For most of her life, Nancy Eberhardt had been fortunate to be healthy. But as she got older, she began thinking differently about what she wanted from her healthcare.
“I needed more of a safety net,” she says.
For Nancy, that meant having a physician she trusted, access to help when she needed it, and the reassurance that she wouldn't have to navigate uncertain health situations entirely on her own.
Nancy had a longtime internist she loved. When her physician decided to retire, Nancy began looking for someone new.
She could have transitioned to another physician in the same practice, but the practice had grown considerably, and Nancy worried about how busy it had become. So she started asking people she trusted for recommendations.
The first person told her about a physician named Dr. Eric Haacke-Golden. Another recommended PartnerMD. Then a third person connected the dots.
“She said, ‘I’m with Dr. Haacke-Golden and I love him. And he’s about to go with PartnerMD,’” Nancy recalls.
Before Dr. Haacke-Golden had even started at PartnerMD, Nancy scheduled a virtual conversation with him.
“I felt like we clicked right away,” she says.
One of the things Nancy wanted was a physician who would be comfortable with the active role she already played in her health.
She worked with a dietitian, exercised regularly, and wanted to be able to consider different perspectives when making decisions about her care. From their first conversation, she could tell Dr. Haacke-Golden was open to that.
Over the years, that willingness to collaborate has become one of the things she values most about their relationship. When another healthcare professional has a recommendation, Dr. Haacke-Golden wants to hear it. He explains what he recommends and why, but he also encourages Nancy to bring other perspectives back to him.
“He always wants to learn,” Nancy says. “He always says, ‘Tell me about it. What did she say?’”
“Listening to my patients is such a big part of what I do. Inevitably, I can help them identify not only which aspects of their health need a little work, but also the best, most balanced way to get there.”
Eric Haacke-Golden, M.D.
Questions about your health don't always wait until your next appointment. For Nancy, one of the things she values most about PartnerMD is how easily she can get guidance when something comes up.
Whether she's wondering if a symptom warrants an appointment or has a question about a medication, she can call the office or send Dr. Haacke-Golden a message through the patient portal. Often, she hears back quickly from him or his nurse with an answer, a next step, or an appointment if one is needed.
“It's just amazing the level at which he responds,” she says. “I just feel like I'm not worried about it for days.”
That ready access has given Nancy something she was looking for when she joined PartnerMD: the reassurance of knowing she doesn't have to figure out a health concern on her own.
Recently, she experienced exactly why that matters.
Nancy had received an infusion and, two nights later, experienced a frightening reaction. It was the July 4th weekend, and the friends she normally would have turned to for support were all out of town.
She wasn't sure whether what she was experiencing warranted a trip to the emergency room. But she knew that if she became more concerned, she had someone she could call.
The next morning, Nancy called PartnerMD's after-hours number and reached Dr. Benjamin Chopski, one of Dr. Haacke-Golden's colleagues.
“I mean, it was so fast,” Nancy says. “The phone rings and he answers.”
Dr. Chopski reviewed what had happened, explained what to watch for over the weekend, and told Nancy to follow up with Dr. Haacke-Golden on Monday. By Monday morning, she was in the office for an EKG and a heart monitor.
“I just felt like I had enough information to know we were going to get to the bottom of it,” she says. “And if I had another event that was scary, I knew exactly what to do.”
Ultimately, her heart monitor was normal. But what stayed with Nancy was something much simpler.
“Just the feeling that I had a right to call,” she says.
It was the first time in five years that she'd needed to contact PartnerMD after hours. She had apologized for bothering the physician, almost out of habit, but the experience reinforced that reaching out when she needed guidance was exactly what that access was there for.
The relationship Nancy has built with Dr. Haacke-Golden also shows up in much more ordinary ways.
Nancy travels frequently, and he remembers it. At her physical, he'll ask about upcoming trips and consider when she should receive vaccines based on where and when she's traveling.
It's a small example of something Nancy values: having a physician who knows not just her medical history, but her life.
Recently, when a friend told Nancy she was considering concierge medicine, Nancy immediately thought of Dr. Haacke-Golden and PartnerMD.
That's fitting, because Nancy's own PartnerMD story began much the same way: with a conversation with a friend.
She was looking for a physician she trusted and a little more security around her healthcare. Five years later, she has both: a doctor who knows her, a team she trusts, and the peace of mind of knowing that when she's not sure what to do, she doesn't have to figure it out alone.
If Nancy's story resonates with you and you're looking for a physician you can trust and count on when you need guidance, complete our form to schedule a conversation with a PartnerMD team member and learn more about membership.