Cascade Internal Medicine Specialists’ Concierge Choice Practice

Dr. Sanaz Askari and Dr. Mark Backus, the physicians at Cascade Internal Medicine Specialists, located at 2239 NE Doctors Drive, Suite 200, Bend, OR 97701, want you to live healthy, active and strong, with the peace of mind you deserve. That’s why they now offer a Concierge Choice medical practice, where patients receive more time, one-to-one connectivity and greater patient support—the kind of medical care that is hard to come by these days.

We interviewed Dr. Askari and Dr. Backus to learn more about this unique style of practice, and why so many patients are flocking to it.

What is a Concierge Choice practice?

Dr. Askari: A Concierge Choice practice is a membership style of medicine, where patients can elect to join in exchange for more time, convenience, patient support and greater physician availability. To join, members pay an annual fee. The fee helps concierge physicians maintain a smaller patient panel, so they can provide all of the extra support and service that comes with the program.

What are some of the perks of membership at Cascade?

Dr. Backus: Membership goes beyond what could be offered in a traditional practice. It’s all of the services that insurance can’t cover, like longer appointment windows, same-day or next-day appointments that start on time, easy ways to connect directly with either me or Dr. Askari even after hours, greater patient advocacy and care coordination with any other healthcare providers you might see. We also have dedicated staff focused on service to support patients with paperwork, insurance issues, and securing specialist appointments.

Why does more time matter?

Dr. Askari: Time is fundamental to good medicine. In today’s system, physicians are often pressured to see a high volume of patients each day, leaving little room for deeper conversations about prevention, lifestyle, and long-term wellness.

Our model allows us to slow down. We can focus on your full health story, history, goals, stressors, and priorities. Whether you’re working toward weight loss, stress reduction, smoking cessation, improved fitness, or better management of chronic conditions, we have the time to coach and support you in a meaningful way.

Dr. Backus: Sometimes it works the opposite way! We know our patients are stretched for time as well, and this program allows us to provide care that is quick and convenient. With a closer doctor-patient relationship, we can often handle issues on the phone, avoiding a trip to the office altogether, or we can get a patient in quickly for a first-thing-in-the-morning appointment. Our availability makes it a lot easier to support our busy patients.

What about patient advocacy?

Dr. Askari: When you are feeling most vulnerable, it’s important that you have someone you trust who can make arrangements for you, get you in to see specialists, and help you understand your situation and treatment in the context of your whole health history. This is the concierge-level support that can only be provided in a practice setting like Cascade.

Dr. Backus: The care coordination is so fundamental to good health and peace of mind. We are always there for our patients, and we are very happy to be able to practice in this highly personalized manner.

Are you currently accepting new patients?

Dr. Askari:YES, currently we do have some spots remaining until we reach full capacity. However, our program is limited so that we can support our patients in the
concierge style, so if you wish to enroll, contact us soon.

Dr. Backus: I encourage anyone interested to contact us to learn more!

For detailed membership information, including pricing, interested people should call Concierge Choice Physicians at 877.888.5590 or email join@ccpmd.com.

The Cascade Concierge Choice program is not a substitute for insurance. The fee for the program covers the specialized screenings as described on our website, www.cascadeinternalmedicine.com. Any additional services outside of what is detailed here are the patient’s financial responsibility. Patients may pay for their membership annually, semi-annually, quarterly, or monthly, and may receive a prorated refund of their membership fee. If you have received the annual concierge exam, you will not be eligible for a refund. Please refer to the Membership Agreement for more information.

The Department of Consumer and Business Services issued a certification to this practice. You can contact consumer advocates at the Department of Consumer and Business Services at 888.977.4894, dcbs.insmail@state.or.us, or www.insurance.oregon.gov.