Meet the Family Doctor with a Rare Practice — He Only Makes House Calls

When it comes to Ernest Brown's medical practice, the doctor is definitely not in. Ever. That’s a good thing for his patients, however, because it usually means he’s out visiting them. Brown, 49, is a family practitioner who only makes house calls. That means he travels to patients — at their homes, work sites, or hotel rooms if they’re visiting from out of town.

Brown doesn’t even have an office, aside from the donated vehicle he uses to drive around the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area. Sometimes, he doesn’t even work out of his car, instead riding his bright green bicycle to reach patients. He’s not hard to miss in his royal blue scrubs, matching baseball cap, and thick gray beard. And he’ll explain at length why he has chosen to deliver his service in such an unfamiliar fashion.

“What we’re doing is a movement. The intention is to show others that there is a different way,” Brown told TODAY. “The reason I became a physician is because I like to help. In the context of the health care system that we have now, it’s impossible to care for people.”...