Published Books

Concierge Medicine: A New System to Get the Best Healthcare

“At a time when many Americans may be seeking alternatives to current health care choices, Dr. Knope offers an option that allows patients to directly contract with healthcare providers for individualized care. Using first hand accounts and plenty of examples of how concierge medicine works, Knope offers a plan for patients looking to make a change to a medical system that is negotiated between doctor and patient, rather than through insurance and pharmaceutical companies. Concierge medicine as currently practiced offers patients more time with their doctors, a personal relationship with medical providers and their staff, and tailored lifestyle plans that help patients prevent illness and disease before it happens. While some argue that such a system favors those who can afford to pay for such specialized care, Knope shows how it can be made more affordable for more people and how those looking to make the change can find the care they need and want with doctors who are willing to work with them to fashion a healthier style of living even while addressing bigger health issues and concerns.”

Read the full synopsis, reviews, and excerpts here.

The Body/Mind Connection

Exploring the Undeniable Power of Strength

“The Body/Mind Connection is a ground breaking book that examines the critical relationship between a strong body and our intellectual, emotional and spiritual functioning. As opposed to the proponents of the Mind/Body movement, Dr. Knope does not believe that all health flows from the mind. Instead, he balances the Mind/Body equation by making a case for the undeniable power of physical strength and endurance in enhancing all areas of personal success.”

“The first part of the book is inspirational and theoretical, making a case for the Body/Mind Connection. The second half of the book is truly prescriptive, taking the reader through a step-by-step method of creating a stronger body and mind through an effective exercise and nutritional program.”

Mentions in the news, scholarly articles, and interviews

“Doctors Are Opting Out of Medicare”
New York Times
Published: April 1, 2009
Author: Julie Connelly

Read this article on the growing trend of doctors leaving Medicare and returning to private practice models, such as concierge medicine. In this story, writer Julie Connelly interviews two of Dr. Knope’s patients, Harold & Mitzi Thomas, who discuss the real world benefits of being able to reach your doctor during a medical emergency.

“Health Matters”
Wall Street Journal
Published: February 14, 2009
Author: Melinda Beck

Click here to read Melinda Beck’s in-depth article on the benefits of concierge medicine, especially for those with complex medical problems. This article addresses how concierge physicians provide invaluable care for “the kind of patient some doctors would rather avoid.”
“The Fate of Physician Professionalism: Are Physicians Pawns in our Healthcare System?”
AzMedicine
Winter 2008
Author: Steven Knope, MD

AzMedicine, the magazine for the Arizona Medical Association, asked Dr. Knope to answer this provocative question: are physicians pawns in our healthcare system?
Available as a .pdf
“Crack down on Concierge Medicine”
The Arizona Republic
Published: Sept. 5, 2008
Author: Ken Alltucker

Read this article in The Arizona Republic on how Blue Cross/Blue Shield terminated a concierge doctor for providing more attentive care to patients, even when this practice saved BC/BS money. Could this be the end of the third-party monopoly in medicine?
“Doctors switch to ‘concierge’ practices”
The Arizona Republic
Published: Jul. 23, 2008
Author: Ken Alltucker

Ken Alltucker interviews Dr. Knope about why he opened his Concierge Medicine practice. Read the article here to find out why doctors are following suit and breaking away from the assembly-line method of patient care.