Roark Family Health expanding to accommodate medical marijuana patients
Dr. Roark
|
Dr. Sharma
|
June 5, 2019
Charlea Estes-Jones
For Missouri citizens following medical marijuana changes locally, yesterday marked an important day regarding Amendment 2 implementation. As of June 4, 2019, licensed physicians across the state are able to see patients to qualify them to apply for their medical marijuana cards. However, with such a new change to Missouri law and policy, a lot of doctors are either choosing not to see cannabis-seeking patients or work for healthcare systems that do not allow them to discuss marijuana as a treatment option for patients. For the few doctors willing to discuss the treatment option, including Cassville-based M.D. Dr. Lisa Roark, business is booming.
Dr. Roark said her clinic's phones were ringing off the hook this week, dozens of voicemails were left and her staff are running ragged to keep up with the demand. In anticipation of this phenomenon, Dr. Roark even added an additional assistant physician to her staff to keep up and is making plans to add on to her existing clinic.
She said, "I think medical marijuana in Missouri has a lot to do with [the increase]. There are very few physicians who are doing the physician certifications so I'm finding I'm getting a lot of new patient requests and realized that I cannot see all of those new patients and also manage the DOT physicals and the urgent care and all of the other services we try to offer."
Even though patients will not be able to apply for medical marijuana cards until July 4 through the Department of Health and Senior Services website, physicians have to see patients within 30 days of their applying online. So, patients are lining up to get that part taken care of before they can apply meaning Roark Family Health is very busy.
In July 2018, Dr. Roark added the first assistant physician to her clinic. Dr. Paul Hannam joined Roark Family Health from Carmel, Indiana.
Dr. Mohit Sharma, MD, joined the Roark Family team on May 9 of this year.
While Dr. Hannam and Dr. Sharma cannot do the medical marijuana certification appointments, they are taking other types of appointments.
Dr. Roark explained, "Dr. Sharma is taking over all of the acute care visits and regular DOT physicals and foster care physicals and all of the non-member tech services we offer.
"The Department of Health says a physician can have no restrictions on their license at all, and unfortunately, Dr. Hannam and Dr. Sharma are considered assistant physicians because they have not finished residency. Just like a nurse practitioner and a physician's assistant cannot do theses certifications either, a physician with any restriction cannot do them. So, that just leaves me."
Once patients' applications are approved by DHSS, both Dr. Sharma and Dr. Hannam will be able to consult with patients about medical marijuana treatments. However, that is still a little way out on the horizon.
Dr. Sharma said, "I'm very excited to join the community. Now, Missouri is my new home, and I look forward to this new chapter in my life. I hope to establish roots in this great state."
Dr. Sharma is originally from India, grew up in Michigan and attended medical school at the American University of Antigua School of Medicine. Prior to joining Roark Family Health, he worked for Webb City Community Clinic - Ozark Community Hospital. Dr. Sharma is still waiting to match into a family medicine or internal medicine residency program.
He continued, "An opportunity to have continual involvement in the medical field as an Assistant Physician in the state of Missouri is a blessing. Furthermore, serving the underserved who are often neglected due to lack-of or type-of insurance is an honor to itself."
The current timeline for medical marijuana hopefuls with qualifying conditions allows online applications to be submitted as early as July 4 with the appropriate paperwork. Then, DHSS has 30 days to approve or deny the application.
The only hiccup is facilities that will grow, process, test and sell marijuana will not have that product for patients until January or February 2020, according to information released by DHSS. Any new major changes to law takes time to implement, but patients are still enthusiastic about getting the first steps completed to allow them legal treatment options with cannabis.
Dr. Roark said a lot of her preparation has been education to help counsel patients on what options they have. When interviewing potential physicians to join her, medical marijuana was a topic discussed. She said she wanted other doctors who were at least open to medical marijuana.
She said both Dr. Hannam and Dr. Sharma are favorable to the treatment option for patients, and they will be able to discuss that option with their patients once they have their cards. Dr. Roark explained, "They can discuss it with patients, they just need the education and the training. That goes for all physicians, none of us have received that education as part of our medical school training."
