Jul 12, 2009
I was just getting ready to announce that I had achieved the Triple Crown of physician recognition (featured in Hour Detroit’s Top Docs issue, appearing on TV, and the Vitals.com Patients’ Choice Award) when a got a Google alert that I am the runner-up in the Current Reader’s Choice Awards for “Place to get alternate healthcare”. (Yes, half of these spelled my name wrong: Malcolm Sickel and Malcolm Sickles, but it’s not a big deal.)
So let’s recap:
1. Hour Detroit, an oversized glossy of all things fabulous around Detroit, starts the ball rolling by featuring me as the first holistic physician ever in their magazine.
2. Fox News Detroit, the big local TV station, has me come in for a spot on their morning news.
3. Vitals.com, the main website that scores doctors, gives me the Patients’ Choice award for doctors who have “received near-perfect scores as voted by patients.”
4. Current, Ann Arbor’s monthly newspaper of events and all things hip, has an annual reader survey and in the category for “best place to get alternate healthcare” (which I didn’t know existed), I get the runner-up position after Castle Remedies, a great retail store for homeopathics and supplements. The fact that I landed first place after a retail shop that gets a lot more traffic than I do is quite flattering.
Of course, I must give credit to the Crazy Wisdom Journal for featuring me first back in 2006. A nice way to get the ball rolling.
So, thank you to everyone who has put their faith in me and voted for me. I’m honored. A friend of my brother’s said that I should write a book, but I’m already pretty busy. Maybe if I had a better idea of what people wanted to read...
Tags: Media attention
Jul 27, 2008
I'm going on a medical brigade in Honduras the week of August 18: http://www.hondurasmedical.org/
We're going to have to reschedule everyone from that week and I won't be around for the week. Sorry about the short notice, the plans just came together.
Apr 14, 2006
I've hired two great people to staff the front desk. They're answering the phones and calling back all the messages people have left for me.
So, you should be able to get a live person most of the time when you call, and if not a call back within a day. They've called back most of the old messages (except for things I specifically need to deal with), so if you haven't gotten a call back it must have gotten lost in the transition so give us another call.
I've also set up some more talks for the Summer, so check the events page for the updated listings.
Finally, with my being in the office 5 days a week now, I have appointments available in a much closer time frame, so no more month-long waits for new patients (at this point).
Mar 04, 2006
I've been making lots of changes recently: I'm changing the website (should look similar, but makes it much easier to keep up), my office (the closet is no more), and my work (I have been going up to Flint twice a week to help out at a clinic up there, but I've gotten too busy to continue doing that, and will cut that back starting in April).
The goal of all this is to improve the care I'm giving patients:
An easier website makes it more likely to be up to date.
A more open office is nicer and makes room for a reception station. The reception station means I'll be hiring some help to take some of the work off my shoulders (I can't answer the phone while I'm seeing patients, but if I'm booked solid the whole day, I get no time to check messages or schedule new patients, leading to absurdly long waits for people to get calls back).
Less time in Flint means more time at my office, so I'll finally have some openings to schedule the new patients who have been leaving me messages (I've been getting them, but haven't had openings to put new patients in).
Things are still hectic, but should be settling down soon (at least in geological time).
So, the take home message is that is you've tried to contact me and haven't gotten a response, I'm working on it and haven't forgotten you. Do realize, however, that I'm currently booking for a month from now.