A Consultation with Dr. Barken
Dr. Barken has retired from active medical practice to work for PC-REF, and therefore does not act as a personal physician or prescribe medications.

However, he is available for discussions, acting as your "Coach." While personal visits are definitely preferred, such consultations can be handled over the telephone as well. A donation to the Prostate Cancer Research and Education Foundation is expected.

You can set up a consultation for personal coaching with Dr. Barken by calling 619/906-4700. You can also send mail to frieda@pcref.org

You may find it useful in your discussions to have a Medical Smart Chart prepared. This is a one-sheet graphical representation of your medical history. Medical Smart Chart is a service provided at no charge by the Prostate Cancer Research and Education Foundation, although donations are appreciated and gratefully accepted. For information on how to obtain your own MultiGraph, click here.

A Letter to Prospective Coaching Patients:
As most of you know, I have closed my clinical practice and am devoting my time and energy to directing the Prostate Cancer Research and Education Foundation.

As a service to raise funds for PC-REF, I will be doing a limited amount of private-session "Personal Coaching". In personal coaching, I can review charts, answer questions, provide education, discuss new information, clarify thinking and offer guidance. As an outside expert, I can bring an unbiased viewpoint to the discussion. I can help you find options, consider pros and cons, and look for non-standard approaches or new clinical trials. I can make phone calls on your behalf to your treating physician or to researchers.

Although I am still licensed as a physician, I do not do any personal clinical treatment, injections, prescriptions, surgery or any other aspect of my former medical practice. Personal coaching visits will not constitute a doctor-patient relationship. I have cancelled all of my managed care contracts, resigned from all standard insurance carriers including Medicare, and I no longer carry malpractice insurance.

Because so many men have relied on my experience and professional knowledge in the past and have appreciated knowing the latest information and research on prostate cancer, I have agreed to visit with you to discuss your disease and options, but I cannot and will not be your treating doctor. You must agree to have your general health and prostate cancer treated by a different physician. My role is to offer education and guidance through personal coaching.

The suggested donation for personal coaching sessions will be $75 per each 15 minutes ($300/hour). Usually the first session will take an hour or more. Personal coaching is not an insurance covered benefit and no billing will be done. The money collected at the conclusion of a session goes directly to PC-REF, and you will receive a letter from the Foundation in acknowledgement. If coaching is done in the office, payment may be by check or credit card. If coaching is done by phone or email, payment is done by credit card (MasterCard or Visa only.)

How long a personal coaching session lasts is up to you, although it is common that the first coaching session will take longer then subsequent sessions. We do not require that you do personal coaching any set number of times or at any set intervals. You may continue or limit the discussion to suit your needs. I do prefer that the first personal coaching session be conducted in my office if at all possible and then follow up sessions can be done by phone. However, I do understand that traveling is not practical for everyone and therefore it is not a requirement to receive personal Coaching. Please prepare and bring one set of background records to leave here. Also, please bring or have a list of questions for each coaching session.

Israel "The Coach" Barken