Dr. Shrama shared, "I do believe that marijuana is a good therapeutic option for certain medical conditions which I believe Dr. Roark will evaluate and diagnose and treat accordingly. It's a great treatment for people who have tried everything else and it hasn't worked."
With a lack of education in the medical field about cannabis as a treatment option and restrictions preventing doctors affiliated with major healthcare systems from discussing it with patients, that cuts the number of physicians able or willing to do certifying appointments, leading to Dr. Roark's influx of patients.
In this area, very few doctors are offering appointments. She said, "I know of two doctors in Springfield but not one in Joplin. I'm actually holding a clinic in Webb City because there is no one there."
Through a partnership with a nurse, Dr. Roark will do a day clinic to assist patients in the Joplin area hoping to receive their certifications. With a lot of the qualifying conditions for patients having debilitating effects, sometimes a lengthy car ride is an unreasonable request for a patient, and Dr. Roark is hoping to make that process easier for them.
Certification appointments, if a patient is not a member of Roark Family Health, is $100 and includes everything needed to apply for the card, assuming the patient has a qualifying condition.
Dr. Roark will fill out the physician certification form from DHSS, then patients will need to submit their own electronic application once that opens July 4. She said the application process could create some problems for certain patients, which she is trying to preempt.
She said, "I think it will create some problems. One thing we're offering is that any patients we do certifications on, we will also help them with the online application. We can help scan in their photo ID. You know, a lot of people don't have scanners or know how to take a picture of their ID and download it onto a website. So we're going to assist patients with that process."
The next big step for Roark Family Health? A building expansion.
Dr. Roark shared, "My husband [Griff Roark] actually met with the city today to file a permit to build onto the clinic."
She added the expansion could also include more services to patients in the area. "We've spoken with a few physical therapy companies about utilizing our space to do physical therapy. We're making the addition big enough to where there are lots of options."
Roark Family Health already offers direct primary care services including physicals, labs, xrays and more; urgent care services; prescription medications for members; massage therapy; cosmetic services; and CBD products. For more information, go to RoarkFamilyHealth.com or call (417) 847-1111 to schedule an appointment.
For more information about Missouri's medical marijuana program, go to medicalmarijuana.mo.gov.
Charlea Estes-Jones
For Missouri citizens following medical marijuana changes locally, yesterday marked an important day regarding Amendment 2 implementation. As of June 4, 2019, licensed physicians across the state are able to see patients to qualify them to apply for their medical marijuana cards. However, with such a new change to Missouri law and policy, a lot of doctors are either choosing not to see cannabis-seeking patients or work for healthcare systems that do not allow them to discuss marijuana as a treatment option for patients. For the few doctors willing to discuss the treatment option, including Cassville-based M.D. Dr. Lisa Roark, business is booming.
Dr. Roark said her clinic's phones were ringing off the hook this week, dozens of voicemails were left and her staff are running ragged to keep up with the demand. In anticipation of this phenomenon, Dr. Roark even added an additional assistant physician to her staff to keep up and is making plans to add on to her existing clinic.
She said, "I think medical marijuana in Missouri has a lot to do with [the increase]. There are very few physicians who are doing the physician certifications so I'm finding I'm getting a lot of new patient requests and realized that I cannot see all of those new patients and also manage the DOT physicals and the urgent care and all of the other services we try to offer."
Even though patients will not be able to apply for medical marijuana cards until July 4 through the Department of Health and Senior Services website, physicians have to see patients within 30 days of their applying online. So, patients are lining up to get that part taken care of before they can apply meaning Roark Family Health is very busy.
In July 2018, Dr. Roark added the first assistant physician to her clinic. Dr. Paul Hannam joined Roark Family Health from Carmel, Indiana.
Dr. Mohit Sharma, MD, joined the Roark Family team on May 9 of this year.
While Dr. Hannam and Dr. Sharma cannot do the medical marijuana certification appointments, they are taking other types of appointments.
Dr. Roark explained, "Dr. Sharma is taking over all of the acute care visits and regular DOT physicals and foster care physicals and all of the non-member tech services we offer.
