Dr. Chopra worked at the Mount Sinai Hospital system before joining St. John’s Medical Group about three years ago. As medical director, he now divides his time between clinical and administrative work.
Dr. Chopra says that St. John’s approach to medical care has attracted the attention of many other skilled doctors who want to join the group. Rising overhead costs, insurance reimbursement issues, and challenges with work-life balance have made the independent physician model more difficult for doctors, leading to an increase in physicians joining group practices. The organizational structure offers benefits to physicians who previously struggled with long hours and administrative challenges.
“When physicians transition to a group like St. John’s, the benefit is that we have multiple doctors working together. It’s a multi-specialty group, and we share call. That work-life balance is there, so you get more time to spend with your family, and at the same time, you’re enjoying your work more as well,” Dr. Chopra explains.
He adds that patients also benefit from access to the whole group of medical professionals. “If a patient is part of St. John’s Medical Group, they’re cared for by the whole team, and we talk to each other about the patient. That provides a better quality of care. The patient is also pleased that when they visit another provider, that person already has knowledge of their case. Electronic medical records make this possible, where physicians share each other’s notes and provide better care to the patient.”
“This was a very important goal of the hospital – ensuring that patients receive comprehensive care,” Dr. Chopra explains. “That was the objective behind forming the multi-specialty group. A patient or member seen in the group should be able to access all other specialties without interference or issues, such as insurance coverage, to ensure seamless care.”
As St. John’s Medical Group has grown; it has expanded locations to provide better patient care.
“I think one of the most important aspects of having a medical group is to keep the care local,” Dr. Chopra says. “Our biggest location and main campus is in Yonkers on Executive Boulevard, and most of our physicians are there. However, we also have other locations on Yonkers Avenue, in Hartsdale, and a large primary care presence at our Dobbs Ferry Hospital. Additionally, we have another planned location to open in our ParkCare Pavilion in Yonkers. We want to expand that location right away to better meet community needs for primary care and gastroenterology.”
Dr. Chopra notes that they added several physicians to address specific patient needs. “We have Drs. Maria Lufrano and Ashley Marino, on our GI team, who practice in Hartsdale. We also have a large pain management practice in Yonkers, led by Dr. Stephen Erosa. Dr. Tannenbaum is our vascular surgeon and also sees patients in the Wound Care Center. We are very proud to have so many different specialties as part of our group.”
St. John’s Medical Group is focused on growth to provide the most comprehensive care for patients in the Yonkers area. “It’s all for the community,” says Dr. Chopra. “It’s important to keep care local. That’s our goal.”
Visit https://riversidehealth.org/programs/st-johns-medical-group/ for more information.
