Behind the Screens: Meet Dr. Jeffrey Kalczynski

At Dimer Health, we believe great care starts with connection. Our Behind the Screens series highlights the clinicians who make virtual medicine personal, accessible, and effective - right when patients need it most.

This week, meet Dr. Jeffrey Kalczynski, an emergency medicine physician whose path into healthcare began on a university ambulance and led to a career focused on showing up for people on their hardest days, and helping recover safely at home.

Why medicine?

Jeff thought he’d be a physical therapist, until an advisor suggested he join the university ambulance squad. The first shift changed everything.

“I fell in love with emergency medicine immediately. I was the former athlete who still wanted to be close to the action, and EMS opened my eyes. From there it was a pivot, some extra prereqs, and I was all in.”

He still keeps a hand in prehospital care as a paramedic and medical director, shaping protocols, education, and quality - experience that deepens his approach to patient safety and systems of care.

What do you love most about your profession?

For Jeff, emergency medicine is about meeting people on one of their toughest days, and leaving them better than he found them.

“No one is thrilled to be in the ER. If I can shoulder some of that day and make it a little better, that’s the joy of the job.”

Why Dimer Health?

After years in a setting defined by speed and tradeoffs, Jeff was drawn to a model that protects time for connection.

“In the ER, if you spend 15 minutes with one person, it’s 15 minutes you don’t spend with someone else. At Dimer, I can slow down, spend a full half hour, make sure every question is answered, build a relationship, and even follow a patient over time. It’s better for patients, and honestly, better for me.”

What do you enjoy most about virtual care?

Convenience is more than a perk, it’s a clinical advantage.

“When you’re not feeling well, the last thing you want is to lose half your day getting to an office for a 15-minute visit. Virtual visits remove hurdles. Patients keep their day, get real care, and we don’t ask them to jump through hoops. That matters.”

How would you describe the value of Dimer’s model?

Jeff calls it the “secret sauce”: reliable, fast follow-up when recovery is most fragile.

“As an ER doc, I’d discharge patients with ‘follow up within 48 hours,’ and I knew it happened maybe 5% of the time. Dimer Health actually makes that follow-up occur - quickly and consistently - right when it’s most critical. We see patients at their sickest in the ER, then watch them improve with rapid, accessible touchpoints at home.”

A patient story that stayed with you

One case reminds Jeff why the Dimer Health model matters for patients and the system.

“We saw a patient failing at home - no food, no water, unable to care for herself. The default would’ve been ‘send to the ER’ and start a long, expensive, uncomfortable process. Instead, I worked with the PA and our case manager to arrange direct admission to subacute rehab. She got what she needed without a 12-hour wait and 48 hours in an ER hallway. It saved the patient distress, saved the ER a bed, and saved costs. That felt really good.”

Life beyond the screen

Jeff loves being outdoors and spending low-key evenings with his family - his wife, their infant, and their cat.

When it’s time to unplug, he heads to the workshop:

“I’m a very novice woodworker - think Adirondack chairs, shelves, a porch glider that knocks my daughter out instantly. I probably spend more on tools than finished furniture would cost, but I get to say, ‘I made that.’”

Fun Fact

Jeff once belonged to SAG-AFTRA, making appearances on late-night TV to help pay for college.

Quickfire Round

Coffee or tea? Coffee - especially with his new espresso machine.
Early bird or night owl? Loves night shifts; oddly most productive at 5 a.m. on days off.
Dream skill to master? New language - Portuguese.
Mantra: “Live like someone is looking up to you - one day they will.”