Is there room left for a physician to develop a trustworthy and more engaged role in a patient’s life anymore?
That’s what Dr. Tim Bilash wants to know, and that’s what he hopes to achieve at his Solana Beach practice, which he’s run now for the past two years.
In his more than 20 years as a board certified OBGYN, Bilash has seen patients in the larger, bureaucratically run hospitals grow ever more frustrated — even scared when they couldn’t find the right doctor, or get answers to the health questions they have.
That, he said, is the essence of why he decided to bring not only his services, but his experience and research to patients in the coastal North County communities.
“One of the questions that I don’t think we’ve answered is, ‘How much do you want the person that is taking care of you to know?’” he said.
It’s one thing for someone to come in and hear “you need a flu shot” because so and so said. It’s another thing when someone understands the pluses and minuses of the flu shot, particularly for pregnant women.
Specializing in women’s health issues, Bilash isn’t trying to change the way medicine is practiced, he just wants to bring his patients more options.
“What I’ve tried to do is use our improved understanding about women, and apply it to their medical care,” he said.
He does this by integrating science with his years of experience as a practitioner in many settings. While still maintaining the standards patients expect from a board certified OBGYN, Bilash, goes beyond just ordering labs and protocals, explaining the parts of medicine, which apply to the individual, but may at first seem too complex or scary.
With exposure to so many patients he also understands that medicine isn’t a one-size fits all.
“There’s so much individual variation,” Bilash said, “That if you try to treat that patient as if they were the average of a large group…than you’re making errors.”
Basing a diagnosis on the average person is likened to creating one shoe size for everyone.
“When a patient comes in,” he said, “My first obligation is to act in their best interest; not necessarily use the latest and greatest fad.”
Another thing Bilash is concerned with is how today’s patient is left to shop around for a doctor and make decisions on their own.
“We have presented modern medicine as a consumer activity,” he said. But the reality is, these are areas that the patient can’t possibly have enough information to make an informed choice, he added. “It is a fiduciary activity.”
Hoping to establish a dialog of clarity and understanding, Bilash hosts a free summer seminar series at his office, which he and his wife decorated with soothing blue walls and cherry floors.
Using his office in part as an educational center, the seminars (running now through October) discuss everything from finding the right doctor to the differences between good and bad fats to gender. Reservations to the seminars are requested and may be made at DrTimDelivers.com/office.
His office is offering a special for patients paying cash. If they are unsatisfied with his physician office services with three visits over six months, he will refund 100 percent of their money back.
His practice is now also in the process of accepting insurance from selected providers Anthem Blue Cross, United Health Care and Blue Shield.
To make an appointment, call (858) 997-0212 or visit DrTimDelivers.com for a full range of information, including some pricing, seminar schedule, videos and research materials.
