Lucy E. Hornstein MD
Valley Forge Family Practice
1288 Valley Forge Road, Ste 83
Phoenixville, PA 19460
(610) 983-9299
Fax (610) 983-9901
What is a Micropractice?
A Micropractice is Just What It Sounds Like
A solo practitioner working alone or with minimal staff; in my case, just one other person to handle the phones and help with administrative tasks. When Deb is away and it's just me, it becomes a true micropractice.
How does it work? Technology helps: electronic medical records, computerized billing, and GoogleVoice for after hours phone management. But it all comes down to my commitment to providing you with extraordinary one-on-one medical care.
Because it's only me, I am willing to communicate with you nearly any way you like. You can call, fax, email, snail mail, text me, or message me on Facebook or Twitter. Whenever you call, a person answers the phone. When you come for a visit, it's only me. No other doctors, physician assistants, or nurse practitioners. Me and only me, 100% of the time.
Who we are:
Lucy E. Hornstein, MD
After graduating from Brandeis University in 1981 and Medical College of Pennsylvania in 1985, I completed a three-year Family Practice residency at Montgomery Hospital in Norristown. I live in Collegeville with my husband and our menagerie (precise composition subject to change.)
Debbie Newman
Born and raised in Pottstown, Debbie has been my Office Manager, Referral Coordinator, Receptionist, and "Work Spouse" since 1995. She lives in Downingtown with her husband, just around the corner from two of her six grandchildren.
Debbie retired in April 2020, but she still helps out when things get busy.
Roswell
Rozzie is an old Shepherd/Lab mix we adopted in 2013 when he was already nine years old. At first, he came to the office every day, then just a few times a week. He crossed the Rainbow Bridge in October of 2016, but we still miss him.
Other information:
Who covers for you when you go away or get sick?
I know what you're thinking: I can't ALWAYS be available. What happens when I get sick or go on vacation? First of all, after all these years I don't get sick very often. Really. And I rarely go on long vacations. I love what I do so much, there's little pressure to "get away from it all."​
That said, on those infrequent occasions, coverage is provided by Dr. S. Denise Hoffman, another solo family doctor in King of Prussia. Her phone number is (610) 337-9997, and I trust her implicitly.
How do you answer the phone if you're seeing patients alone?
I have a cordless extension phone in the exam room that, with your permission, I sometimes answer during a visit. I'll generally tell the caller that I'm with a patient, take their number and ask if I can call them back. (When the caller is you, thanks in advance for understanding.)
When you need my full attention, though, I'll turn the phones over to GoogleVoice.
One of its great features is the ability to switch between several different messages wtih just a point and a click. When you're the one calling, you'll hear me apologetically asking you to leave a message, which I'll return the moment I'm done with the current patient. Again, your understanding is appreciated.
Students
Once in a while I enjoy having students shadow me in the office. I feel it is very important to offer future physicians the opportunity to experience Family Medicine first hand, especially in the solo practice setting.
Whenever I have a student, though, I will always ask your permission for them to be present for your visit. All students have been warned of this in advance, so please be honest about your feelings, and don't worry about hurting theirs.