Traveling nurse Tiffany Tompkins targets Siesta residents for new business that offers in-person medical care
By Jane Bartnett
The Siesta Key Chamber of Commerce gave a warm welcome to the Key’s newest medical practitioner at a beach-side ribbon cutting ceremony in March. This spring, nurse practitioner Tiffany Tompkins launched her new mobile medical practice that offers patients in-home primary health care visits as well as tele-medicine and on-going concierge health care services.
A Siesta Key resident, Tompkins’ primary care visits take place in the comfort of the patient’s home or by tele-conference.
“Many years ago, family practice physicians used to make house-calls,” she said. “Now, my patients have access to traditional health services that are normally done in an office setting. My practice here on Siesta Key is establishing a new model of health care.”
Furthermore, the island at this moment does not have any brick-and-mortar doctor offices. The last one existed in Davidson Plaza, leaving in 2020.
A board-certified family nurse practitioner, Tompkins is a family medicine specialist with more than 15 years of medical experience. A native of Philadelphia, she made Siesta Key her home in 2018. She holds a master’s degree in nursing from Simmons University in Boston and a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Drexel University in Philadelphia. Her professional nursing experience includes work in med-surg, critical care, neuro/stroke, as well as pre/post-operative units in ambulatory and hospital settings.
In her new NP on the Key medical practice, Tompkins is focused on providing care for non-emergency ailments that are treated at primary care clinics. The mother of three children, she is aware of the many issues that can arise when families vacation as well as the health issues that can arise during everyday life.
Before she became a nurse and then a nurse practitioner, Tompkins was as a patient care tech. From that early experience she became a strong patient advocate.
The importance of treating the whole person is a personal and professional commitment that shapes her approach to medicine.
“I love Siesta Key and I want to share my holistic view of health and wellness with people visiting and living here in this beautiful community. I want to be a partner in my patients’ care,” Tompkins explained.
In addition to visiting her patients in their homes for medical treatments, Tompkins also offers tele-health calls for minor injuries, eye and ear infections, fevers, minor sprains and strains, 3-in-1 Rapid COVID-19 and flu testing, upper respiratory infections, blood sugar, stomach ailments, as well as diabetes, hypertension and other chronic conditions.
After meeting with her patient, Tompkins will determine if urgent care is needed. If warranted, she will refer her patient to a specialist or an urgent care center for follow-up. For patients that are not able to visit a lab for in-person testing, Tompkins can provide blood work at home.
In addition to working to keep Siesta Key residents and visitors healthy, Tompkins also advises patients who are interested in on-going wellness treatments involving weight management, exercise and high blood pressure.
“If someone needs of a prescription refill, if they’re traveling and forgot their medication at home, I will be able to assist them once I have documentation from their medical provider,” she said.
Tompkins’ NP on the Key concierge program includes up to two in-person house call visits per month, as well as four tele-health calls.
“Patient advocacy is an area that I am very passionate about,” she noted. Recalling her own father’s illness as he lost his battle with a brain tumor, she said that she knows how difficult it is to care for someone who is ill and managing multiple doctors.
“If someone doesn’t have a family member nearby to assist them, I can be there as a patient advocate to help bridge the gap between the patient and multiple doctors who are caring for them. I can be a partner in their care,” Tompkins said. “My patients receive personalized care. For people who need more time and more attention, we can provide for that as well.”
Aside from the concierge service that carries a $250 a month fee, NP on the Key services are billed at a la carte pricing. A house call that includes a comprehensive examination and patient history, along with a diagnostics and treatment plan and prescriptions if needed as well as refills for existing patients, is $199.
Tele-health online sessions with Tompkins are $79 per visit and include a comprehensive patient history, a visual exam, a diagnostics and treatment plan, prescriptions, and refills for existing patients.
A separate price for prescription refills is $49 for a short-term refill of existing prescriptions that are not controlled substances, as well as medication prescribed after a comprehensive examination.
Currently, NP on the Key does not accept medical insurance, however, all major credit cards and debit cards are accepted for payment. Tompkins is available for consultation at (941) 444-5656, by email at tiffany@NPontheKey.com, and through her website: NPontheKey.com.
There, you can find a list of the numerous health care services that Tompkins offers.
Author: Jane Bartnett