From London to Rural Georgia: A Discussion on Accessing Others
MARIAM KALATHIL – From West London to Athens, Dr. Chronos has a deep commitment to patient care and has had a unique career path, spanning two continents and changing scopes. His journey, shaped by family experience and time spent in Georgia, has made him an advocate for rural care. Dr. Chronos’ message highlights the inequity between rural and urban healthcare, a growing topic in the medical sphere.
Dr. Chronos was first drawn to medicine because of his connection to heart conditions within his family. Coupled with his love for science, he pursued a career in medicine. He began his path at the University of London, then was at Northwick Park Hospital for residency and the Royal Brompton Institute in the heart of London for his fellowship. Looking back on his time there, Dr. Chronos expressed that he missed the National Health Service (NHS). “In the UK, healthcare is not based on means,” he noted. “If you’re working class or unemployed, you still get access to care. I don’t think healthcare should be based on one’s ability to pay.”
Dr. Chronos was then sent to the United States on a scholarship from the British government, an opportunity that introduced him to the differences between the UK’s NHS and the American healthcare system. “The NHS has standardized care,” he explained. “For example, a doctor in London can access patient records from Aberdeen because it’s all one system. Here, the lack of a unified system is frustrating. Even moving between Athens and Atlanta, medical records don’t transfer easily.”
After working in Atlanta, Dr. Chronos decided to move to Athens, Georgia, where he founded Lake Country Medical Group, originally known as the Cardiology Care Clinic. “I didn’t always know I’d serve rural communities,” he admitted. “When I started in medicine, I wanted to be a top heart surgeon.” Over time, he realized how great and real the disparities in healthcare were and began to put a scope on rural healthcare. Dr. Chronos founded the Lake Country Rural Health Initiative (LCRHI) and programs to address these disparities, including a free screening clinic funded by donations. He also developed an internship program for pre-health students. “This isn’t just shadowing- students gain hands-on experience, learning clinical skills and even being in on surgeries.”
The American healthcare system, especially in a rural setting is full of financial roadblocks, namely insurance conflicts. Let’s say your doctor needs a scan that costs thousands of dollars. Then you, the patient, need to provide evidence and documentation to the insurance company. A fully trained doctor’s word and care for their patient’s well-being is often not good enough today, around 30% of the time- insurance claims are denied. Fraudulent doctors will always exist but it’s still a percentage far too high. “Doctors spend so much time fighting with insurance companies to advocate for their patients,” he said. Dr. Chronos once had such a case in which the scan he fought for revealed a brain tumor in a long-time patient. “It’s great that we fight, but it’s sad that we have to. What if a doctor had a long day or was tired? Claims are denied far too often,” he said.
Despite these obstacles, Dr. Chronos finds immense satisfaction in his work. “In big cities, you might see a patient once and never again. Here, I’m part of the community. I see my patients regularly, and we’ve built something meaningful together.”
His philosophy emphasizes preventive care and education. “Why do you need to get sick to get well?” he asked. “Why can’t we keep people healthy to begin with?” The links between lifestyle and diseases like obesity and cancer are massive, and there should be an emphasis on knowledge in this area in a doctor’s training. “Sure, we need great heart surgeons, but we also need doctors who can help patients prevent illness in the first place,” Dr. Chronos said.
Dr. Chronos believes that the US can learn from other healthcare systems. “In France, access is even better than in the UK,” he said. Norway uses its oil wealth to fund healthcare resources. Healthcare shouldn’t be a business run by shareholders; it should be a service.
His upbringing also shaped his outlook. Dr. Chronos’ father, an orphan from Istanbul, rose out of poverty through education. “Education is so important,” he emphasized. “We need to create opportunities for everyone. If you can help everybody improve a little bit, you’ve achieved a lot.” Through his work, Dr. Chronos hopes to inspire others to reduce inequities in access to healthcare and increase community awareness and involvement. “We need to access others to access others,” he said. “Let’s get this out there.”
At LCRHI, where impactful research, enhancing access to medical care, educating future providers, and the well-being of the community are core values, Dr. Chronos and the Lake Country team are part of a larger effort to pave the way for a more inclusive approach to medicine.
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