Plum Health Blog
Plum Health DPC Lowers the Cost of Prescription Drugs via Channel 7 Action News
Plum Health DPC Lowers the Cost of Prescriptions Drugs in Detroit and Beyond
This evening we were featured on Channel 7 Action news for lowering the cost of medications in Detroit. We started Plum Health DPC in 2016 with a mission: to make health care more affordable and accessible in Detroit and beyond. One part of that broader mission is to lower the cost of medications for our patients.
Paul Thomas MD of Plum Health on Channel 7 Action News
Paul Thomas MD of Plum Health DPC is on Channel 7 Action News with Jennifer Ann Wilson, discussing how we lower the cost of medications in Detroit and beyond.
We buy the most common medications at wholesale and sell them to our patients directly - without a mark up. That’s why our service is called Plum Health DPC, the DPC stands for Direct Primary Care - we deliver primary care services directly to our patients.
By delivering care directly to our patients, we remove the profit takers, pharmacy benefit managers, and retail pharmacies between you and your medications, effectively lowering the cost of those prescriptions by 50% to 90%. Here’s the cost of our seven most commonly used medications:
Metformin 500 mg 1.2 cents/pill or $0.36 for a 1 month supply
Ibuprofen 600 mg 7 cents/pill or $2.10 for a 1 month supply
Lisinopril 10 mg 2.3 cents/pill or $0.66 for a 1 month supply
Amlodipine 5 mg 1.1 cents/pill or $0.33 for a 1 month supply
Sertraline/Zoloft 50 mg 4.8 cents/pill or $1.44 for a 1 month supply
Cetirizine/Zyrtec 10 mg 5.2 cents/pill or $1.52 for a 1 month supply
Loratadine/Claritin 10 mg 3.4 cents/pill or $1.02 for a 1 month supply
We do this work because we know that the cost of medications continues to climb and that people in our community need a fair shake when it comes to getting the medications that they need to stay healthy.
Here’s what Detroit’s Channel 7 Action News (WXYZ Detroit) had to say:
Dr. Paul Thomas started Plum Health Direct Primary Care four years ago in Detroit with a mission.
"We believe that medication should be affordable and accessible," Dr. Thomas said.
His membership-based business model eliminates the pharmacy and prescription benefit managers by getting medications directly from the wholesalers then selling it to his patients at cost.
Here’s the full interview from Channel 7 Action News:
Thanks for reading and watching, and have a wonderful day,
-Dr. Paul Thomas with Plum Health DPC in Detroit, Michigan
Paul Thomas MD of Plum Health DPC on Channel 7 Action News
Dr. Paul Thomas on Channel 7 Action News discusses how Plum Health DPC lowers the cost of medications for patients in Detroit and beyond.
Dr. Paul Thomas Interviewed on the Talk2MeDoc Podcast
Dr. Paul Thomas Interviewed on the Talk2MeDoc Podcast
This month, I had a great interview with Andrew Tisser of the Talk2MeDoc podcast. We discussed the direct primary care model and why it’s beneficial for patients and why it’s beneficial for doctors. We talk about primary care, access to care, health disparities, physician burnout, and so much more. Here’s what they had to say:
Join Andrew Tisser with Dr. Paul Thomas as they talk about an exciting new model of primary care. In this episode, you’ll learn:
What is Direct Primary Care?
Benefits of DPC to patients and physicians alike
How to negotiate wholesale prices on labs and imaging
Much more!
Here’s that full episode and below I take a deeper dive into some of these topics.
The Private Medical Practice is Not Dead
During medical school, medical students are told that the only way to have a career in medicine is via an employed model. That simply isn’t true. The private medical practice is not dead. In fact, once you get outside of the health insurance model, the private medical practice is thriving.
When I first started our direct primary care practice back in November of 2016, there were only about 400 practices across the country. Now, there’s over 1,300 direct primary care practices, and the movement continues to grow.
Why? Because patients are looking for kind, caring, and thoughtful physicians who have enough time to fully address all of their concerns. And guess what? The Direct Primary Care model allows doctors to have the time and space to take care of their patients in a comprehensive manner with enough time to fully listen.
Doctor, Heal Thy Self
For too long, primary care physicians have been battling burnout and moral injury by practicing in the fee-for-service model. This has lead to many doctors experiencing burnout and compassion fatigue. As many of 54% of physicians are affected by burnout.
In this podcast episode I make the analogy of half of your lights in your house burning out. If this were to happen, you wouldn’t change each individual lightbulb. Instead, you’d call the big energy company and inquire about the electrical grid in your city, or you’d call up an electrician and have them evaluate the electrical panel in your home.
Yet, when 54% of doctors face burnout, the hospital systems and insurance companies tell them to engage in meditation exercises, retreats, or self-care activities. Sometimes they just tell the doctors to “be more resilient.”
This approach is a slap in the face for hard working and compassionate doctors across our country.
What needs to happen is a comprehensive, systems-based reform of our health insurance and medical care payment systems that uplift the doctor patient relationship rather than forcing doctors into a one-size-fits-all model of high-volume, low-quality patient visits.
About Paul Thomas, MD:
Dr. Paul Thomas is a board-certified family medicine physician practicing in Corktown Detroit. His practice is Plum Health DPC, a Direct Primary Care service that is the first of its kind in Detroit and Wayne County. His mission is to deliver affordable, accessible health care services in Detroit and beyond. He has been featured on WDIV-TV Channel 4, WXYZ Channel 7, Crain's Detroit Business and CBS Radio. He has been a speaker at TEDxDetroit. He is a graduate of Wayne State University School of Medicine and now a Clinical Assistant Professor. Finally, he is an author of two books Direct Primary Care: The Cure for Our Broken Healthcare System and Startup DPC: How to Start and Grow Your Direct Primary Care Practice
You can find Dr. Thomas.
