Many people believe that house calls are a thing of the past, but that’s not so for Hobart pediatrician Dr. Marc Connery.
His infant and special needs patients can be accommodated when making appointments.
Office manager Stacy Riley said that when families call for appointments, they are surprised when she asks if they want to come in or need a house call.
“There’s usually a moment of silence,” she said with a laugh. “It catches them off guard.”
For Connery, it’s all in a day’s work.
“If they live within a reasonable distance and are not able to get to my office, yes, I will travel to them,” the 47-year-old doctor said from his office at Brickyard Pediatrics. “Especially if the weather is bad.”
A chance meeting with his own childhood pediatrician cemented the idea of specializing in serving children after his graduation from University of Illinois-Rockford, and a residency at University of Florida-Pensacola.
The Glenwood, Ill., native was visiting his parents and ran into his childhood physician at a dog park.
“He mentioned an opening in Portage, Indiana with a pediatrics group he was involved in,” Connery said. “I applied for it, was accepted and moved to northwest Indiana.”
While in Portage, he was the physician for a family with seven children.
“One night, one of the siblings was admitted to the hospital with respiratory problems. His brother was admitted the next night with the same thing,” the doctor said. “That left five children at home that needed medical attention, so that visit was my first house call.”
The house calls are very necessary for some families, and they do serve many purposes, according to the doctor.
Keeping sick children away from others and giving the doctor a chance to see a child in their natural surroundings are just a few.
“There may be other services a family may need and I can give referrals to those,” Dr. Connery said. “And it makes for a more comfortable atmosphere for the patient and/or the family for me to come to them.”
Many situations with youngsters don’t necessarily call for an emergency room visit, which many times can result in a very long and expensive wait. His black travel bag contains a thermometer, device to check ears and other supplies usually found in the office.
“I have to drive home anyway, so I’d rather see the patient in their home than have them make a trip to the ER and wait hours,” Dr. Connery added. “Especially if travel to the ER is difficult.”
After a four-year stint at the Portage location, Connery moved on to a position in Merrillville. Along the way, the idea of being on his own was taking root.
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“I was looking at the dynamic of having my own practice,” he said. “Since I was familiar with billing, coding, insurance, etc., I decided to take the leap into becoming my own boss.”
Sue Ellen Ross is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.