There's no need to cool your heels in the waiting room at one of the newest doctor's offices on the Northwest Side — just sign in, then go shopping, grab a bite, or strike another errand off your list. The doctor's office will page you when they're ready.
The Dermatology Center, under the direction of Dr. Robert Segal, is a dermatology practice with a unique idea: give patients pagers to notify them when the doctor can see them.
"People live in a multitasking environment," Segal said. "Why can't you multitask in a doctor's office?"
Segal opened his office in February in the retail shops of Casa Adobes Plaza at 7005 N. Oracle Road. The Stanford University-trained doctor said this is the fourth office has opened. He previously practiced in New Mexico and moved here to be closer to family members.
When Segal was designing the new practice, wife Anne Segal said, he decided he wanted to allow people to do other things than just sit around and wait.
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The paging system is similar to those seen at restaurants or salons, except the pagers cover a much larger radius. An antenna on the rooftop allows a patient with a pager to wander up to about a half-mile from the office.
And if you're at another appointment when the pager goes off, just finish the errands and then come in, Robert Segal said — there's no hurry when the pager goes off.
The office does feature a traditional waiting room, equipped with high-speed wireless Internet.
Anne Segal joked about how her husband decided to get a pager system.
"He went to a doctor's office and was kept waiting," she said. "He said, 'People these days don't have time to wait.' "
Doctors, in the wake of an increasingly strained health care system, are coming up with innovative ways to keep patients happy while they wait, said Arizona Medical Association spokeswoman Andrea Smiley.
"Physicians are trying to connect better with their patients," Smiley said. "Especially our younger doctors are interested in integrating technology into their practices."
Robert Segal's idea for a pager system is unique, Smiley said.
"I think it's a great idea for certain types of practices," she said.
The Dermatology Center uses state-of-the-art techniques for dealing with skin care, including several laser products for resurfacing of skin.
Each room is individually air-conditioned and equipped with scalable lighting, depending on the procedure.
"We had this office built to our specifications," Segal said.
The Dermatology Center also carries several skin-care products as part of its retail side, including sunscreens, hats, makeup and custom-made products.
For more information on the Dermatology Center, call 498-1818.
If you go
What: Dermatology Center
Address: 7005 N. Oracle Road in the Casa Adobes Plaza
Hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Wednesday; 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday and Friday.
Phone: 498-1818