Website: https://www.plumhealthdpc.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PlumHealthDPC/
Detroit Doctor Discusses the Importance of Health Communication
Detroit doctor discusses health Communication and Health literacy
This week, we had a great interview with SHANKX Web Development about the importance of Health Communication. We believe that health communication is at the core of better health outcomes. When doctors and patients can communicate seamlessly, questions are asked and answered that leads to a better understanding of symptoms, diagnoses, and treatment options.
For us, health communication is super important, and it starts with developing trusting relationships with our patients. When we have trusting relationships and open lines of communication - text messages, emails, phone calls, video chats - we can truly help our patients understand their symptoms, our diagnoses, and the best way forward in terms of treatment and management.
Further, in communities like Detroit with lower levels of health literacy, excellent communication becomes even more important.
I got to meet Shankar Poncelet and Antrea Ferguson at a recent Direct Primary Care conference and we discussed this topic at that time, and they wanted to follow up with a deeper dive. We decided to engage in an Instagram Live discussion, which went well other than the poor sound quality on my end. I hope you enjoy the conversation!
recognizing national health literacy month
Here’s what they had to say: In light of National Health Literacy Month, we were joined by Dr. Paul Thomas MD of Plum Health, a Direct Primary Care Physician who runs a novel Direct Primary Care clinic in Detroit.
With three doctors and two locations of Plum Health already established, and a fourth doctor joining the Plum Health team in February 2021, Dr. Thomas shares how social media and the DPC model have been "primary" drivers of growth.
Literacy takes two distinct faces in our talk with Dr. Thomas:
Educating the patient community in Detroit about the alternatives available to them when it comes to accessing health care that TRULY serves their needs
Educating doctors and the broader medical community about how to harness the power of social media to not only build your personal brand but actually perform outreach in under-served communities and share the ways in which medical professionals can SERVE their patients
For more on Dr. Thomas's practice, Plum Health DPC, visit our website here.
If you’d like to sign up to be a patient of Plum Health DPC, you can enroll here.
If you're a medical professional looking to start your own successful DPC practice, be sure to check out Dr. Thomas's book, Startup DPC: How To Start And Grow Your Direct Primary Care Practice.
Plum Health DPC Featured in Start Up TV Show on PBS This Fall
Exciting news! We’re going to be on a TV 📺 show called @startuptvshow on @pbs this fall 🍁 🍁 Our episode airs November 8th at 1:30 pm 🙌🏼 🙌🏼
Here’s what they said:
“😱 🤯 What if we told you that there is a direct primary care physician 👨⚕️ in Detroit that does house calls and offers books 📚 about how to start your own practice?
Awesome, right? You will learn more about Plum Health and their desire to provide affordable and accessible health care 💉 💊 🥼 on this season of START UP, premiering October 18th!”
Tune in every Sunday, as the show will be featuring some amazing business in Detroit 💯
Filming this episode was a multi-day process at our office in Corktown Detroit. We got to work with a very talented film crew with an amazing creative vision. The crew put a ton of effort and energy into the filming process and we hope that energy will be reflected in the final product.
This is our first time being featured for an extended interview, so there was a lengthy sit-down interview process and a great deal of B-roll footage, from us performing physical exam maneuvers on our patients in our office, to us counting out meds, and even a scene of Dr. Paul Thomas on a bicycle!
The episode will air on November 8th at 1:30 pm Eastern Time, so mark your calendars!
If you’d like to become a member of Plum Health, you can sign up here:
Thanks for reading and setting your DVRs!
-Dr. Paul Thomas with Plum Health DPC
More about the Start Up TV Show
Crain’s Detroit Business did a nice write up on the show, and described it as follows:
"Start Up," in its eighth season, gives viewers a look inside the world of the American entrepreneur. This season, with the first episode set to air at 1:30 p.m. Oct. 18, will feature 13 entrepreneurs — 12 of them based in Michigan. The season, according to show creator Gary Bredow, will center on how small-business owners and entrepreneurs have adapted to and navigated their way through what has been a turbulent 2020. The show will air on more than 350 PBS stations nationwide.
Start up season 8 teaser trailer
The Start Up crew put together a fantastic teaser trailer for Season 8, and you can see that teaser here:
Dr. Paul Thomas Interviewed on Leading the Rounds Podcast
Recently, I was interviewed on Leading the Rounds Podcast. In this episode, two medical students from Wayne State University School of Medicine, Peter Dimitrion and Caleb Sokolowski, interviewed me to talk about direct primary care and leadership in medicine.
We discuss the difference between fee for service medicine and direct primary care. In the fee-for-service model, patients need to have an insurance plan to access health care. This leaves the roughly 27 million Americans who do not have health insurance vulnerable and without access to health care. I started my direct primary care practice because I believe that healthcare should be affordable and accessible for everyone.
During my residency when I was employed by a large hospital system, I hated to see the front desk staff turn away uninsured patients. I knew that there had to be a better, more compassionate way to deliver health care. When I discovered direct primary care, I knew it was the best option for me to start my own practice and deliver health care services on my own terms, for the good of my patients and for the good of my community.
We discuss the difference between direct primary care and concierge medicine. In short, concierge medicine costs $2,400 annually and requires a health insurance plan to participate. In direct primary care, patients pay about $65 monthly and they do not have to have an additional insurance coverage, although it’s highly recommended. I talk about this topic in depth in this blog post and YouTube video.
We also talk about why patients would want to choose direct primary care and why doctors are choosing to practice in the direct primary care model. Patients choose direct primary care practices like Plum Health in Detroit because they can have a genuine relationship with their physician - our patients know that they can call, text, or email their doctor any time they need to. This accessibility gives our patients peace of mind. Patients choose direct primary care because they know the cost of their care, and there are no surprise bills - patients often save 50 to 90% on their medications, lab work, and imaging services.
