Home is Where the Need is for This Team

Sonora physicians Bob Uslander and Matt Personius have started a practice that takes medical care straight to people’s homes.

“We focus on helping senior citizens continue to live at home,” said Uslander, who know first-hand how hard it can be to get a disabled older adult to the doctor.

He said he remembers the monumental disruption his family went through every time his homebound grandmother had a routine doctor’s appointment.

“It would take an hour to get her out of her apartment to the car and another half-hour to get her out of the car at the doctor’s office,” he said. “Then she would have to wait 1-1/2 hours for a five-minute appointment, and it would take her two days to recover.”

As Sierra Housecalls Medical Group, Personius and Uslander are the primary physicians for some patients. They can do any procedure at home that normally would be done in a doctor’s office.

They work closely with other doctors and home health care services to take health care where the homebound patient lives.
Although senior citizens make up a large part of the practice, the doctors will work with people of all ages.
Personius said the practice is designed to complement other medical care.

“We are a part of the total health care family,” he said. “We are all part of the same team.”

Uslander, 40, moved to Tuolumne County in 1996 to join Sonora Community Hospital’s emergency room staff.

He and his wife Sandy, have two children, Eric, 11, and Carly, 9.

Personius, 35, moved to Tuolumne County in 1997 to become a family practitioner at Tuolumne General Hospital’s Mother Lode Medical Center.

He and his wife, JulieAnn, have five children, Julian, 11, Christian, 10, Bennett, 8, Ruby 6, and Josie, 3.

Their office coordinator, Aimee Allison, previously worked with the Area 12 Agency on Aging.

“My main interest is helping people stay at home as long as possible,” she said, “and this practice fits that niche perfectly.”

Uslander said Medicare and other insurance plans pay for doctor’s home visits.

“Actually there are no restrictions as to who the doctors can treat,” said Allison. “There could be many reasons why someone can’t get to a doctor’s office.”

Anyone wishing to learn more about the practice or arrange an appointment can call 532-4287. ©Union Democrat 2003