Who are THRIVE patients?
THRIVE accepts patients ages 18 and older without regard to their prior conditions or medical history. We encourage you to schedule a “Meet & Greet” appointment to explore whether our practice is the right fit for you.
Who are THRIVE Doctors?
- Sara R. Berg, MD Click Here for Her Bio
- Kate Petrungaro, MD Click Here for Her Bio
- Caroline Kalember, MD Click Here for Her Bio
Where is THRIVE located?
THRIVE is located at 400 Skokie Blvd, Suite 405 in Northbrook, Illinois. Our offices have been tailored to our mission to provide the highest quality care in a professional and welcoming environment. There is ample free parking as well as dedicated parking spaces close to the entrance for patients who need this accommodation.
More Commonly Asked Questions
Yes, all THRIVE doctors are board certified.
THRIVE charges an annual membership fee. There is also a small one-time registration fee upon initiation of your membership which is NOT repeated annually.
THRIVE membership ensures that there are no additional charges for office visits, virtual care, or any other communication with your doctor. There are no co-pays.
The following services are included in the annual fee:
- Initial visit to your doctor to complete a comprehensive review of your medical history and to perform a physical examination. During this visit, you and your doctor will collaborate on developing your plan of care.
- All in-person office visits and virtual visits via the secure, HIPAA certified platform that we use in our practice.
- Sick visits as needed.
- Follow up visits as needed.
- Management of chronic conditions and associated office visits.
- An annual comprehensive physical with associated routine blood tests included.
- Women’s Health Care including breast exams and pap smears.
- Coordination of medical care with your specialists.
- Tests completed in our office, also known as Point of Care (POC) testing, with immediately available results.
- ECGs as needed.
- An annual comprehensive physical with associated routine blood tests included.
THRIVE does not accept insurance payment for our medical services. Rather, our stated services are covered by the annual fee.
Yes! Your insurance will be billed directly for lab work that is not part of a physical, vaccines administered in our office, any diagnostic testing not done in our office, specialist visits, emergency room visits and hospitalizations.
You may reach your THRIVE doctor directly during regular office hours via phone, text message or email through our secure app, or messaging through MyChart which populates directly into your medical record. You can also reach your doctor directly after hours for emergency care.
No, your doctor will be accessible and appointments will be readily available. Each doctor will have a limited number of patients in her panel in order to ensure that we can provide specialized care to each and every patient.
Appointment scheduling is available by phone call, by sending us a message on our secure practice app, or through MyChart. Appointments are available on your time – same day or next day availability is typical. Ample time is allotted for appointments.
Yes. THRIVE will use the EPIC electronic medical record (EMR) system. If you have been a patient at Northwestern Medicine, all of your medical records will be available to THRIVE.
If you have been seen at another institution that uses EPIC (NorthShore University Health System, Rush University Medical Center, Loyola University Medical Center, Amita Health, Advocate / Lutheran General Hospital, Mayo Clinic and many more), it is likely that THRIVE will have access to your records via the “CARE EVERYWHERE” portal in Epic.
Part of our mission at THRIVE is to keep patients out of the emergency room by providing timely and appropriate care, but emergencies do happen. THRIVE patients can receive emergency care at any facility in which they have coverage and THRIVE doctors will be available for consultation with any emergency care physicians. Emergency room care will be billed to your insurance.
We are on the Medical Staff at Northwestern Memorial Hospital and Northwestern Lake Forest Hospital.
Thrive doctors will coordinate closely with the inpatient (hospitalist) team at the institution where you are admitted. Given our privileges at Northwestern facilities, our shared medical record, and our long-term relationships with these hospital teams, this coordination is seamless if hospitalized at an Northwestern Medicine facility.
THRIVE doctors are not available for house calls at this time. However, we are able to send skilled nurses to your home to provide a variety of services such as lab draws, select rapid tests and IV fluids (if medically necessary). These services are not included in the annual fee.
Dr. Berg is everything you could ask for in a doctor; caring, knowledgeable, and approachable. She treats her patients as people and not just a number. She really listens and never rushes an appointment.
Patient Testimonial,
Patient of Dr. Sara BergDr. Petrungaro is one of the most competent, knowledgeable, and friendly doctors I have come across. She spends the time to walk you through your current situation and cares enough to answer all your questions in a pragmatic and thoughtful way.
Patient Testimonial,
Patient of Dr. Kate PetrungaroDr. Berg is thorough, compassionate, and kind. You can tell she's always thinking about what is best for her patients and I feel safe and lucky that she is my doctor! She follows up, is timely, and is always thinking about multiple strategies. She takes my overall well-being very seriously and is a great doctor.
Patient Testimonial,
Patient of Dr. Sara BergI feel very comfortable talking with Dr. Kate and discussing my concerns. She takes the time to explain things to me and is very reassuring. She's an excellent listener. I feel she is extremely competent and follows up.
Patient Testimonial,
Patient of Dr. Kate PetrungaroDr. Berg is wonderful and attentive, nonjudgmental and an incredible listener. She offers excellent, evidence based recommendations, which have literally changed my life.
Patient Testimonial,
Patient of Dr. Sara BergDr Petrungaro's knowledge of internal medicine, as well as her pharmacological knowledge, coupled with a great bedside manner and warm personality are unbeatable.
Patient Testimonial,
Patient of Dr. Kate PetrungaroDr. Berg is amazing. Thorough, caring, never rushes me out. Practitioners like her are a rarity these days.
Patient Testimonial,
Patient of Dr. Sara BergDr. Petrungaro is very caring, thorough, and most importantly, listens. She truly desires wellness for her patients and management of chronic illness. Dr. Petrungaro will pick up a phone to discuss care with multiple specialties to ensure all are on the same page.
Patient Testimonial,
Patient of Dr. Kate PetrungaroDr. Berg is fantastic! Extremely competent and empathetic, I trust her to help me with my medical care and treat me with compassion when I have issues. She is an active listener, and able to 'connect the dots' with my questions to get to a good diagnosis and treatment plan.
Patient Testimonial,
Patient of Dr. Sara BergAnother great visit today with Dr. Kate for my annual physical. It's clear that she reads my file ahead of time which means we can make the most of our time together. She's excellent at explaining issues in terms I can understand. She is very knowledgeable and has a great bedside manner, which is so important. She makes me feel very comfortable.
Patient Testimonial,
Patient of Dr. Kate PetrungaroDr. Berg is terrific. Very nice, kind. A good communicator, thorough, and a good listener. I never feel like she's going through the motions. I'd recommend her to anyone.
Patient Testimonial,
Patient of Dr. Sara BergDr. Petrungaro is great! She is very attentive and never rushes you. Always provides a few options to tackle my issues.
Patient Testimonial,
Patient of Dr. Kate PetrungaroDr. Berg is an excellent listener who is really up to date on health and medical issues. I highly value her wisdom, trust her recommendations, and appreciate her ability to empathize and provide helpful information. I recommend her highly.
Patient Testimonial,
Patient of Dr. Sara BergA caring, intelligent physician who is up to date with internal medicine, Dr. Kate provides comprehensive care, and excellent referrals when needed.
Patient Testimonial,
Patient of Dr. Kate PetrungaroExtremely thorough. Amazing bedside manner. Incredibly calm and approachable. Super smart. All around amazing Dr. and person.
Patient Testimonial,
Patient of Dr. Sara BergNot enough words to express how thankful I am our paths crossed. I'm completely confident in her assessments of me and the time she takes to make me feel well cared for.