Doctors are choosing direct primary care because they can spend more time with their patients and less time with their computers.
“I went into medicine to spend time with my patients, not to spend time with my computer.” - Dr. Paul Thomas of Plum Health DPC on Leading the Rounds Podcast
Doctors can also liberate themselves from insurance company mandates, and practice medicine on their own terms, maximizing the benefits for their patients. Hear about all this and more in the episode, here:
From Wayne State University School of Medicine:
Wayne State University School of Medicine students Peter Dimitrion and Caleb Sokolowski have jumped into the popular world of podcasting as the creators and hosts of “Leading the Rounds: A Medical Leadership Podcast.”
“We began this podcast because we are both passionate about leadership development, which is its own field and needs to be studied like pathology, biology and more,” said Dimitrion, a second-year M.D./Ph.D. student. “There are few resources for medical trainees that are accessible and affordable. Leadership development is overlooked in contemporary medical education, yet medical students and physicians find themselves in leadership roles from the beginning of their training. Other industries, such as the military and business, have formal leadership development courses, but physicians receive no formal leadership training as a part of their medical curriculum. We want to meet this need and improve our comprehension and understanding of leadership principles.”
His co-host is also in his second year of the M.D. program. Dimitrion and Sokolowski published seven episodes so far, with guests including Army Maj. Cal Walters and Paul Thomas, M.D., a Class of 2013 alumnus and founder of the direct primary care clinic Plum Health in Detroit.
The show will focus on three facets they believe are critical to their development as future medical leaders: leadership development, personal development and health systems literacy.
“Leading the Rounds” is available on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
“We also have a website, www.leadingtherounds.com, which we are constantly updating with links to our episodes and resources for anyone who is interested in following up on the ideas that we talk about in our podcast. People can also connect with us on Instagram @Leadingtherounds,” Dimitrion added.
Dr. Paul Thomas Interviewed on Mix 92.3 with Cheron
This week, we had a great interview with Cheron of Mix 92.3 about our direct primary care services here in Detroit Michigan.
We're at Plum Health in Detroit's Corktown Neighborhood and we operate a membership model for health care. Our members pay $10 each month for children, and it starts at $49 each month for adults. With that membership, our patients can call, text, or email us anytime.
Our members at Plum Health also have access to 50 to 90% savings on medications, lab work, and imaging services. A big thanks to Cheron for the great interview!
- Dr. Paul Thomas with Plum Health DPC
Paul Thomas MD Interviewed on Model D Media
On April 7th, 2020, Dr. Paul Thomas was interviewed by Dorothy Hernandez during Model D Media’s Facebook Live stream. The topic was Coronavirus and how we are managing this pandemic in the Detroit community.
Here’s what Model D Media wrote about this:
Editor’s note: This guest column by Dr. Paul Thomas, a family medicine doctor and founder of Plum Health Direct Primary Care, has been adapted from this blog post on the health center's website. Click here for the full post published on April 4.
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought an overload of information — and there's a lot of misinformation out there. Do you have a question for Dr. Thomas about coronavirus? Join us on our Facebook page for a Facebook Live Q&A at 10 a.m. Wednesday, April 8, with Dr. Thomas.
Q: Which counties nationwide have been impacted the most by coronavirus?
A: From the perspective of the number of cases and the number of deaths, the following counties/areas have been impacted the most by the coronavirus:
New York City (Queens, Bronx, Manhattan, Brooklyn, Staten Island)
Wayne County, Michigan
King County, Washington
Orleans County, Louisiana
Cook County, Illinois
Oakland County, Michigan
Bergen County, New Jersey
This comes from the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center and it's notable that Michigan has two neighboring counties in the top six hardest-hit counties: Wayne County and Oakland County.
Q: Why has Michigan and Southeast Michigan been hit so hard by the coronavirus?
A: Bridge Magazine wrote an excellent article on this and I agree with their assessment with one addition that we haven't been talking about.
In the article, Bridge Magazine talks about the following factors causing Michigan to be more susceptible to the virus:
Automotive trade with suppliers in Wuhan China
Detroit Metro Airport with Direct Flights to Wuhan, China
Michigan’s March 10th Presidential Primary
Ties between Detroit and Italy via Fiat Chrysler (FCA)
In addition to these factors, I would want to add a few others, including higher rates of overweight and obesity in Detroit and Michigan - rate of overweight is 47.5% in Detroit (34% in NYC) and rate of obesity is 34.6% in Detroit (22% in NYC).
All of these factors have led to a higher case fatality rate here in Detroit and Michigan than the national case fatality rate:
National case fatality rate is 2.47%
Michigan case fatality rate is 3.75%
Detroit case fatality rate is 3.29%
Q: What are the comorbid conditions increasing the risk of mortality in COVID-19 positive patients?
A: [Last] week, I spoke with a physician colleague at one of the nearby regional hospital systems and we discussed the conditions that lead to a higher mortality rate. These comorbid conditions are as follows:
Cardiovascular disease (High blood pressure)
Diabetes
Pulmonary Disease
Obesity
Cancer
These factors that we discussed were similar to those studied in Wuhan, China.
While it’s still too early to state exactly why this is the case, I have a few theories. First, African American folks have higher rates of diabetes, hypertension, and obesity than their white counterparts here in Detroit and in Michigan. As we stated above, these are risk factors for higher mortality from the coronavirus. Next, African American people may be more likely to depend on low and minimum wage jobs that put them at a higher risk of contracting the coronavirus.
Q: Should I wear a mask to prevent the spread of the coronavirus?
