Health care for men gains groundRobert Sek, CEO of Total Men’s Primary Care, said he founded the male-only health care business out of his own challenges to find physicians specializing in men’s medical issues.

“Guys just don’t go to the doctor,” he said. “According to the American Medical Association, the average man goes to the doctor once every four years. I was one of those guys.”

Total Men’s Primary Care provides primary care for men—including flu shots and physicals as well as hormone levels and high cholesterol.

There are two Austin-area clinics—at 12717 Shops Parkway, Ste. 500, Bee Cave, and 4301 W. William Cannon Drive, Ste. 300, Austin. The Bee Cave location opened in June 2014, and the Southwest Austin site opened in April.

Sek said a third facility will open in Central Texas by August, and more local clinics are in the works.

About 80 percent of men say they do not have a primary doctor, Sek said.

“What we found is that guys feel invincible,” he said. “Because men don’t have relationships with physicians, something that could be addressed quickly is exacerbated and leads to a negative experience [once he finally seeks medical attention].”

Sek said this scenario leads men to not return to medical offices for even annual physicals. Additionally, he said men typically do not want to take the time to get medical help for an issue or routine exam.

“There has been a lot of awareness [recently] about low [testosterone levels],” Sek said. “We are not a steroid clinic. There are a huge number of facilities that just do low T. We can handle things such as low T, but it’s not who we are.”

Lab tests are run in-house, and each location is staffed by a physician assistant or nurse practitioner who is overseen by a medical doctor, he said.

For some patients, Sek says the lobby itself is a draw—sporting two big screen televisions tuned to sports and news stations, sleek leather chairs equipped with cell phone chargers, Starbucks brand coffee, snacks and two refrigerators filled with beverages.

“This is an environment without women or children,” Sek said of his office lobbies.

The average patient at Total Men’s Primary Care ranges from age 30 to 60 years old, with the Bee Cave location average age a little older and the William Cannon site averaging closer to age 40, he said.

“There has been a general shift in health care,” Sek said. “A doctor has to be more accessible, and that’s what we are hoping to achieve.”

Total Men’s Primary Care accepts all major medical insurance, he said.