Reed Medical Group finds a new Longboat Key home

Reed Medical Group is working to move into a permanent home after Hurricane Helene displaced the concierge primary care doctor’s office.

After 4.5 feet of water flooded its original home, Dr. James Reed and staff moved into a temporary space at the former Tidewell building.

“The Paradise Center had some space that they could sublease to us, and we could temporarily work out of that office,” said Chief Operating Officer Angie Weaver. “Meanwhile we were trying to find our home.”

That home will be at the Shoppes of Bay Isles complex with Publix and CVS. Weaver said the opportunity to move into the space at the end of the Publix complex came after they had discussions with Petar Sibinkic of Longboat Key Fitness. Sibinkic is already expanding his gym.

“But he didn’t need the entire space that was available. So we just chatted and decided we’d take half and he’d take the other half,” Weaver said. “So we’ve been working on this project since about the beginning of the year to build out that space.”

The 1,300 sq. ft. space will have three exam rooms, a reception and waiting area and a nurse’s station.

Dr. Reed decided to open an office on Longboat Key when he was working in West Bradenton. He saw a need among Longboat patients for a doctor providing follow-up care.

The primary care office offers “concierge acute care,” as the practice’s website describes it. Concierge care requires an annual membership fee, Weaver said, and included with that fee are treatments. Insurance is not involved in the process.

“You don’t need to wait for insurance to approve the injection or approve whatever you need to have done in the office. We can just do it right then and there if the physician sees that it’s necessary,” Weaver said.

Image courtesy of Reed Medical Group

Concierge care avoids the hassle of dealing with a bureaucratic middle man and can sometimes have comparable costs to insurance-based coverage, Weaver said.

“People see the dollar signs, but what they don’t see is the $500 a month for their insurance premium and they still have to pay a deductible on top of that for certain services,” Weaver said. “So you’re actually at the end of the day kind of paying the same amount.”

Reed Medical Group and neighboring Longboat Key Fitness could be a win-win for the businesses. The physicians at the practice encourage their patients to stay healthy, and being right next to a gym and pharmacy (CVS) is convenient.

“Some patients are just looking for something preventative which is why Petar (Sibinkic with Longboat Key Fitness) is such a great resource,” Weaver said. “We work pretty closely with him encouraging patients to stay healthy and fit with exercise and nutrition.”