A: Yes, the CDC now recommends that all Americans wear a mask when in a place where they have a higher chance of contracting the Coronavirus, like grocery stores. This can be a cloth or fabric mask. Please wash these each day if you wear them. Please do not hoard surgical or N95 masks as these are needed at hospitals at this time.
Q: What can you do to slow down the coronavirus?
A:
Stay at home
Donate extra supplies to hospitals or your primary care doctor’s office
Unused N95 masks
Unused nitrile gloves
Donate blood
DO NOT congregate in large groups
DO NOT visit elderly or vulnerable relatives, even if you feel fine
Act as though you have the virus
Dr. Paul Thomas on My Dream Big Club Podcast
Last week, I had a great conversation with Seun Phillips of the My Dream Big Club Podcast.
Episode 6 Link:
Show notes:
Dr. Paul Thomas sits down to discuss:
-Health care issues head on by spreading his innovative Direct Primary Care model, which provides affordable and accessible health care services
-How insurance plans directly correlate to doctors starting their practices in affluent areas
-Done is BETTER than perfect. Spend your time being decisive in your decision making process to keep the momentum going. Make the decision and deal with the consequences later
-Visualizing your dreams and creating a system to help you focus on your goal, revisiting your system when you're down and continuously progressing forward
Dr. Paul Thomas on Leading Questions
This week, I was interviewed on Leading Questions with Calvin Moore, Kent Straith, and Steve Phelps. Also on the show was Dr. Abdul El-Sayed a political pundit on CNN and author of the new book Healing Politics. We discussed the coronavirus and the flaws in our current healthcare system and political system that have allowed this virus to spread more widely and infect and kill more people.
Here’s the general topics we discussed:
Question: Tell us a little about yourself as a medical professional. How long have you been doing it and do you have a specialized area of focus?
Answer: For me, I’m a family medicine doctor. I started our direct primary care service, Plum Health DPC, to make healthcare more affordable and accessible here in Detroit. My practice started in 2016, and we’ve grown into a larger location in Corktown, Detroit on Michigan avenue. I work with a second doctor and we care for a diverse group of patients in terms of age, race, gender, abilities, orientation, socioeconomic status, and other factors. We’re proud to serve at the community level and to advocate for better health for our patients.
Question: Healthcare is an issue that is on everyone’s mind. What are some the glaring issues surrounding healthcare as you understand it?
Answer: Currently, the for-profit practice of medicine and the insurance based system of care has devalued primary care services that would help us prevent the spread of viruses. in our current system, elective surgeries like knee replacement surgeries and other procedural work receives the largest reimbursement from private health insurance companies and Medicare. So, our corporate hospital systems have maximized their ability to perform these procedures at the expense of a robust and well-functioning primary care delivery system. This disorientation has caused us to be vulnerable to pandemics like this.
Question: In 2019, “telehealth” was considered part of the future of medical care; however, the current pandemic has accelerated the progress and use of telehealth services. Do you see a time in the near future where telehealth successfully replaces some or most in-person office visits for routine services?
Answer: in our practice at Plum Health DPC, our patients can call, text, or email us anytime. We can also use video chats and we can text photos to help us better understand the conditions affecting our patients. We’re able to do this because WE DO NOT BILL OR USE INSURANCE. You see, your doctor cannot and will not text you after hours or even as a replacement for a typical visit because your doctor can only get paid by the insurance company for face-to-face visits. In our model, because our patients pay us directly, we change the way we deliver primary care to maximize the efficacy of our time and resources, and to give our patients an amazing customer experience.
Question: In an effort to curb the rising costs of health care and limit instances where patients have to pay out-of-pocket for services denied by their insurance companies, more and more medical procedures require prior authorization. Do you believe any changes are necessary to the prior authorization process that will allow you to better serve your patients, while at the same time reduce the rising costs of providing health care?
Answer: again, because we don’t bill or use insurance at Plum Health DPC, we don’t often go through the prior authorization system. In our model, we are extremely effective at lowering the cost of care, so it’s often times cheaper to buy the medication or get the lab test by paying cash for the service than by using the insurance policy to pay for an over-inflated cost of a lab test or medication. For example, if you got a complete blood count at the local hospital, they might charge you $125. That same complete blood count only costs $4 in our office.
Thanks for reading and have a wonderful day,
-Dr. Paul Thomas with Plum Health DPC
Paul Thomas MD interviewed on the Soul of Enterprise Podcast
This week, I had a one-hour conversation with Ed Kless and Ron Baker. Here’s the full audio recording:
Ed and Ron both asked some amazing questions, here’s what we discussed on the show, via their website:
Join Ed and Ron for our second interview with Dr. Paul Thomas, Founder of Plum Health DPC (Direct Primary Care), to discuss COVID-19, and his experience dealing with this from the front lines. Also, his new revolutionary business model in medicine. Is this the cure for our broken healthcare system, and how’s it going so far?
A Quick Bit About Dr. Paul Thomas
Dr. Paul Thomas is a board-certified family medicine physician practicing in Corktown Detroit. His practice is Plum Health DPC, a Direct Primary Care service that is the first of its kind in Detroit and Wayne County. His mission is to deliver affordable, accessible health care services in Detroit and beyond. He has been featured on WDIV-TV Channel 4, WXYZ Channel 7, Crain's Detroit Business and CBS Radio. He has been a speaker at TEDxDetroit. He is a graduate of Wayne State University School of Medicine and now a Clinical Assistant Professor. Finally, he is an author of the book Direct Primary Care: The Cure for Our Broken Healthcare System.
Here are Ed’s questions from the interview:
How are you?
What about the people in your local community, how’s it going there?
About 40% of hospital beds in Michigan are filled with COVID patients, does that sound right?
Is there a difference between intubation and being on a ventilator, or are they the same thing?
And that’s different from being on oxygen?
