Dr. Mukesh Satodiya opened Apex Internal Medicine of Tampa three years ago to serve the community and neighborhood that he lives in and loves. The primary care practice is located in the Cory Lake Professional Center on Cross Creek Blvd. in New Tampa, minutes from Wesley Chapel.
Working with a wide range of adult patients is something that Dr. Satodiya appreciates about his location and clientele.
“It’s a mixed population, a mix of ethnicities, working people to retired, 18-year-olds to seniors,” he says. “A broad spectrum from the medical practice point of view.”
Dr. Satodiya’s 15+ years of practicing medicine, along with his incredibly personable approach, serve his diverse clientele well. Board-certified in Internal Medicine, he earned a Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) degree from B. J. Medical College in Ahmedabad, India, in 1999. He completed his residency training in internal medicine in 2007 at Monmouth Medical Center in Long Branch, NJ.
His previous experience includes working in both a hospital environment, as well as with a corporate medical practice. Dr. Satodiya says that having his own practice allows him to focus on the level of patient care, which is what matters most to him. Born and raised in India, his decision to become a doctor was inspired by his view of it as a noble profession focused on helping others.
“Our main purpose is to offer more personal care, rather than treating a certain number of patients per day,” explains Dr. Satodiya. “Most of our patients like that we’re not a huge office, and they know me personally, as well as the staff. And we know them.”
That extra level of interaction and accessibility makes it easier for patients to feel comfortable reaching out to the office when they have needs or concerns. Dr. Satodiya and his staff make sure to always get back to patients promptly.
“They will hear back quickly,” he says. “Either from my medical assistant or I will call them back and talk to them myself. And, if we need to see them, we see them as early as possible, either the same day or the next day.”
He knows these are important things that patients often find frustrating about their experiences at larger medical offices with multiple providers. Administrative details and goals set by insurance companies or corporate offices, often can be the priority in those types of environments.
“It’s easy for anybody to set these goals and deadlines and say these are the things we need to focus on,” Dr. Satodiya says. “Then, between all these other influences, sometimes the quality of care for the patient is not the best.”
Patients definitely notice the difference in the care at Apex Internal Medicine. For example, patient Joe Spoto found out about the Apex office a couple of years ago, and has been with Dr. Satodiya ever since.
“I’ve stuck with him because he listens to you,” Spoto says. “He doesn’t rush you through your appointment. You’re not just limited to one topic if you have more than one thing going on. And, he’s nice! I’ve had doctors that rush you in and rush you out, but he’s been great. I really appreciate him.”
Dr. Satodiya understands that providing primary care requires more than a cookie cutter approach. That’s why the office tailors the length of appointments to allow him to have an adequate amount of time with each patient.
“Especially when we talk about senior care, we do need more time sometimes,” explains Dr. Satodiya. “[The elderly] have a lot of concerns, they are taking many medications and they may have more medical problems. Sometimes 30 or 35 minutes is not enough to address everything that we need.”
Expert Care For Seniors
An expert in senior care, Dr. Satodiya understands the common issues many elders face. He helps his patients improve their quality of life and works to keep them under control whenever possible. He sees the treatment of his patients as far more than just prescribing medications.
“Education also is very important, because just a medication is not going to help them completely,” he says. “I try to make sure [my patients] know about their medical conditions and what else they can do, besides just taking their medication — whether it is diet, physical activity or if there is some monitoring or testing they can do at home — so they can take care of themselves better. We educate them on what to watch for, including potential side effects and how can we minimize their medication doses. That’s always better, because there are less side effects and complications for the patient.”
Another priority at Apex Internal Medicine is providing resources to patients. For example, some senior patients have limited resources at home or may be living by themselves. Dr. Satodiya encourages them to call and reach out to the office whenever they are unsure of something, and he connects them to information and helpful organizations.
He says, “We tell them where there are senior centers, community churches and other social places that will make them feel good and help them make new friends, rather than just always staying by themselves.”
While Apex Internal Medicine sees patients ages 18 and up, the staff often finds that seniors are having more challenges, including navigating insurance, understanding the medication they are taking, as well as scheduling other procedures.
“Let’s say they need X-rays or labs,” explains Dr. Satodiya. “The younger population can go online and find that stuff by themselves. But, some seniors have limited access to information. I train my staff to help them, give them more options and guide them.”
Patients can have blood draws, urine tests, blood sugar checks, flu tests, Covid tests as well as electrocardiograms (EKGs) on-site at Apex, which also offers medical weight loss programs. When there is a time sensitive follow-up that needs to be done off-site, the staff will call and help set up the appointment for them.
“That way it will be easier for the patient to go and get it done, rather than them having to figure it out by themselves,” Dr. Satodiya says.
He recommends people not wait until they have problems to visit. Preventive care is ideal since small things taken care of early can help avoid future complications. He also says that regular check-ups are important for people of all ages. Even when someone is feeling fine and doesn’t have any symptoms, there could still be underlying conditions that have not reached a level that is noticeable.
“There are certain undiagnosed conditions in the early stages that don’t have any red flags you can see,” explains Dr. Satodiya. “We encourage people to do their annual check-up. Young adults, seniors… we live in a very modern society where people don’t have time for themselves. Whether they are doing good or not, they may not know that they have very high cholesterol or high blood pressure and it’s not going to cause any symptoms until it’s something serious like a stroke or heart attack. If they let it go untreated and undiagnosed it could already be causing damage to their kidneys or their heart.”
Dr. Satodiya also says he tells all of his patients to get more physically active daily, and puts that into practice himself. He walks, rides a bicycle and plays volleyball and badminton to stay active. He also enjoys spending quality time with his family. He recommends everyone get out in nature and do something that makes them feel good physically and mentally, rather than worrying about how many calories are being burned.
“If you can’t do a lot, just do something!” he says. “It can be something simple, like walking around the house or the neighborhood.”
Apex Internal Medicine of Tampa is accepting new patients and Dr. Satodiya would like to see more people coming to visit for regular check-ups, not just when something is wrong.
Apex Internal Medicine of Tampa is located at 10353 Cross Creek Blvd., Suite D, in the Cory Lake Professional Center. It is open Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. (closed for lunch from noon-1 p.m.), and evening appointments are available. The office accepts several major health insurance plans. To make an appointment or for more information, call (813) 725-4983 or visit ApexIMT.com.
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