One of the leading independent physician groups in Florida is expanding into the Tampa area. Founded in Charlotte County and now headquartered in Fort Myers, Millennium Physician Group boasts more than 550 healthcare providers at 150 locations in 19 Florida counties serving nearly half a million patients.
It’s no secret that Hillsborough, Pinellas and Pasco counties are consistently ranked among the fastest-growing counties in the country. Although the Tampa area is rife with hospital-affiliated medical groups, Millennium is seizing the opportunity to fill a void by providing independent physicians the opportunity to be part of a physician-focused group, one that gives them the support of being in a partnership yet honors their connection with their patients.
“We like to focus on working with independent practices and those doctors who are tired of hospital employment,” explains Millennium Healthcare President Geurt Peet. “We provide them with the support, resources and tools to survive and thrive in this ever-changing world we call health care.”
The secret to Millennium’s success is its highly engaged physicians. Wesley Chapel-based Family Medicine physician Nektarios Demetriou, D.O., serves as the Medical Director for the Tampa region and says the Tampa-area growth means Millennium is well-positioned to serve the community.
“Being a part of this time of growth and expansion is exciting and humbling,” says Dr. Demetriou. “It truly is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.”
Dr. Demetriou says the Wesley Chapel area is the fourth fastest-growing area in the U.S., and to keep up with that growth, Millennium has several new physicians in the pipeline scheduled to join Millennium in Wesley Chapel, Lutz and Brandon.
“We are seeing a massive influx of people moving here from the Midwest and East Coast,” Dr. Demetriou explains. “And they all need good doctors to take care of them and meet their medical needs.”
The emotional commitment Millennium’s physicians and advanced-care providers apply to their work contributes to their national recognition, including garnering the Pinnacle of Excellence Award for consistently high levels of physician engagement by healthcare research firm Press Ganey. Millennium’s patients sense their physicians’ engagement through a strong patient-physician relationship, which comes to life thousands of times a day across the organization. Millennium excels in value-based healthcare, which aims to deliver high-quality care at a lower cost with better patient outcomes by practicing preventive, coordinated primary care.
Introducing: The Virtual Clinic!
As a testament to that commitment, Millennium is launching a first-of-its-kind Virtual Clinic, initially staffed by Tampa-area physicians who will use Millennium’s proprietary telehealth platform — MPG Connect — to virtually see patients from across Florida. Millennium’s Virtual Walk-In Clinic providers will conduct virtual visits to treat a variety of acute-care issues, from sniffles and strains to earaches and stomach aches.
Millennium’s Chief Innovation Officer Jeffrey Nelson says the Virtual Clinic is a logical next step. “It’s going to allow Millennium to further expand our services and hours for our patients to be able to see a provider when and where they need us most.”
Dr. Demetriou says the goal of the Virtual Clinic is to prevent patients from having to go to the emergency room just because it’s after hours. “It gives our patients and the public the ability to be seen by a clinician outside of office hours and get peace of mind.”
He adds that it’s just this type of innovative approach to medical care that sets Millennium apart. “Millennium is not just a medical company but a technology company as well,” Dr. Demetriou says. “This type of no-barriers approach to treating patients is definitely a trend we’ll be seeing more of, and Millennium is on the cutting edge of developing technologies to allow us to do this.”
Dr. Demetriou says Covid-19 and the pandemic have led to much of the recent population growth and, in turn, triggered leaps in innovation. At the height of the pandemic, when health officials called on the medical community to employ telehealth as a tool to help slow the spread of Covid-19, Millennium’s physician and innovation teams responded. Through their swift deployment of MPG Connect, Millennium physicians were able to preserve their connection with their patients just when they needed it most, turning a challenge into an opportunity.
Today, telehealth is a sustainable care delivery system Millennium health care providers leverage hundreds of times a day across the organization.
Nelson says leveraging the technology allows Millennium to support its mission of being “Your Connection to a Healthier Life.”
“Rapid expansion of service delivery through technology, that’s really what we’re about,” he says. “Especially in our innovation area, really focusing on how we continue to push the envelope. We have created a culture of change and innovation. And, throughout the years, we’ve always been on the forefront of technology. We’ve always been three to five years ahead of the industry in general.”
Dr. Demetriou adds that the use of telehealth technology in today’s rapidly evolving healthcare landscape allows Millennium patients to have access to a clinician from anywhere, and that’s a powerful thing.
“Millennium’s focus is preventive health,” he says,. “and the best way to achieve that is through communication, access and follow-up.”
Peet explains that technology isn’t a way for physicians to be more hands-off, but actually quite the opposite.
“We provide the technology to support our physicians, which then, in turn, allows them to spend more time face-to-face with their patients, which is why they got into medicine in the first place,” Peet says. “Patients get easier access to health care and meaningful time with their health care providers.”
Millennium Physician Group’s expansion into the Tampa-area market means more health care providers connecting with more patients, supporting their mission to connect the best doctors, service and quality.
Every patient, every time.
Millennium Physician Group’s Virtual Clinic is available Mon.-Fri., 8 a.m.-9 p.m. For more information, call (877) 748-1114 or (239) 320-8138. Dr. Nektarios Demetriou’s Millennium Physician Group office is located at 2649 Windguard Cir., Ste. 101, Wesley Chapel. For info, call (813) 723-1303 or visit MillenniumPhysician.com.
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