There are potentially long-term risks with being intubated, even after you come off it, such as challenges with your lung capacity coming back?
What has been the effect, if any, on your business model? Has there been any significant challenges with Direct Primary Care (DPC) model?
Are they waiving any regulations to be able to provide telemedicine, for example?
Do you think COVID-19 might lead to a significant increase in DPC?
Will doctors get acclimated to provide telemedicine?
The numbers we’re all seeing at John Hopkins or Worldometer, the numbers are pretty scary, but they are also are staggeringly incomplete. I don’t think we can really believe the number of cases in China being limited to 81,000, for instance.
You talked a little bit about the tests with Ron, what are your thoughts about the at-home tests? Will we all be able to test ourselves at home and get some better numbers about what’s happening?
The FDA and CDC sort of messed up the process with the test when all this began. What are your thoughts on that?
This is less political than governmental. The nature of bureaucracy that may have been the downfall, regardless of the administration.
On your website blog, you did a great job debunking the Vitamin C myth that’s out there. What about hydroxychloroquine as a possible treatment?
What about the potential vaccine for this? If one was quickly developed would we be able to get it out quick enough, or would that run into bureaucratic hurdles?
Does that 15-18 months include the testing and verification, or just the development of a vaccine?
What about links you’ve seen to diabetes or pre-diabetic condition, or does it mostly just affect those who are older?
Age and diabetes are correlated aren’t they?
…and here are Ron’s questions:
In times like this, do you think this business model has deepened your relationship with patients?
Do you think the subscription model helps you weather a storm like this rather than a more transactional business model?
Can you explain the protocol for a COVID-19 test? Don’t they test for the flu first, and only as a last resort test you for COVID-19?
We don’t have a clear idea of the “denominator,” we don’t how many people are walking around with asymptomatic symptoms, right?
Settle a big dispute: Should we be wearing masks when we go out? [Yes!]
Does it have to be an N95 mask? [No]
You probably remember that in 2009-10 we had the Swine Flu, and between April 12, 2009 and to April 10, 2010, 12,469 people died in the USA alone, with 87% being under age 65. What makes COVID-19 deadlier than the swine flu?
Can this can back in different strains? Can you get again once you’ve had it and recovered?
Have you seen any granular demographic, age, comorbidities information on the reported deaths and/or cases?
With older patients, there’s a difference between dying from and dying with corona virus. How do they make that distinction when they gather the death statistics?
The University of Pittsburgh has developed a vaccine, they say they’ve seen development antibodies in mice. And I just finished a book by the oncologist Dr. Azra Raza, who wrote The First Cell. She says, at least for cancer, having anything to do with mice doesn’t really work when translating to humans. But is that not true with vaccines? The fact it works with mice, is that promising for humans?
We say it takes 12-18 months to develop a vaccine. Is there a way for the FDA to expedite this process. What is the risk of a vaccine developed quickly?
On your website blog video from March 26, 2020 you answer the question, “How can I become immune?” You listed two ways:
Get Infected then Recover (your body produces IGM/IGG) and you now have the antibody
Vaccination
You said to create herd immunity you need 50-60% of people, can that immunity happen plasma transfusions from people who had the virus and recovered?
What about this virus running it course and achieving of herd immunity? How long does that process take without a vaccine?
Unless it comes back in a different strain?
I’m looking at Worldometer, and Michigan has now surpassed California in cases. We were taking flights from China during December and January, at the rate of at least 7,000 per day. There’s only 246 deaths in CA—each a tragedy—can you account for that? Why wasn’t CA hit has hard as New York, New Jersey, or even Michigan?
Could it be herd immunity, why CA wasn’t hit as hard?
Where do you see this ending? How and when?
Detroit Doctor on AskASwimPro Show with Fares Ksebati
This week, I was invited on the AskASwimPro Show with Fares Ksebati. Fares is the CEO of MySwimPro, an App that helps swimmers improve their stroke, among other things. From their website:
MySwimPro is using technology to advance the sport of swimming and help swimmers all over the world achieve their goals in new and exciting ways. The platform is more than just an app, it's a community that keeps you accountable and pushes you to do your best.
In general, we had an informative discussion about the Coronavirus and its impact on our communities, specifically swimmers. Here’s what the MySwimPro team wrote about on their blog, found here:
In this episode of the #AskASwimPro Show, we interviewed Dr. Paul Thomas of Plum Health about the novel coronavirus, how to practice social distancing, the importance of “flattening the curve” and how swimmers can stay safe.
Dr. Thomas explained that many of us have had a coronavirus before, but that COVID-19 is more contagious. COVID-19 has a mortality rate of 3.5%, compared to the seasonal flu’s mortality rate of 0.1%, he says.
The virus spreads through coughing and inhaling someone else’s respiratory droplets. Due to this, Dr. Thomas explained that it isn’t wise to fly right now, since airplanes place you in close proximity to others.
He also noted that COVID-19 can live on surfaces for up to 3 days:
Stainless steel and plastic: 3 days
Cardboard and paper products: 24 hours
Copper: 4 hours
We go on to discuss social distancing:
Social distancing involves staying 6 feet away from others when you are outside, and avoiding contact with others while at home. You risk transmission any time you talk, shake hands or spend time around others. Dr. Thomas recommends that people avoid gathering with others and stay home in “self-quarantine,” noting that in cultures where it is common to kiss each other on the cheek or shake hands, COVID-19 can spread very quickly.
If you get COVID-19, you will be quarantined for at least 14 days, Dr. Thomas said. However, researchers have mentioned that you may be able to infect others for up to 20 days after showing symptoms.
