What’s old is new again isn’t a phrase that seems like it would apply to the medical field, particularly at a time when technological advances like AI seem to be propelling medicine into the future. However, when it comes to good ol’ doctor visits… what’s old is definitely new again. Historically, from Hippocrates through the early twentieth century, house calls were the primary way to see a physician. This practice eventually declined because of developments in medical tech and specialized care. However, after nearly a century of crowded doctor’s offices and impersonal care, house calls are back in a big way and offer some of the most advanced care available.
Now often referred to as concierge medicine, this style of healthcare offers a more personalized and comprehensive approach to your medical needs, most of which can be done from the comfort of your own home. Locally, Dr. Eric Wolk, founder of OnCall Medical, is pioneering the approach to concierge medicine at the shore.
“During Covid, I started doing at-home visits out of necessity, and I saw a real need in the field for a style of care that offered what I refer to as old-school medicine with a modern touch. I was finding many people who had put their health on hold because of how inconvenient and impersonal modern medicine had become, and I wanted to change that,” Wolk says. At this time, Dr. Wolk was splitting his time between his role as an emergency room doctor for AtlantiCare and starting to build OnCall Medical. “It was a lot of work, but I saw the value that having an in-person doctor, one that knew you on a personal level, a doctor that you could call or text when you needed to, was bringing to my patients and I knew that I was on the right path,” Wolk says.
Fast-forward five years, Dr. Wolk is now working full-time with OnCall Medical. “Having a background in emergency medicine was the perfect basis for starting OnCall Medical. I have experience with a wide range of health issues, and I’ve treated everyone from the homeless to CEOs and sports team owners, so I have seen an incredible range of health needs,” Wolk says. However, from a physician’s perspective, he went from one extreme to the other. “In the emergency room, I was the first line of defense, often just stabilizing a patient. Now, I offer highly in-depth, personalized care, and I’ve come to know my patients very well. It’s a little ironic how well the emergency room prepared me for this. I look at it like the best of both worlds, and I’m very appreciative of the time I can dedicate to my patients in my role now,” Wolk says.
Additionally, during his fifteen years in emergency medicine, Dr. Wolk was also able to build relationships with a wide variety of professionals and subspecialists in the healthcare field, which have helped him learn who to send his patients to for the best care. And, when OnCall was ready to expand, Dr. Wolk knew exactly which doctor to bring on — Dr. Brenden Kelly. “I worked with Dr. Kelly at AtlantiCare. He was an internal medicine doctor there when I was in the emergency room, and when I would listen to him talk to patients, I was in awe of how caring he was. So, when the opportunity arose, I knew he’d be the perfect addition to OnCall Medical,” Wolk says.
Ensuring that this level of individualized care is built into every detail of OnCall’s practice has driven Dr. Wolk from the beginning. “I help my patients cut through the clutter and distinguish between science-backed, personalized medicine and the hype they might see on social media. There’s a lot of noise out there — some of it well-meaning, some of it pure marketing — and my job is to make sure they’re getting real, evidence-based care,” Wolk says. OnCall Medical offers several comprehensive screenings similar to Princeton Longevity Center and Mayo Clinic’s Executive Health program that go beyond what a standard primary care doctor would prescribe but that is backed by science. “In order to ensure our patients receive science-backed insights that go far beyond the standard primary care approach, I work with several high-level diagnostic providers. We recently signed a deal with Atlantic Medical Imaging, the premier imaging center of Atlantic County, to offer full-body preventive M.R.I. scans, which were previously only available in North Jersey or Philadelphia,” Wolk says.
As part of their comprehensive care, OnCall Medical also offers weight loss medications combined with nutrition counseling. “My care is built around what will best serve each patient’s individual needs in a way that’s convenient and comfortable for them,” Wolk says.
In addition to highly individualized care, OnCall is the first to offer comprehensive medical kits designed for travel. “As international travel picked up after COVID, we noticed a real need for people to be better prepared from a medical standpoint while abroad. From that, we created an offshoot company called JetSet Meds, offering physician-approved travel medications for a wide range of destinations. It’s available not just to OnCall Medical patients but to anyone who wants to travel with peace of mind,” Wolk says. Dr. Wolk has had patients who call him from different countries and need medication that’s been challenging to get to them abroad. JetSet Meds offers a prefilled kit with medicines that can treat a wide variety of illnesses, offering a bit of security when you travel. OnCall also offers Flu Emergency Kits and IV Hydration Therapy.
If you’re ready to take your health care to the next level from the comfort of your own home, you can find more information at Oncallmedical.net and Jetsetmeds.com.
