Scott Weissman shares his journey of building a telehealth genetic counseling private practice, discussing the challenges of insurance contracts, licensing across states, and adapting to technological changes in cancer genetics. • Opened private practice in 2016 as a side business, now seeing 15-20 patients weekly • Despite having licenses in 25-26 states, establishing insurance contracts remains a major obstacle • Pivoted to 100% telehealth during the pandemic, offering after-hours and weekend appointments • Medicare recognition would be a game-changer for private practice genetic counselors in the US • Excited about emerging technologies like long-range sequencing that could "fill in the gaps" for what we've been missing • Works with the Norton and Elaine Sarnoff Center for Jewish Genetics providing education and carrier screening • Carrier screening has evolved from testing for 6 conditions to 267 conditions over two decades • Once gave Dr. Henry Lynch (namesake of Lynch syndrome) a "very small manicure" by cutting off his hangnail
Demystifying Genetics is sponsored by TrakGene https://www.trakgene.com/