We then discuss Flattening the Curve:
The healthcare system in the United States can only manage so many patients at one time, Dr. Thomas said. By practicing social distancing, we can “flatten the curve,” reducing the number of COVID-19 cases at a given time and keeping healthcare providers within their capacity. If we don’t do this, Dr. Thomas noted that the U.S. healthcare system will be unable to effectively care for patients.
We then talked about how you can stay safe during this Coronavirus Pandemic:
Dr. Thomas shared tips to stay safe and healthy:
Wash your hands: Before you prepare food, after going to the bathroom and before touching your face.
If you have a cough or a low grade fever (99 or 100 degrees Fahrenheit): Stay home, drink lots of fluids, take Tylenol and get some rest. You likely are not sick enough to benefit from a doctor’s treatment. Save the hospital beds — and the healthcare providers’ time — for those who are sickest!
If you have severe symptoms, such as a high fever and trouble breathing: Go to the hospital.
Thanks for reading and watching,
-Dr. Paul Thomas with Plum Health DPC
Plum Health in Crain's Detroit Business
This week, we were featured in Crain’s Detroit Business under a special section regarding the Caring for Kids radio program. Here’s the part about Plum Health DPC, our membership model family medicine service in Detroit:
Caring for kids: Advocating for the mental and physical care of children
On his monthly radio program, The Children’s Foundation President and CEO Larry Burns talks to community, government and business leaders about issues related to children’s health and wellness.
Guests for this discussion were Dr. Stephen Bloom, Medical Director of Rehabilitation, St. Joseph Mercy Hospital Rehabilitation, Ann Arbor; Dr. Paul Thomas, Family Medicine Doctor, Plum Health DPC; and David Coulter, County Executive, Oakland County.
The hourlong show typically airs at 7 p.m. the fourth Tuesday of each month on WJR 760AM. Here’s a summary of the show that aired December 31st; listen to the entire episode, and archived episodes, at yourchildrensfoundation.org/caring-for-kids.
Larry Burns and Dr. Paul Thomas discuss Plum Health DPC
Larry Burns: Plum Health DPC (Direct Primary Care) is the first practice of its kind in Detroit and Wayne Country. Tell us more about your mission.
Dr. Paul Thomas: We believe that health care should be affordable and accessible. We’ve lowered the cost of health care and allowed people to be more proactive in taking care of themselves. With this direct care model, my patients—or members—pay me directly. It’s $10 a month for kids and then it starts at $49 a month for adults. They can come see me any time they need to. They also have my cell phone number so they can call or text me anytime.
Burns: What might a parent get for that $10 kid membership?
Thomas: You have a doctor on call for you. You might send me a photo of a rash and I could walk you through that. Or you might be concerned about an ear infection and I’d want you to come in to be seen for that. Or you have your well visit.
Burns: If somebody has insurance can they still be a member?
Thomas: Yes. We see people who are uninsured, under-insured, and fully insured.
Burns: What are the membership advantages for adults?
Thomas: Again, you have me on speed dial. We also do in-house labs and medications for all of our patients at significantly lower cost. For example, for a cholesterol panel at the hospital, you might be charged $100; at our office it’s $6. Or, if you came in to manage your blood pressure and you’re taking Lisinopril, that tablet might be $10 at the pharmacy for a one-month supply. At our office it’s 1 cent per pill, so your blood pressure medications now cost 30 cents a month.
Burns: How’s the practice going?
Thomas: We initially launched in 2016 as a house call practice. I had a small office in Southwest Detroit with about eight members. We’ve now grown to about 580 members. We hired a second doctor to help with the demand and we moved into a larger office in Corktown.
Burns: What is in the future for Plum Health?
Thomas: We want to continue to grow and bring on a new doctor perhaps every year to meet the demand. There are only 100 primary care physicians practicing in Detroit for 600,000 residents. That’s one doctor for every 6,000 residents. If you go north of Eight Mile into Oakland County there’s one primary care physician for every 600 residents. That’s a 10x disparity in primary care access.
Burns: How can someone become a member?
Thomas: Go to plumhealthdpc.com.
Thanks for reading and have a wonderful day, - Dr. Paul Thomas with Plum Health DPC
This week, we were featured in a special section of Crain’s Detroit Business.
This week, Paul Thomas, MD of Plum Health DPC was featured in Crain’s Detroit Business with Larry Burns, CEO of the Children’s Foundation.
Dr. Paul Thomas Featured on the Soul of Enterprise Podcast
This month, Dr. Paul Thomas was featured on the Soul of Enterprise Podcast and we had a great conversation around the Direct Primary Care Model and how it can benefit individuals, small businesses, communities, and the nation as a whole. It was great being interviewed by Ed and Ron - they brought a high level of professionalism and integrity to the conversation with some excellent questions around the practice and the DPC model. Enjoy!
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN A SMART DOCTOR RECOGNIZES THAT THERE IS A BETTER WAY?
Is it possible for family physician to operate under a subscription-based business model, priced below what you pay for your mobile phone service? What about services not covered by the subscription? Could those be priced with full certainty and transparency?
For episode 269, we had the pleasure of interviewing Dr. Paul Thomas, founder of Plum Health DPC. Dr. Paul Thomas is a board-certified family medicine physician practicing in Corktown, Detroit. His practice is Plum Health DPC, a Direct Primary Care service that is the first of its kind in Detroit and Wayne County. His mission is to deliver affordable, accessible health care services in Detroit and beyond. He has been featured on WDIV-TV Channel 4, WXYZ Channel 7, Crain's Detroit Business and CBS Radio. He has been a speaker at TEDxDetroit. He is a graduate of Wayne State University School of Medicine and now a Clinical Assistant Professor. Finally, he is an author of the book Direct Primary Care: The Cure for Our Broken Healthcare System.
Below are show notes and questions we asked our guest. Use these to help guide you along when listening to the podcast (embedded above).
Ed’s Questions
What is Direct Primary Care?
