Dr. Anjula Agrawal, named by Washingtonian magazine as one of the “Top Doctors” in the Washington, DC metropolitan area is a physician who believes in providing her patients with the highest form of personalized care that integrates the treatment of physical health with overall wellness.
In 2018, Dr. Anjula Agrawal founded A Squared Primary Care, a concierge medical practice that specializes in patient-focused care. In her practice, she provides annual comprehensive preventative health assessments, routine immunizations, vaccines, preventative care counseling (e.g., diet, nutrition), office visits, house calls, video consultations, and telephone consultations. Since the inception of her practice, Dr. Agrawal has placed her patients first at every turn. She ensures that each patient is treated with care, respect, and dignity. She also ensures that each patient is involved in their respective personal care program.
While it is common practice for physicians to prepare for the varying needs of their patients, the onset of the COVID-19 crisis brought new challenges that could not be foreseen. Dr. Agrawal knew that she needed to develop strategies for sustaining existing connections and evoke avenues for the development of new connections. She began her quest to ensure continuity of her concierge medial practice and to maintain sustainability. She understood the significant impact that the pandemic could have on her patients’ health on a personal level. Her ability to relate to the emotional, physical, and financial challenges that can be brought on during a crisis promoted Dr. Agrawal to seek assistance from the DCSBDC at Howard University.
Since her engagement with the DCSBDC, Dr. Agrawal has established meaningful connections with over 80 patients who trust and rely upon her medical expertise. She has accomplished this achievement by taking the time to ensure that each patient feels supported from all sides. In-person consultations have been used since the inception of her practice as the initial approach for building the necessary foundation of each physician-patient relationship. This approach affords the Dr. Agrawal the ability to get to know each patient as a person. Due to the pandemic, a solution was needed to replace in-person consultations without the loss of the personalized approach she is known for in her practice.
A Squared Primary Care’s vision is centered around a meaningful physician-patient relationship that allows Dr. Agrawal to focus more on the needs of her patients rather than splitting her time between paperwork and patients. In observing the changes occurring in the healthcare system, she made the decision to build a medical practice where each concern is heard, each medical hardship is addressed, and each patient feels informed regarding their customized level of care. Even in the midst of a pandemic, Dr. Agrawal wanted to ensure that her vision would remain intact. Having over 24 years of experience as a practicing physician, she understood the need to establish new operational efficiencies and enhanced marketing strategies in order for her practice to remain open and maintain an exemplary level of service during the crisis.
Her consultant helped her to navigate several available options. Through one-on-one counseling sessions and educational webinars with her DCSBDC consultant, Dr. Agrawal successfully submitted the required application and supporting documentation for the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL). This loan would position her to maintain her level of operations. She also submitted an application for the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and was approved.
The guidance provided by DCSBDC also allowed Dr. Agrawal to pivot and realize the value in offering the following options:
- Personalized packages that would highlight the benefits of a concierge medical practice.
- Corporate packages to small businesses that would allow her to consult from a medical standpoint regarding the effects of COVID-19 and the impact to the environment.
“The DCSBDC helped Dr. Agrawal to explore and expand areas of her business that she had not thought of prior to our engagement.” – Charles Motte
