When was the last time you felt truly heard at a doctor’s appointment, versus sitting in a waiting room for hours, just to be seen for five minutes? At 1 To 1 Patient Care, Shelly Bish is reshaping local health care by prioritizing time and personal attention. The focus is on you, your time and your health.
Contrary to rampant rumors, Bish isn’t retiring, and she’s not going anywhere. Inspired by strong patient support, the beloved nurse practitioner licensed to practice autonomously saw a future where every patient receives the time they require. It’s a vision that led her to adopt the primary care model for her office.
“My vision truly was to maintain more time with my patients,” Bish said. “This model allows me to offer more personalized care, ensuring that each patient gets the attention they deserve. If you need five minutes, you have five minutes; if you need an hour, you have an hour with me.”
Direct primary care operates as a membership service where patients pay a monthly fee directly to the provider rather than relying on insurance billing. By opting out of insurance billing, Bish said, providers can dedicate more time to each patient and allow direct access without the constraints of insurance requirements.
“The direct primary care model tailors it to the patient,” Bish said. “If you need to see me after work one day in the evening, this model could allow me to do that possibly.”
Bish believes that allocating adequate time for each patient is fundamental for high-quality care. “Sometimes the nature of the visit changes. I have had that happen numerous times,” she said.
“So the allotment of a longer time period allows me to meet the diversity of the patient’s needs.”
The Marathon community’s endorsement of Bish is clear, having named her the “Best Medical Professional” at the 2023 Best of Marathon Awards. Her personalized approach and the trust she has earned from her patients have solidified her reputation as a provider of what she calls “old-fashioned care.”
“This morning, a patient who signed up with me mentioned how thrilled he was when I promptly returned his call and handled his medical situation efficiently,” Bish said. “The fact that I could meet his needs in a timely manner made a big difference to him.”
Before establishing herself in Marathon, Bish practiced autonomously in New York, serving primary care patients from pediatrics all the way to geriatrics. After transitioning to Marathon, she was employed at Baptist for several years. She’s built a towering reputation in primary care, especially with kids.
“I have over 30 years of pediatric experience,” Bish said. “I have an extensive pediatric background and compassion for kids.”
Along with serving almost the entire spectrum of pediatrics, Bish will offer a wide range of primary care services. These services include basic wellness exams, acute care for respiratory illnesses and specialized care in men’s and women’s health.
Bish is committed to addressing the needs of various community members, including local workers who may benefit from the flexibility and affordability of her services. “The direct primary care model provides freedom for primary care at an inexpensive cost,” Bish said.
Bish is also exploring a model where businesses can sponsor memberships for their employees. “Small business owners may have half a dozen employees who don’t always have insurance, so it might be more affordable to come to me to get their care done,” she said.
Currently, Bish will serve as the sole health care provider at 1 To 1 Patient Care, with her husband, Carl Bish, assisting in administrative tasks. “Right now, the model is set up for one person to manage the office,” she said. “I would like to see the office grow and flourish and eventually bring in another provider.”
Bish attributes her success to the support and faith her patients place in her; any time she recounted a touching story from her career throughout her interview with Keys Weekly, she was visibly moved to tears. She emphasized the importance of fostering positive, personalized experiences through genuine interpersonal relationships.
“You really need to know your patients, and getting to know them is the art of medicine,” Bish said.
On Friday, July 12 at 5:30 p.m., 1 To 1 Patient Care will celebrate its grand opening at 6799 Overseas Highway in Marathon. The event will include a meet-and-greet with Bish and a ribbon-cutting ceremony to officially open the new facility. In the meantime, 1 To 1 Patient Care is accepting new patients. For more information, visit 1to1patientcare.com, email admin@1to1patientcare.com or call (305) 851-8903.