Based on an interview I saw you do, there’s no wait time for patients?
Why did you go this route—Direct Primary Care?
You were burned out in your residency. What was the moment that you said I can’t do what most people are signing up to do?
Most time patients do get with their doctors is spent with the doctor typing and facing a screen.
What are some of things that are covered in your clinic?
What you are capable of doing in your practice is probably 80-90% of what a healthy patient would need in a given year?
It would cost me personally about $840 in your practice. If you’re so cheap, why is healthcare so expensive?
It’s said America pays more than the average OECD country, but there’s no price transparency in the system, which inflates those prices, correct?
What are some of the barriers you see that are still in the way of physicians getting into DPC and patients being able to access DPC?
When you did start, did you consider other pricing models? Yours is based on age, but did you consider, for example, response times, or different services you would include and exclude?
Do you have any jumpers, and by that I mean people who pay for a month and then leave, then come back six months later?
You’re now also offering rates to small businesses in your area?
And the companies pay your membership as part of the employees benefit package?
You believe that patients should also have a catastrophic health insurance plan?
We don’t expect our auto insurance to pay for gasoline but we do expect our health insurance to pay for a blood test. It’s absurd?
I was struck that in your TedX talk you used the phrase “living my truth,” take us through that, what does that phrase mean to you?
Ron’s Questions
In your book, Direct Primary Care: The Cure for Our Broken Healthcare System, you cite a 2016 study performed by Medscape found 51% of physicians experience burnout. Burnout is defined as a loss of enthusiasm for work, feelings of cynicism, and a low sense of personal accomplishment. You felt this in your residency. How long did it take you to work up to 500 patients?
How did you market your practice, was it social media, word-of-mouth, press. I know you did a Tedx talk.
I know DPC is in the same family of Concierge Medicine, which has the reputation of being just for the elite, which isn’t true. But the DPC prices are usually less than a mobile phone bill.
On the cover of your book there’s a picture of you trying to catch sand through your hands. Can you explain that analogy?
You talk about technology and how there’s too much borrowing from Henry Ford’s assembly line, treating customers like commodities rather than human interaction. It’s not very efficient to sit and listen to your patient read you poetry. It is, however, highly effective. Would you agree with that?
You also talk how the average of GP doctors have 2,400 patients. Do you think this DPC model will alleviate this GP doctor shortage?
You talk about the growth of urgent care centers in the US is a symptom of a failed primary care system.
Do you feel that people who are not licensed could do some of the work now being done by physicians? What’s your view of occupational licensing and how it folds into this model/
You mentioned to Ed that insurance companies try to get as many dollars passing through the hands. They don’t seem to like the concierge or DPC models, not because they compete with actuarial based insurance but because they compete with pre-paid medical care. Did Michigan pass a law that made it clear that DPC is not an insurance product?
Just seems to be like insurance companies would like to block this model. Is that a fair statement?
There’s obviously some education going on with doctors with respect to DPC, but we also need to re-educate patients to see you even when they are healthy, not just when they are sick. Has that been an educational process to get patients to see you even when they don’t have an issue?
We talk a lot about the market share myth, that growth for the sake of the growth is the ideology of the cancer cell, not a sustainable, profitable business. You phrase it in your book as “Value over volume.” You must be asked a lot that healthcare is different than any other product or service we buy, how do you explain to people that it can be priced like other things we buy
Your model is restoring the sacred relationship between the patient and doctor. You’re bringing this back to the days of Marcus Welby.
I’ve read that most calls (82%) are received during normal business hours, that patients don’t abuse your time off. Has that been your experience unless there’s been an emergency?
Tell us about your new venture, www.startupdpc.com.
If you could wave a magic wand to reform healthcare, what would you do? [Price transparency and quality scores was Dr. Paul’s answer].
HOW TO LISTEN TO THE PODCAST:
Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tsoe-dr-paul-thomas-on-what-is-direct-primary-care/id668653849?i=1000459295760
Try saying, “Alexa, play the Sage Advice Podcast” on your Amazon Echo
Google Play: https://play.google.com/music/m/Dnjmmdjwf4wcptom74ttgymbqam
iHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/263-sage-advice-podcast-27588757/episode/tsoe-dr-paul-thomas-on-53897728/
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/376LlZkEKLMxe8UH9e8N4J
SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/sagena-47293133/tsoe-dr-paul-thomas-on-what-is
PlayerFM: https://player.fm/series/sage-advice-podcast/tsoe-dr-paul-thomas-on-what-is-direct-primary-care
Direct download: http://traffic.libsyn.com/sagena/TLS-TSOE-PaulThomas.mp3
Permalink: http://sageadvicepodcast.com/tsoe-paulthomas
Daily Detroit Covers the Plum Health Move to Corktown
Daily Detroit, shares what to know and where to go in Southeast Michigan in a 15-20 minute, local podcast. They recently covered our move from Southwest Detroit to our new location in Corktown Detroit. Here’s what we discuss:
The move into our new 1,700 Square Foot office in Corktown, at the Corner, which is the historic former site of Tiger Stadium. This is the corner of Michigan and Trumbull, and our address is 1600 Michigan Ave, Suite 125, Detroit MI 48216
We’re a Direct Primary Care practice in Detroit, and we provide Family Medicine services through a membership model for health care. Our members pay $10 each month for children, and our adult memberships start at $49 per month. With the membership, our patients can see us anytime they need to without a copay.
Dr. Raquel Orlich started with our practice in July 2019. She’s an Osteopathic Physician who studied at Michigan State University and was the Chief Resident in Family Medicine at Ascension Macomb.
Why did we move? We moved because we outgrew our original space in Southwest Detroit. We had also won some grant money through the Motor City Match program and the Detroit Demo Day that we needed to use towards our build out of a new office.
