Today we’d like to introduce you to Mauricio Garcia Jacques.
Mauricio, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
During my training, it was evident that chronic and acute pain conditions are driving a significant number of doctor visits with subpar outcomes. I noted that a lot of patients with chronic painful conditions also suffer from a diverse number of comorbidities or associated medical problems. I always wished to create a chronic pain medical home, in which the Pain specialist is able to work along with other specialists and general practitioners to optimize outcomes in an integrative way, improving not only pain but the quality of life as a whole with better health outcomes.
At the same time, the economic impact of contributing to improved health outcomes is huge. It is difficult to remain compliant with medical recommendations or even with office visits. But in this population, there is a constant reminder of the need to get better, the need to control pain, therefore the feedback to remain in treatment is constant.I believe we can be the driver of a new health wave if we work together and keep the patient as the center of the treatment plans.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
It has been really difficult to launch this business. It is difficult to promote the long-term vision in an ERA in which productivity and fee for service is the main model. The more interventions we do, the better a business does. Whereas, ACHE Institute of Houston wishes to invert the equation and offer more value in less doing. I strongly believe that with proper nutrition and body mechanics our specialty would not be as important, certainly not a 500 billion dollar per year industry.
In summary, we are going against traffic, but slowly more and more people are seeking a way to heal instead of a band-aid. IT is very exciting to hear this from patients, I want to heal and stop patching the pain. This is how I came up with our slogan: ACHE institute: A chance to heal, the alternative to pain management.
Slowly, more and more patients engage in multimodal management. I have to admit though, I do perform mainly interventional pain medicine since many times referrals come specifically for procedures. I also have to supplement income with general anesthesia practice since I have bills to pay. But the job I enjoy the most is working with the patients to identify and solve the contributing factors to the pain syndrome
ACHE Institute of Houston – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
ACHE Institute of Houston is not your usual Pain Medicine practice. We pride ourselves in working together with others to optimize health outcomes. The most common specialist I refer to is a nutritionist who specializes in an anti-inflammatory diet. Her contribution to my patients is really something. All patients should engage in some sort of home exercise program as well! At the very least daily stretches.
This drives a lot of questions obviously, so I developed a web app, and soon to be a mobile app to keep my patients engaged with and between all contributing health experts, It enables instant messaging and file sharing, so relying on memory is no longer a factor to stick to the plans.
Acupuncture is another perk we have at the practice. Since I started doing acupuncture, many of the day to day aches and pains my wife, my kids or I suffer are now treated with acupuncture. A lot of my patients love it and have found improvement with this that was not previously seen with conventional therapy.
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
I want ACHE Institute to become a brand. I want this model of care to be expanded out of the Houston area. I want Chronic Pain Medical Home to become a concept that is adopted across the nation as a solution in a cost containment environment once we move away from fee for service.
In regards to the web app system, I want other fields to adopt it as a telehealth solution that focuses on team building and collaboration.
Pricing:
- Acupuncture only ranges from 80-120 dollars per session
Contact Info:
- Address: 7322 Southwest freeway Suite 775 Houston Texas 77074
14511 FallingCreek Drive Ste 402 Houston Texas 77014 - Website: Www.acheinstitute.com
- Phone: 832 930 35 89
- Email: info@acheinstitute.com
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