Doctor at The Paradise Center provides medical care for snowbirds

The Medical Suite at The Paradise Center is becoming a one-stop shop for health needs on the island thanks to Dr. Daren Spinelle. 

“We have physical therapy, I've got a nutritionist, I'm having conversations with many people to improve their diet plan,” said Spinelle. “The Paradise Center does great with activities that help mental and physical health. I'm hoping to create a one-stop shop for all your health needs.”

Spinelle started seeing patients at his new Paradise Center practice in January of 2023. He is now promoting a new health plan specifically made to offer snowbirds full health care during the time they spend living on the Key. 

The practice offers two programs: Concierge Complete and Concierge Light. Concierge Complete offers a full health plan with concierge medical care and clinic visits for year-round residents or anyone who wants to have health care on the Key. 

With Concierge Light, Spinelle would work with people’s at-home physicians to provide access to personalized health care without being on a full health plan while they are on Longboat.

Spinelle grew up in Long Island, New York. During his high school volunteering days, he was a part of his local fire department and emergency medical services (EMS) volunteer program. When he found out his best friend was going to the University of Tampa, he decided to follow him and continued to grow his EMS background. 

He was a part of multiple college EMS organizations such as the National Collegiate EMS Foundation and the Global Alliance for Disaster Reduction and Resilience. 

“During Hurricane Katrina, one of my friends, the chief at Tulane University EMS, which is where Hurricane Katrina hit, called all of his colleagues to bring in resources and we did,” said Spinelle.  “About 10 of us came together and started putting together ambulances and EMS equipment and resources to provide response during Hurricane Katrina.”

This inspired Spinelle to major in government and world affairs for his undergraduate degree. He went to Ross University for medical school and did his residency at Saint Mary’s Hospital in Waterbury, Connecticut. 

Now Spinelle is a traveling physician working at hospitals around the country while running his practice on the island. One week a month, he flies to where help is needed. 

Spinelle has worked in Fort Myers, Naples, Connecticut, New York, Texas, and West Virginia. He was at Sarasota Memorial Hospital for a couple months, which is where he met his wife. He has been living with his wife and son on Longboat Key since 2021. 

“You can tell when a person did their training by their preference and medicines,” said Spinelle. “If you go to one hospital, you'll be surrounded by the culture and their preference for different things. By working throughout the country, I can see many different cultures and many different preferences towards certain medicines and or approaches to medicine in general. By working in different hospitals around the country, I can see when something works or something doesn't. It definitely gives me a broader breadth of knowledge when it comes to how to treat a patient, even pretty basic things.”

When Spinelle moved his family to Longboat, he thought it was the perfect time to start his own practice. His parents-in-law heard that Suzy Brenner of The Paradise Center was looking for a primary care doctor for the medical suite. Spinelle took the opportunity and started seeing patients at the medical suite in January of 2023.

Brenner said that she has heard only positive feedback from his patients. She shared that everyone emphasizes how much time and care he gives during appointments. He allows patients to spend as much time as they need in their visit, doesn’t rush through appointments and makes them as personal as possible. 

“I've learned a lot of medicine throughout the country, but I have a family here on Longboat now and my obligation is to stay here to tend the patients on Longboat,” said Spinelle. “The patients come first. And I want people to know that I am just five minutes away and I can give more time with you than most clinics.”