Feb 1, 2024
Ro Response
2yI want to start by saying I am so disappointed to hear that this has been your experience at Ro. I’d be happy to meet with you 1:1 to talk in more detail and you can reach out to me at any time to set that up (dr.b@ro.co) - but I want to acknowledge a few concerns you mention here.
You mention how things have changed since you first started working at Ro. We have worked incredibly hard to grow and scale our practice operations in addition to our business and our offerings. While it’s true we’ve added additional structure since you first joined, we have done so in a way that is intended to create paths of progression, development, and continue to add benefits to our provider experience that is intended to show much we appreciate all that you and the rest of the providers do for our patients.
On GLP-1s – A lot has changed since the early days of launching the Body Program. As you mention, we did originally scale faster than our clinical capacity could handle – and we have made many adjustments since that time to improve both the provider and patient experience, while never compromising on patient safety or quality of care. Many, many platform developments, patient experience workflows, provider operations, and more have gone into addressing this pain point, and we are in a much better position today to manage the patient demand we are seeing. To suggest otherwise is a flagrant mischaracterization of reality.
Finally - Ro is made up of a lot of passionate and dedicated providers, pharmacists, AND non-clinical experts. Does this mean we are “peddling Kool-Aid”? No. Does this mean there will be conviction and energy behind our mission and the initiatives we invest in to achieve positive health outcomes for patients? Yes. There is a difference here, and I want to be clear on that.
In terms of burnout among RPM staff – this is definitely something we are actively monitoring. We care deeply about our providers – me especially – and we are committed to doing everything we can to ensure they are set up for success here. Again, I would welcome the chance for a live discussion on many of the things you mention here if you are up for that.
Dr. Melynda Barnes
Chief Medical Officer, Ro & President, RPM