SJM_PROFILE_Advocare_0821FINAL_REG3 . qxp_profile 8 / 26 / 21 3 : 04 PM Page 1 B U S I N E S S S P O T L I G H T Behind founder Dr . Joseph Hassman and his four children , Advocare Berlin Medical Associates has been providing the utmost in care to South Jersey residents for more than 50 years . by MATT COSENTINO The Family Way telemedicine is a new avenue that won’t played a part in the success and longevity lthough it may be hard to imagine ever go away . I think we’re always going of Advocare Berlin Medical Associates . while driving through towns like to utilize telemedicine . ” “ We enjoy working together , ” David says . Voorhees and Cherry Hill today , South A Being a dependable health care provider “ You would think it would be a bad for - Jersey was still largely a rural area when for the community is nothing new ; after mula but it actually works out really well . Dr.Joseph Hassman first started his med - all , the Hassman patriarch has been doing There’s no doubt there are some chal - ical practice in Berlin more than 50 years it for half a century . Dr . Hassman serves as lenges but we spend a lot of time together , ago . In those simpler times he instantly the physician for Eastern Regional High both in and out of the office . ” formed a bond with the members of the School and the practice takes its commit - The practice has evolved through the community , who relied on him for every - ment to the region seriously . years , especially over the past decade as thing from delivering babies to treatment “ There are current patients who , not it moved from a single building on the of common illnesses . The relationships only did my father treat their grandpar - White Horse Pike to its current location were so strong that some patients even ents , but he delivered their parents . So on Cross Keys Road , which paved the paid their bills with bushels of tomatoes there are three way for significant expansion . Advocare or other crops from their farms . generations from the same Berlin Medical Associates is now a Fast forward to 2021 , and of course family coming to this office , ” David says . multi - the landscape has changed drastically . “ My dad set the bar very high . He disciplinary practice offering specialists Yet the practice — now known as Advocare taught us how important relationships in family medicine , pediatrics , pain man - Berlin Medical Associates — is still thriving , are , not only with fellow physicians but agement , gastroenterology , cardiology , and Dr . Hassman continues to see patients with the patient population . That aspect nephrology and ophthalmology . while recently celebrating his 86th of practicing with people skills has defi - That kind of diversity in practitioners birthday . All four of nitely transcended to all of us . ” is rare in a private family practice and is his children have Advocare Berlin Medical Associates usually only found in large health care followed him into medicine , with three has become a fixture in South Jersey and systems . Not only does it allow for an joining him at the Berlin office : Dr . Elissa shows no signs of slowing down . Who easy flow of communication among the Hassman , Dr . David Hassman and Dr . knows , maybe one of Joseph’s 19 grand - various physicians , but patients welcome Michael Hassman . children will even join the practice going to the same office for all of their His oldest child , Dr . Howard Hassman , someday . Although several have entered medical needs . 65 , also works with the family as the chief into the health care field , none are slated “ The familiarity of it is very comforting scientific officer at the Hassman Research for medical school — yet . for most people , ” David says . “ They can Institute . Elissa , 61 , specializes in oph - “ We love this area ; we’ve been here see so many specialists under one roof . ” thalmology , while David , 56 , and Michael , for 50 years and we’ll be here for many With the responsibility of treating all 53 , focus on family medicine . All four more to come , ” David says . “ It’s been a members of the family for a number of received their degrees from the Philadel - great ride . We never would have been reasons , Advocare has been fortunate to phia College of Osteopathic Medicine , able to predict this , but everyone in remain open throughout the COVID - 19 just like their father . our n pandemic . It embraced telemedicine at “ It’s not so much that we were following family relishes in it completely . ” the peak of the crisis , and with more in his footsteps but we all grew up knowing patients now feeling comfortable with this is what we wanted to do , ” David says . “ He was a role model and we all looked on - site appointments , safety is prioritized Advocare Berlin up to him , but there was never any pres - with an emphasis on masks , hand sani - sure that this was the path we had to go tizer , distancing and other protocols . Medical Associates “ We’re getting back to normal and on and it wasn’t forced on us . Everyone 175 Cross Keys Road | Suite 300A about 80 percent of the office visits are did it for their own individual reasons . ” Berlin | ( 856 ) 767 - 0077 now in person , ” David says . “ But from Having an actual family as the cor - AdvocareBMA.com this whole thing we’ve learned that nerstone of a family practice has certainly SOUTH JERSEY MAGAZINE volume 18 issue 5 SouthJerseyMagazine.com 52 |