Queen Anne Medical Remote
Updates March 2024
As we announced at the end of November 2023, Queen Anne Medical Associates will transition to “Queen Anne Medical Remote” - a telehealth practice - in May 2024. Our lease expires on May 31, 2024, and our physical office will close at that time. Here are updates and answers to common questions we have been hearing.
WE’RE NOT GOING AWAY COMPLETELY!
We learned during the pandemic that a lot of medical care can be delivered without being “hands-on!” We will continue to provide video (face-to-face) care for ongoing medical conditions - like hormone management for gender dysphoria, antidepressant and ADHD prescriptions, birth control, and PrEP. We will still order blood tests through LabCorps and CT/MRI/ultrasound imaging at the facility of your choice. We will continue to manage chronic medical conditions like high blood pressure and diabetes, and we will continue to help you with many acute illnesses. If you have been with us for a while, you know that we can assist with medical and life problem-solving.
WHO WILL BE ON THE QUEEN ANNE MEDICAL REMOTE TEAM?
Linda Gromko MD and Carol Keenholts ARNP will continue providing care, with the assistance of Medical Assistants Taryn Stringer and Kori Henckel. Lauren Christophersen will continue with administrative tasks. Barb Boni and Margaret Provenzano will be retiring. And, sadly, our blood drawer, Nome, will no longer be with us.
TRANSITIONING TO TELEHEALTH:
Make sure you have signed up for the portal on Athena (our electronic medical record system). You will need the portal for all communication with the practice, including appointment scheduling, making co-pays, getting lab results, etc.
All care will be transitioned to a telehealth model using the Doxy.Me platform. We will begin using telehealth for many of our March visits to allow for a smooth transition.
Doxy-me is easier to use than it is to describe. But you may want to see a brief tutorial here.
Here's the care we will not offer:
- Physical examinations - including pre-and post-operative exams and sports physicals
- Insertion/removal of medical or hormonal devices (puberty blockers, hormone pellets, IUDs)
- In-person care of all types, including urgent or emergency care
- Wound care
- After-hours on-call or emergency care (Please go to the Urgent Care or Emergency Room of your choice
You will need a primary care provider for these and ALL in-person medical needs. To find a new provider, you may wish to search for a family medicine or internal medicine physician through Swedish Medical Center, University of Washington Medical Center, Virginia Mason, the Polyclinic, or Kaiser Permanente.
For a practice similar to ours, you may want to search “independent medical practices.”
For routine gynecological care, Planned Parenthood has been an excellent resource.
What is the history of Queen Anne Medical Associates PLLC?
Queen Anne Medical Associates PLLC was founded in 1989 by Linda Gromko MD - then a small family practice focusing on women’s health care and obstetrics.
In 1998, Dr. Gromko started treating transgender patients
In about 2006, Dr. Gromko stopped delivering babies
Queen Anne Medical Transformative Aesthetics - featuring hair removal by electrolysis and laser - began in 2014 and expanded in 2019. We were fortunate to have survived the height of the Pandemic - but operating a small family practice is challenging even under normal circumstances.
We thank you for your support over the years, and hope to serve you in the future!
Linda Gromko MD
FAQs: Frequently Asked Questions about Queen Anne Medical Remote (QAMR)
As always, that depends on the insurance companies. Going forward, some companies may not pay for Telehealth visits at all. If you are not covered by insurance - or if QAMR does not take your insurance, you may pay by VISA, Mastercard, Venmo, or Paypal at the time of your visit.
We have taken Medicare assignment for over thirty years and will continue to do so as long as Medicare pays us for your care.
No. There are some patients with medical circumstances that are too complex to be served in a Telehealth practice. We will try to let you know if that is the case for you - in which case, you will be asked to find another healthcare provider or clinic. (Larger networks such as Swedish Medical Center, or University of Washington Medical Center are recommended.) We will not be accepting new patients, although that may change in the future.
You may have your electronic medical records transferred to the new facility of your choice. Ask for a Transfer of Records form. It is our policy to retain records for ten years.
Since we will no longer have a physical clinic, we will no longer offer on-site blood draws. We will order your lab tests through LabCorp. LabCorp has locations all over the Pacific Northwest - and our orders will apply to any of their draw sites.
Not at all. We encourage you to get mammograms, PSA tests for prostate screening if you are 50 or over, Paps if you have a cervix, etc. Many doctors no longer do annual physicals at all - which is a point of heated debate among healthcare providers. We realize that we can no longer provide ALL the care needed by an individual; our experience shows that we are excellent advocates and problem solvers on our patients’ behalf.
Call 911 for a life-threatening medical emergency, or call 988 for a mental health emergency. As is the case now, you will be directed to the appropriate Emergency Room or Urgent Care facility of your choice.
NO. We will no longer provide a 24-hour on-call service. If you need to see or talk to a medical provider outside of regular appointment times, we ask that you contact your hospital Emergency Room or the Urgent Care Center of your choice.
NO. We will not be filling prescriptions after hours. You may leave an email message and we will respond within a period of 24-72 hours. If you need urgent medications, you will be directed to the hospital Emergency Room or the Urgent Care center of your choice for in-person care. For routine medications, contact your pharmacy first and they will submit a request to us. These are filled on a routine basis. Remember also that there is no longer a 24-hour pharmacy in Seattle.
Absolutely! But this is a far better alternative than not practicing at all. We hope you agree, and that we can continue to help you and your family in the coming years.
We will sadly say goodbye to Barb Boni and Margaret Provenzano. Barb has managed the practice since 1996 and Margaret preceded her in the Billing Department starting in 1994.
To be announced at a later date.
PLEASE BE PATIENT. WE ARE IN NEW TERRITORY, AND POLICIES MAY CHANGE.