From waiting up to a year or more for an appointment to rising costs, navigating the modern healthcare system can come with unexpected challenges. Last year, a group of local physicians came together with a vision to better serve patients and to give independent practices the support to thrive. They formed the Alliance of Independent Physicians (AIP). The organization is dedicated to improving healthcare access in St. Louis by connecting patients with independent doctors and specialists who can provide affordable, high-quality care and services.
Otolaryngologist Dr. Scott Hardeman is one of the founding members of AIP. With more than 26 years in practice, he has seen firsthand the impact the corporatization of healthcare has had for both patients and physicians. “Healthcare has changed in the last 15 years,” he notes. “Rather than private practices, most care goes through corporate systems, leading to longer wait times and higher costs. The public is seeing that primary care physicians are forced to send their patients to other doctors or even the ER due to scheduling conflicts.” Hardeman has lobbied locally and nationally for better access to affordable healthcare, and the establishment of AIP is a natural extension of that work.
As a reproductive endocrinologist, Dr. Shvetha Zarek understands the financial strain that seeing a specialist can have on patients. As the daughter of an independent physician, she also grew up witnessing the benefits of being able to build a strong patient-physician relationship. Joining AIP was a way to support her peers while also ensuring the community could receive care without worrying as much about financial concerns. “I wanted to work with some incredible physicians in the region who are likeminded in how we practice medicine and how we want to shape the future of medicine for the next generation,” she says. “Ultimately, it’s about providing patients access to high-quality, affordable, timely care.”
Both Hardeman and Zarek emphasize that the problems associated with modern healthcare do not stem from the doctors or the care, but the hurdles of the corporate system itself. “St. Louis is an incredible city with incredible physicians—the quality is bar none,” Zarek says. “But we hear from patients every day that accessibility continues to be a challenge. I had a patient tell me she reached out to a practice that wouldn’t be able to see her until 2028.” Independent physicians have greater flexibility for scheduling appointments, and unlike corporate health systems, they lack facility fees and overhead pricing, meaning there also is less financial burden on patients.
AIP was created to act as a resource for both independent physicians and patients, according to Hardeman. Providers would have a network of support to help their independent practices thrive, and the community would be able to access that network easier with the organization as a starting point. “People don’t always think to seek out private practices,” he notes. “We want the community to know there are doctors in St. Louis fighting to remain independent so we can be there for patients when they need us. Bringing the AIP together helps them find us.”
The Alliance of Independent Physicians is dedicated to connecting the community with access to affordable, high-quality healthcare. Pictured on the cover, clockwise from top left: Dr. Andrew Dawson, Dr. Jill Scherbel, Dr. Amit Bhandarkar, Dr. Scott Hardeman, Dr. Hashim Raza, Dr. Shvetha Zarek, Dr. Robert Hacker. For more information, visit aipstl.org.
Cover design by Julie Streiler
Pictured at the top: Members of the Alliance of Independent Physicians
