BHC provides expert consultation and experienced clinical care providing patients with a differential diagnosis and health management plan. On this page, BHC delivers patient resources, care options, and other patient-centered offerings.
Established BHC Patients
IMPORTANT NOTICE FOR BHC PATIENTS
When you schedule your next appointment, BHC will email you the link to sign into your new Athena Patient Portal.
For information on how to become a patient or schedule a virtual consult see the prospective patient section below.
- Access Patient Information – access your patient information in the Athena Patient Portal to request Rx refills, view your visit notes, and much more.
- Manage Financial Account – for billing and insurance questions email [email protected].
Personal Patient Portal
BHC utilizes the Athena Patient Portal, a Web-based portal, that creates your private interface with BHC’s electronic health record (Athena). Athena and its patient portal enables BHC to develop a flexible health record catered to patients with ME/CFS and FM.
What you need to know:
- The electronic health record system and its patient portal are HIPAA compliant.
- Eligible participants receive an authorization email from BHC to access the Athena Patient Portal the first time.
- Remember your password. Please do not share it with anyone.
- Bookmark the page in your browser for quick access. Enter your password.
- Your clinical care team will provide you with a patient email for general communication with your provider.
- Billing and insurance questions – email [email protected].
Please access and review your own clinic records regularly to update:
- Medications
- New diagnoses
- Complete pre-visit questionnaires
- Download PDF documents relevant to your care
Special Advisory During COVID-19
BHC has implemented best practice policy guidelines which will be discussed with you during appointment scheduling.
As part of the check-in process you will be required to complete an attestation and waiver document prior to your in-person visit.
Why Does BHC Charge a Patient Fee?
Because we can’t afford to offer our services without it.
BHC is not a typical medical clinic run by a large medical corporation. BHC is a nonprofit clinic and research center with a specific mission. We are only able to provide our current level of clinical care with supplemental income beyond that provided by insurance. This is because we spend more face-to-face time with patients, and provide services not covered by insurance. This includes visits 2-3x longer than standard, high quality, two-way communication, standardized orthostatic testing (the NASA Lean test), cognitive testing, patient support groups, and extensive educational materials. BHC is able to provide a sliding fee scale and payment plans on a limited basis.
The following graphic shows how donations and fees are allocated.
Prospective Patients
We are not accepting new applications at this time.
The limited capacity of BHC to accept new clinic patients changes continually based on provider availability and the number of current patients already receiving chronic care.
BHC is not a state-funded or for-profit medical institution. BHC is a non-profit organization. We engage patients in carefully personalized clinical care, and facilitate more rapid advances in scientific research. We can handle only a fraction of patients who request a consultation.
The overall mission of BHC is to improve the lives of all people with ME/CFS, FM, post-viral, and related comorbid conditions, and there are many ways to achieve that goal. As a key strategy to accomplish this mission, BHC also places a strong emphasis on creating and providing high-quality, accessible medical education to all, including patients, caregivers, and medical providers. We invite you to access these resources on our website and YouTube page. These programs require financial support far beyond what medical insurance can provide. We hope you will donate to support our unique mission.
Additional BHC Offerings
Outreach and Support
BHC maintains comprehensive resources on its website, available to the public, with specific emphasis on patient care and self-management, care partner support, and healthcare provider resources. Detailed here.
Additional events and outreach include:
- Monthly virtual support groups open to the public. Detailed here.
- Live and recorded events for healthcare providers ranging from introduction of basic concepts to comprehensive programs, some of which offer CME credits. Detailed here.
- Stay informed. Sign up for the BHC Newsletter!
- Join us on social media: Facebook, Instagram, X (Twitter), LinkedIn, YouTube
Research Participation
BHC engages in research projects as sponsor, partner, or subcontractor. BHC drives innovative, emerging research pathways to define the core signs, symptoms, and decrements in specific functioning.
- BHC patients may be considered for research participation with eligibility determined by the profile and protocol requirements of each study.
- Non-BHC enrolled patients may also be considered for research participation determined by the profile and protocol requirements of each study.
Lucinda Bateman, MD, is a renowned clinician, researcher, and educator. Her Johns Hopkins University Medical School training instilled an approach to care that she has employed throughout her career - the patient comes first and the unknown or unexplained does not equate to a lack of proper and compassionate care. Since starting her own practice in 2000, she has served on six boards or committees, been the principal investigator for 45 studies, authored/coauthored 40 journal articles, served as adjunct instructor and adjunct assistant professor in the University of Utah Departments of Preventative Medicine, Internal Medicine, and Anesthesiology, and lectured around the world.