Cheryl Leonarci, MD in Baltimore: Internal Medicine with Preventive Focus and Extended Appointment Slots

Dr. Cheryl Leonarci runs a solo internal medicine practice in Baltimore that prioritizes established-patient continuity and preventive care over high patient volume. She accepts most major insurance plans and holds extended appointment times, a practical difference from high-throughput urgent care clinics in the city.

What This Practice Actually Is

Leonarci practices general internal medicine, meaning she manages chronic conditions like hypertension, diabetes, and heart disease, handles preventive care visits, and coordinates specialist referrals. She does not operate an urgent care walk-in facility. Her practice is designed for patients seeking a stable primary care relationship rather than quick acute visits. Baltimore has no shortage of urgent care centers and hospital-based immediate-care departments, but fewer solo internists maintaining traditional continuity-based practices.

Services and How Scheduling Works

Standard internal medicine services include annual physical exams, management of chronic illnesses, medication adjustment, preventive screenings (cancer screening, cardiovascular assessment, bone density), and laboratory review. Leonarci schedules new patients and existing patients for extended visits when the clinical situation calls for it, a contrast to appointment systems elsewhere in Baltimore that lock patients into 15-minute slots regardless of complexity. Confirm current wait times for new-patient appointments and specific insurance participation directly with the practice; internal medicine practices in Baltimore vary widely in how quickly they accept new patients, and availability shifts seasonally.

How to Compare This Practice to Other Baltimore Options

For routine preventive care and management of chronic conditions, choices in Baltimore break into three tiers. Urgent care clinics (CareFirst, FastMed, and others scattered across the city) handle acute problems and basic physicals but rarely build sustained relationships. Large primary care networks tied to Johns Hopkins Medicine, University of Maryland Medical System, or MedStar Health offer convenience and electronic integration but often function as appointment mills with higher patient-per-provider ratios. Leonarci's solo practice sits on the opposite end: no walk-in service, but more appointment flexibility and deeper continuity. For someone with multiple chronic conditions or a complicated medication history, this continuity model often catches problems that rushed visits miss. For someone who needs to see a doctor this week for a new cough, this is the wrong choice.

Who This Practice Suits and Who It Does Not

This practice works well for patients already living in Baltimore with stable insurance, established chronic conditions or high preventive care needs, and willingness to schedule visits weeks in advance. It does not suit people without a regular primary care relationship who need acute care, patients without insurance, or anyone expecting same-day or next-day appointments. If you move to Baltimore and want to establish a long-term primary care relationship, it is worth asking whether Dr. Leonarci is accepting new patients. If you need urgent care for a new symptom, use a hospital ED or urgent care center instead.

What a First Visit Involves

New-patient visits typically include a full history, physical exam, baseline laboratory work (blood count, metabolic panel, lipid panel), review of past medical records, and discussion of preventive care needs based on age and risk factors. Leonarci will likely prescribe routine screening tests appropriate to your age (colonoscopy, mammography, or others) and discuss medication adjustments if applicable. Bring insurance cards, a list of current medications, and medical records from previous providers if available. Allow 45 to 90 minutes for the first visit.

Hours, Location, and Insurance

Confirm current office hours and exact location directly with the practice; internal medicine offices in Baltimore operate on widely varying schedules, and contact information changes. Most accept Medicare, Medicaid, and commercial plans (Aetna, United, CareFirst, Cigna). Call ahead to verify whether your specific insurance is in-network and whether the practice is accepting new patients.

Dr. Leonarci's practice fills a genuine gap in Baltimore's primary care landscape: a solo internist who prioritizes appointment depth and continuity over throughput. This matters most for older patients, patients managing multiple conditions, or anyone for whom a sustained relationship with one provider reduces medical error and improves long-term outcomes.