By Rob Novit
Dr. Davor Sklizovic, an ENT and owner of Carolina Otolaryngology Institute, has closed his office and has relocated to Maine - a decision he and his wife made reluctantly.
"We fell in love with Aiken when we moved here," Heidi Sklizovic, the practice's office manager, said Monday. "We thought we would stay here forever."
However, changes in medicine in recent years have caused many physicians to question whether operating a practice is worth it, she said.
The couple has arranged to provide medical records for their patients, who can call the office phone number at 644-9200 and leave information on voice mail as directed.
The records will be faxed to patients' primary physicians or other specialists as needed. In an advertisement the Sklizovic's have been publishing, they are requesting patience because of the volume of medical records.
If patients have questions they have left on voice mail, Heidi Sklizovic said she is making every effort to call them.
After the family came to Aiken from Pittsburgh, Heidi's parents and two siblings also moved to the community.
In 2002, the couple opened the restaurant Davor's in downtown Aiken. For the past two years, Heidi Sklizovic's mother, Sandy Zotter, has managed the restaurant and will continue to do so.
From 2007-2009, the Sklizovic's also operated the Old Aiken Market.
"We loved the downtown," Heidi said. "It hurt us to see some places that were empty."
Her husband was dealing more and more with insurance companies and a variety of new regulations. Reimbursements have been dropping as well, she said. Their decision to move has been bittersweet.
"We still have ties here - our family and all the friends we've made," said Heidi. "Our older son is 13 and will be going to a tennis academy in Hilton Head. Listening to the messages from patients makes me want to cry. They're all so nice, just saying how they will miss us. It's really nice to hear that."![]()
Dr. Davor Sklizovic, an ENT and owner of Carolina Otolaryngology Institute, has closed his office and has relocated to Maine - a decision he and his wife made reluctantly.
"We fell in love with Aiken when we moved here," Heidi Sklizovic, the practice's office manager, said Monday. "We thought we would stay here forever."
However, changes in medicine in recent years have caused many physicians to question whether operating a practice is worth it, she said.
The couple has arranged to provide medical records for their patients, who can call the office phone number at 644-9200 and leave information on voice mail as directed.
The records will be faxed to patients' primary physicians or other specialists as needed. In an advertisement the Sklizovic's have been publishing, they are requesting patience because of the volume of medical records.
If patients have questions they have left on voice mail, Heidi Sklizovic said she is making every effort to call them.
After the family came to Aiken from Pittsburgh, Heidi's parents and two siblings also moved to the community.
In 2002, the couple opened the restaurant Davor's in downtown Aiken. For the past two years, Heidi Sklizovic's mother, Sandy Zotter, has managed the restaurant and will continue to do so.
From 2007-2009, the Sklizovic's also operated the Old Aiken Market.
"We loved the downtown," Heidi said. "It hurt us to see some places that were empty."
Her husband was dealing more and more with insurance companies and a variety of new regulations. Reimbursements have been dropping as well, she said. Their decision to move has been bittersweet.
"We still have ties here - our family and all the friends we've made," said Heidi. "Our older son is 13 and will be going to a tennis academy in Hilton Head. Listening to the messages from patients makes me want to cry. They're all so nice, just saying how they will miss us. It's really nice to hear that."