MDVIP Ambassador Ann Marie Garvie

Ann Marie Garvie, who works for MDVIP affiliate Dr. Alan Nelson in East Norwich, NY, is an MDVIP Ambassador for going above and beyond the call of duty and making her patients feel welcome, valued and loved.

"The person who is most impactful in my life is my cousin Kimberly. Kimberly was an extremely hard worker and excelled in every endeavor she set out to achieve. She graduated top in her class as a respiratory therapist. She was a caring and loving individual. At the age of 26, Kimberly suffered a massive heart attack and subsequently underwent a heart transplant. Even though her recovery was difficult, she gave it her all, regained her strength and returned to a ‘normal’ life. Unfortunately, six years later, Kimberly suffered another massive heart attack that took her life. The loss of my cousin influenced my decision to pursue a career as a medical assistant, even though I was a single mother with many responsibilities. As a student, I consistently maintained a 4.0 GPA. If it wasn’t for Kimberly’s courage and strength, I wouldn’t be where I am today." -- Ann Marie Garvie

Noteworthy Nominations:

As a member of the MDVIP Admirals Club I wish to recognize my office manager of 12 years, Ann Marie Garvie as a special MDVIP person. As a single mother of two children, she goes above and beyond to assist my patients in many ways. I will enumerate. For homebound patients she periodically personally delivers medications to their homes when no pharmacy delivery services exist, at no charge. She will do wound care at patients' homes with my guidance by phone. Suffering herself from insulin dependent diabetes, she teaches diabetic education and training in my office and at homes If patients have a problem getting appointments with specialists, she will call to see if they can get them in. She will schedule them for radiology and home blood draws. On one occasions, she fixed an elderly female patients flat tire at the side of the road. I have outside MDVIP events such as Walk with the doc at historic planting fields arboretum and Coe mansion an historic landmark in Oyster Bay, NY. She assists with the wine, non-alcoholic beverages, fruits and cheese. The program has been successful and enlists the participation of the executive director of planting fields, a patient in my practice, historian, and excellent speaker for the hundreds of acres. The program has been a success due to Ann Marie's participation. In this age of restrictive and obstructive practices by insurance companies, she is persistent at spending a lot time securing what patients justifiably deserve even when initially there are denials. This may involve spending over an hour getting approvals for goods and services. This doesn't always make me happy with the non-reimbursable time, however, she reminds me that the patient is always number one. Even when ill or even during inclement weather she will come to the office. not well herself, an insulin dependent diabetic with back issues, I can rely on her. The patients can always rely on her and that is why my patients love her. A computer expert, she corrects computer problems in my office and is one of several people who act as my scribe for electronic med records. I'm an old-time doctor, one might say I'm an analog man in a digital world. She is extremely handy, she can fix just about anything. Oftentimes she has shoveled the snow by my office door. She has assisted me in renovating my office this year befitting of concierge practice. Doctors I included can be bad business men. Ann Marie comparison shops to get the best price for office supplies, flu vaccines, etc. I am shocked to find differences in prices for the same items. I would like MDVIP to specially recognize her as an exceptional part of my office, MDVIP experience and as a role model for the MDVIP practices. 
--Patient of Dr. Nelson