Frequently Asked Questions
We want to keep our community informed about current availability at the AIM Center.
Dr. Dempsey currently has a full caseload and is not accepting new patients at this time.
Dr. Lawrence Afrin, our world-renowned specialist in the diagnosis and treatment of Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS), is now accepting new patients in 2027.
John Fallon, FNP, our integrative nurse practitioner specializing in infectious disease (Lyme disease and co-infections), mold toxicity, MCAS, inflammatory conditions, and metabolic and digestive health is now accepting a limited number of new patients in 2027.
For more information about our intake process for Dr. Afrin and John Fallon, FNP, please contact us at info@aimcenterpm.com.
Updates on each provider’s availability will appear here.
The AIM Center is grateful to serve such a wonderful community. We do not maintain a waitlist, as we believe your time is too important to leave uncertain. We know that waiting without answers can be stressful, and that is never an experience we want for anyone seeking our care. We are dedicated to growing so we can open our doors to more patients.
Healthcare is rapidly evolving, and while we are unable to accept insurance at this time, we are hopeful that insurance models will continue to adapt to better accommodate
functional medicine.
Although we are unable to bill insurance directly, some patients may be eligible for partial reimbursement by submitting claims to their insurance provider, provided they have outof- network benefits. We ask patients to check with benefits with their individual insurance carrier.
Please note that we do not accept Medicaid or Medicare.
Laboratory testing is a separate expense.
Many tests we order are billed directly to the patient’s insurance provider by the lab. However, testing for mast cell disease can be complex. It is not uncommon for an initial round of testing to yield negative results. For this reason, we typically recommend 1 to 2 additional rounds of testing. Most patients with true mast cell disease receive diagnostic results within 1 to 3 rounds. Please be aware that some insurers may not cover all recommended tests and may require co-payments from the patient.
Some of the multisystem conditions diagnosed and treated at the AIM Center require additional testing through outside laboratories that do not accept insurance. If such testing is recommended, our staff will review the associated costs in advance, and payment will be due at the time of testing. In some cases, patients may be able to submit invoices from these labs to their insurance companies for potential reimbursement, though this cannot be guaranteed.
We are located at 3010 Westchester Ave. Purchase, NY 10577. There are ample accommodations locally. We do not recommend specific hotels due to the unknown requirements of individual patients who come to see us.
At the AIM Center, our goal is to ensure that every patient receives the most well-rounded and optimal care, both within our Center and beyond. Our providers work in partnership with a patient’s existing healthcare team and are not a replacement for their primary care physician.
All patients are required to maintain a relationship with a primary care physician to manage emergencies, routine prescriptions, general care, and health screenings.
That said, care at the AIM Center is highly collaborative. We provide a patient’s primary care physician with a comprehensive report of our findings and recommendations, and they are welcome to reach out directly to our team with any questions or requests for guidance. Together, we are committed to supporting each and every patient’s health and wellbeing.
Our approach to care is thorough and comprehensive. If diagnostic laboratory testing for mast cell activation disease is needed and the patient chooses to pursue that testing while here, three days are needed.
Patients submit specimens for some of the tests on the first day. On the morning of the second day, the patient begins a 24-hour urine collection. On the morning of the third day, the patient completes the 24-hour urine collection and submits it to the lab, after which the patient is free to return home. It typically takes about a month to receive the results from all of the tests.
Absolutely. The AIM Center practitioners have been seeing patients from other countries for many years and will continue to do so. Initial appointments must be conducted in person at our Purchase, NY location. This initial visit allows for a comprehensive review of the patient’s complete health history, physical examination and diagnostic assessment.
Our providers can only prescribe medications in states where they hold active medical licenses. Patients who live outside our prescribing states or internationally must have a local healthcare provider willing to collaborate with us and implement our treatment recommendations.
The AIM Center currently treats patients aged 16 and older.
We hope to expand our telemedicine offerings in the future for patients who are unable to travel. Currently, all patients are required to visit the AIM Center in person for their initial consultation, physical examination, and laboratory testing.
Following the initial visit, some follow-up appointments may be conducted via telemedicine, depending on the treatment protocol and the state or country in which the patient resides.
As MCAS is a relatively newly-recognized disease state, there is still much that needs to be done as far as reaching a consensus on its diagnosis and treatment. We take our recommendations and care seriously and cannot safely recommend any other practitioners without full knowledge on their background and approach to care.
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