Exasperated with the bureaucracy tied to the traditional patient care system, Val Koganski, M.D., took a bold step into a world wherein the patient/doctor relationship is still sacred, where prevention is as important as treatment, and where nothing stands in the way of an individual achieving the best health possible.
Dr. Koganski brings this standout philosophy to each of the patients of the practice he founded in Bucks County—now known throughout the region by the name Newtown Internal Medicine—nearly 20 years ago.
“We offer a system-oriented approach to solving patients’ problems,” Dr. Koganski explains. “By shifting the traditional disease-centered focus of medical practice to a more patient-centered approach, we address the whole person, not just an isolated set of symptoms. We spend time with our patients, listening to their histories and looking at the interactions among genetic, environmental and lifestyle factors that can influence long-term health and complex, chronic disease.”
Dr. Koganski’s credentials are as impressive as his approach to medicine: Board-certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine, Dr. Koganski earned the top slot as the “# 1 Smartest DocTM Internist” in 2014 and 2015 by MDLinx.com, which worked in collaboration with the Cleveland Clinic to select winners from among thousands of physicians across the nation. He also earned the title of “Smartest Family Physician in America” by the same organization in 2013, 2014 and 2016. “Earning these awards demonstrates I’m devoted to studying all the time, reading all the time and looking for the newest developments in medicine all the time,” he says.
More notable than even his accolades and achievements, however, is Dr. Koganski’s one-of-a-kind approach to care. Uniquely, Dr. Koganski applies a mix of Eastern and traditional (or “Western”) medicine to best serve his patients. For example, the doctor applies treatment to many patients that incorporates acupuncture, which is a melding of traditional and ancient Chinese medicine wherein thin needles are inserted into the skin at key points around the body to promote wellness, prevent sicknesses and treat certain conditions.
“People have different preferences,” Dr. Koganski says. “Some patients prefer to stay with just traditional medicine, traditional medications … [while] other patients are open to have a more complementary approach. They would rather not take medications, preferring to use more natural products.”
The doctor is also a practitioner of Functional Medicine. This holistic approach to care focuses on wellness rather than illness, examining the ways in which factors such as genetic heritage, environment and lifestyle influence one’s health.
“Functional Medicine is an evolution of conventional medicine,” Dr. Koganski explains. “It is based on taking a more in-depth look into a problem, looking into the root cause of the disease.”
This involves looking at a patient’s history but not just over the course of one’s adult life. His evaluation asks patients to go back to their history from early childhood, and before, so that Dr. Koganski can see if a patient experienced issues even before birth. The goal is to see how a patient evolved through youth, and then throughout life, to find out why a patient developed certain issues and how factors such as genetics, environment and lifestyle impact the patient then and now. This approach to medicine also offers a great deal of testing, including bloodwork, aimed at discovering the root of a patient’s issues. This is opposed to the current, conventional approach to medicine, Dr. Koganski explains, which is more geared toward treatment of acute problems versus chronic ones. Functional Medicine enables physicians to practice proactive, predictive, personalized medicine and empowers patients to take an active role in their own health.
“In this way, we support the unique expression of health and vitality for each individual,” he says. “At Newtown Internal Medicine, we have transitioned from the outdated and ineffective acute-care models that prescribe a pill for every ailment to a modern approach that incorporates the latest advances in genetic science, systems biology and understanding of how environmental and lifestyle factors influence the emergence and progression of disease. It is also complemented by my knowledge of both Western and Eastern medicine and allows me to apply an individualized approach to every patient.
“Every patient is unique,” he continues. “By understanding his/her whole life history from birth, detailed family history and genetic predispositions, combined with the latest medical advances and diagnostics, I can help the patient to feel better today and treat early signs of upcoming dangers, before symptoms become evident.”
One-on-one, individualized attention is Dr. Koganski’s paramount goal.
To pursue that goal and allow him to devote more time to patient care, Dr. Koganski stepped even closer to the forefront of medicine just more than a year ago, when he began offering concierge medical services to complement the top-notch patient care already available to patients of Newtown Internal Medicine. Dr. Koganski chose to partner with Paragon Private Health to create and administer a customized concierge medicine program.
Concierge medicine is above and beyond traditional care. Through this relationship, patients gain 24-7 access to their health care provider, thus eliminating the roadblocks—scheduling, appointments, crowded waiting rooms, etc.—associated with traditional doctors’ offices. From the initial consultation, which can last up to two hours, the patient comes to realize that this is a unique type of care.
“What I find most rewarding is my relationship with my patients, their trust of my knowledge and ability to resolve their medical issues,” he says. “I value that I can spend more time with my patients by delving deeply into their problems. I help them to understand how they can improve their health by making simple, incremental changes in their lifestyle, thereby reducing or eliminating their reliance on medications.”
For more information about Functional Medicine or the Concierge Program, call 215-750-7000 to make a complementary “meet the physician” appointment with Dr. Koganski or visit www.newtowninternalmedicine.com.
Newtown Internal Medicine
Dr. Val Koganski
St. Mary Medical Office Building
1205 Langhorne-Newtown Road, Suite 202
Langhorne, PA 19047
215-750-7000
www.newtowninternalmedicine.com
Photograph by Jody Robinson
