When Dr. Stephen Lewellis launched Above & Beyond Dermatology, he set out to build something different: a modern, patient-centered practice that prioritizes personalized care over the high-volume, assembly line feel that many of his patients have experienced elsewhere.

Launching a solo practice, however, came with the same administrative hurdles faced by larger practices and integrated health systems. Without staff to handle that work, every prescription opened the door for hours of uncompensated work that landed squarely on his desk. 

To stay lean and scalable from day one, Dr. Lewellis turned to Tandem.

The Challenge: Independent Dermatology Still Has Big-Clinic Paperwork

Running a solo dermatology practice does not mean having a lighter administrative load. Every biologic has a unique enrollment process. PBMs still rely on fax. Bridge and patient-assistance programs all require separate forms and follow-ups.

For Dr. Lewellis, that meant hours of printing, scanning, chasing signatures, and coordinating with insurance companies, pharmacies, and pharmaceutical companies.

“I could spend two hours on a single biologic in a day if it required all of that [paperwork].”

That volume of administrative work was not sustainable for a one-man practice. Hiring a biologic coordinator would have ballooned early overhead before revenue stabilized, but doing everything manually took valuable time away from patients and was entirely uncompensated.

“It is scary to hire people to do these types of things when you are already not really paying yourself or hardly keeping the lights on.”

The Platform He’d Been Waiting For

When Dr. Lewellis first heard about Tandem, he immediately recognized it as the kind of platform he had been hoping someone would build: an automated patient-access solution that handles prior authorizations, appeals, and manufacturer enrollments on behalf of and at no cost to the practice.

He saw in Tandem not just a time-saving tool, but an enabler for the next generation of independent physicians who want to build innovative, scalable practices.

“When I heard about Tandem, it was everything I thought I would eventually see in this market in terms of taking the biologic coordination off of our books, especially for a small, independent practice like mine.”

By shifting this work to Tandem, he could stay focused on the patient experience and use technology to operate like a much larger organization without additional cost and administrative burden.

Before and After Tandem

Implementation was quick and seamless. Within a few days of completing onboarding, Dr. Lewellis was ready to send his first prescriptions through Tandem. Once active, the impact on daily operations was immediate.

“Most patients are really happy to be able to click a link and fill it out digitally. That is what we are used to.”

Before Tandem

• Track every fax manually and follow up with PBMs for each patient

• Print, scan, and fax enrollment and bridge program forms or navigate many different digital manufacturer hubs

• Contact patients directly for signatures and updates

• Build and maintain knowledge databases for each medication’s access process

• Lose valuable time and money to uncompensated paperwork and missed calls

After Tandem

• Prescribe and send any Rx to Tandem as the default destination for access support

• Tandem texts patients, submits PAs, collects digital signatures for enrollment forms, and drafts appeals automatically

• Dr. Lewellis only steps in when needed to upload clinical documentation or make final approvals

• Everything is tracked digitally, eliminating binders, phone tag, and duplicate data entry

Dr. Lewellis estimates that Tandem saves him five to ten times the amount of time he used to spend managing prescriptions for specialty medications such as biologics. That efficiency gave him the ability to grow the practice, serve more patients without sacrificing time with each patient, and invest in content creation like his podcast.

The Impact: Freedom to Build and Grow

With Tandem handling the access burden, Dr. Lewellis could return his attention to the reasons he went independent in the first place: patient care, innovation, and education. He continues to expand his reach through the Above & Beyond Dermatology podcast, which has become a platform for discussing both clinical and business aspects of modern, independent dermatology.

For other entrepreneurial physicians, his experience shows how technology can meaningfully reduce the administrative burden that small practices face. Tandem helped make it possible for a solo dermatologist to launch and operate efficiently from day one, while still offering biologics and other complex therapies that typically require dedicated support staff.

“Small fish can become, if given the right tools, very, very big fish.”

Supporting Your Practice

If your dermatology or specialty practice is ready to streamline prior authorizations and accelerate access to therapy, sign up your practice for Tandem today or book a demo to learn more.