"The Department of Health says a physician can have no restrictions on their license at all, and unfortunately, Dr. Hannam and Dr. Sharma are considered assistant physicians because they have not finished residency. Just like a nurse practitioner and a physician's assistant cannot do theses certifications either, a physician with any restriction cannot do them. So, that just leaves me."
Once patients' applications are approved by DHSS, both Dr. Sharma and Dr. Hannam will be able to consult with patients about medical marijuana treatments. However, that is still a little way out on the horizon.
Dr. Sharma said, "I'm very excited to join the community. Now, Missouri is my new home, and I look forward to this new chapter in my life. I hope to establish roots in this great state."
Dr. Sharma is originally from India, grew up in Michigan and attended medical school at the American University of Antigua School of Medicine. Prior to joining Roark Family Health, he worked for Webb City Community Clinic - Ozark Community Hospital. Dr. Sharma is still waiting to match into a family medicine or internal medicine residency program.
He continued, "An opportunity to have continual involvement in the medical field as an Assistant Physician in the state of Missouri is a blessing. Furthermore, serving the underserved who are often neglected due to lack-of or type-of insurance is an honor to itself."
The current timeline for medical marijuana hopefuls with qualifying conditions allows online applications to be submitted as early as July 4 with the appropriate paperwork. Then, DHSS has 30 days to approve or deny the application.
The only hiccup is facilities that will grow, process, test and sell marijuana will not have that product for patients until January or February 2020, according to information released by DHSS. Any new major changes to law takes time to implement, but patients are still enthusiastic about getting the first steps completed to allow them legal treatment options with cannabis.
Dr. Roark said a lot of her preparation has been education to help counsel patients on what options they have. When interviewing potential physicians to join her, medical marijuana was a topic discussed. She said she wanted other doctors who were at least open to medical marijuana.
She said both Dr. Hannam and Dr. Sharma are favorable to the treatment option for patients, and they will be able to discuss that option with their patients once they have their cards. Dr. Roark explained, "They can discuss it with patients, they just need the education and the training. That goes for all physicians, none of us have received that education as part of our medical school training."
Dr. Shrama shared, "I do believe that marijuana is a good therapeutic option for certain medical conditions which I believe Dr. Roark will evaluate and diagnose and treat accordingly. It's a great treatment for people who have tried everything else and it hasn't worked."
With a lack of education in the medical field about cannabis as a treatment option and restrictions preventing doctors affiliated with major healthcare systems from discussing it with patients, that cuts the number of physicians able or willing to do certifying appointments, leading to Dr. Roark's influx of patients.
In this area, very few doctors are offering appointments. She said, "I know of two doctors in Springfield but not one in Joplin. I'm actually holding a clinic in Webb City because there is no one there."
Through a partnership with a nurse, Dr. Roark will do a day clinic to assist patients in the Joplin area hoping to receive their certifications. With a lot of the qualifying conditions for patients having debilitating effects, sometimes a lengthy car ride is an unreasonable request for a patient, and Dr. Roark is hoping to make that process easier for them.
Certification appointments, if a patient is not a member of Roark Family Health, is $100 and includes everything needed to apply for the card, assuming the patient has a qualifying condition.
Dr. Roark will fill out the physician certification form from DHSS, then patients will need to submit their own electronic application once that opens July 4. She said the application process could create some problems for certain patients, which she is trying to preempt.
She said, "I think it will create some problems. One thing we're offering is that any patients we do certifications on, we will also help them with the online application. We can help scan in their photo ID. You know, a lot of people don't have scanners or know how to take a picture of their ID and download it onto a website. So we're going to assist patients with that process."
The next big step for Roark Family Health? A building expansion.
Dr. Roark shared, "My husband [Griff Roark] actually met with the city today to file a permit to build onto the clinic."
She added the expansion could also include more services to patients in the area. "We've spoken with a few physical therapy companies about utilizing our space to do physical therapy. We're making the addition big enough to where there are lots of options."
Roark Family Health already offers direct primary care services including physicals, labs, xrays and more; urgent care services; prescription medications for members; massage therapy; cosmetic services; and CBD products. For more information, go to RoarkFamilyHealth.com or call (417) 847-1111 to schedule an appointment.
For more information about Missouri's medical marijuana program, go to medicalmarijuana.mo.gov.