Why this specific location? We moved to the Corner because it’s very close to our original location. Our new spot in Corktown is only 1.1 miles away from our old spot in Southwest Detroit. Importantly, this allows us to continue serving all of our original members.
What have we learned since starting this business? If you’ve ever started a business, you know that it’s not the decisions, it’s the decisiveness. This was something that was difficult to learn as a Physician because Doctors are trained to over-analyze problems and leave no stone unturned. I still use that part of my brain when taking care of patients, but I have to turn that part of my brain off when I think about challenges in our business.
How can people get involved? You can enroll on our website, here. Or you can give us a call at 313.444.5630. Finally, you can stop by at our new office - 1620 Michigan Ave Ste 125, Detroit MI 48216.
Listen to the episode on Daily Detroit’s YouTube Channel (below). Our segment starts at the 4:28 mark.
If you like Plum Health, and if you like YouTube, you’ll love our Plum Health YouTube Channel!
Thanks for reading and watching and have a marvelous day - Dr. Paul Thomas and Dr. Raquel Orlich
Plum Health Featured on Small Talk with Mark S. Lee
Today we were featured on Small Talk with Mark S. Lee. This is our third time appearing on this program and it’s always a pleasure to be interviewed by Mark S. Lee.
Our segment starts at 45:13:
46:30 - we introduce Dr. Raquel Orlich, an Osteopathic physician who joined our practice on July 1st, 2019
46:40 - an update: Direct Primary Care is a membership model for health care that has grown tremendously because of the ever-rising costs of health insurance. There are now roughly 1,200 Direct Primary Care practices across the country. Our practice in Detroit, Plum Health DPC, now has over 500 members and we continue to deliver affordable, accessible healthcare in Detroit and beyond. People choose Plum Health because they can have a personal relationship with their doctor. People choose Plum Health because they have affordable costs for their meds, labs, and imaging services.
48:00 - Dr. Raquel Orlich talks about her education at Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine. She also talks about how she found out about Plum Health DPC and how Dr. Paul and Dr. Raquel had a lot of alignment in their goals for medical care and community-based practice.
49:55 - Dr. Raquel Orlich talks about her scope of practice - taking care of people of all ages and stages. Dr. Raquel has special interests in Women’s Health, Preventive Medicine, and Osteopathic Manipulative Therapy.
50:42 - Mark S. Lee talks about our book Direct Primary Care: The Cure for Our Broken Healthcare System and how we thanked him in our Acknowledgments section for his coverage of Plum Health early on, before other journalists began taking notice.
50:55 - On the growth of Plum Health DPC, we have surpassed 500 members! This constitutes a full panel for Dr. Paul Thomas, and therefore we needed to bring on a second doctor, Dr. Raquel Orlich. At this point, any new patients will be patients of Dr. Raquel Orlich. We want to make it clear that there will always be room for new patients at Plum Health DPC and we will work tirelessly to accommodate anyone who needs or wants our care.
51:46 - Plum Health DPC will be moving into The Corner - Detroit development. This is at the Legendary Corner of Michigan and Trumbull in the Corktown neighborhood of Detroit. This is an amazing place because of all the Major League Baseball history at this site - players like Ty Cobb and Babe Ruth graced this diamond and this is the site of the 1984 Detroit Tigers’ World Series Championship. We will be moving into our new space at The Corner in September 2019 if everything goes according to plan and according to the proposed construction schedule.
53:12 - Dr. Raquel Orlich completed her residency at Ascension Macomb Hospital and she is now practicing in Detroit at Plum Health DPC. Mark S. Lee asks for her thoughts on the move. She wanted to have an opportunity to give back, especially with her background in volunteering. She wanted to make sure that she would have enough to spend with her patients and the capacity to provide low-cost services for patients who need it.
55:20 - Our practice, Plum Health DPC, continues to serve folks who have been left out by the traditional fee-for-service system. Dr. Paul Thomas discusses how we often have new patients sign up for the practice who haven’t been to the doctor for 5 - 10 years because they’ve been uninsured or underinsured and concerned about the cost of their potential medical care.
Thanks so much for listening, and have a wonderful day. If you’d like to have this type of health care for you, your family, or your small business, please reach out at 313.444.5630 or enroll online, here.
Again, a big thank you to Mark S. Lee for having us on his program, Small Talk with Mark S. Lee. Until next time!
-Paul Thomas, MD and Raquel Orlich, DO
Detroit Doctor Lowers the Cost of Prescription Medications
Medication prices are unsustainably high, putting a huge financial burden on every day Americans. In a recent survey, 8% of adult Americans don’t take their medicines as prescribed because they can’t afford them.
In addition, the cost of insulin for an average patient with Type 1 Diabetes doubled from 2012 to 2016. In fact, the cost of medications like insulin are inflating at higher rates than college tuition, college textbooks, and hospital services.
The cost of insulin is increasing at rates far above overall inflation, even outpacing the cost of college tuition and college textbooks.
All of this data is presented to make the point: health care and specifically prescription medications have become more and more unaffordable for average Americans.
Fortunately, there is a better way to get prescription medications. One way is to develop a relationship with a Direct Primary Care physician, who focuses on improving access to affordable health care services, medications, and lab work.
The medications provided by Direct Primary Care doctors are typically given to patients at-cost or at a small markup to cover shipping, bottles, and labels. Direct Primary Care doctors do this because they believe that health care should be affordable and accessible for everyone.
Our Direct Primary Care practice here in Detroit is called Plum Health DPC and we pride ourselves on lowering the cost of medications for our patients. A partial list of these medications and their prices can be found on our Pricing Page as well as by following this link to our PDF of medication prices.
For example, we had a young lady come in to our clinic with an outbreak of HSV or Herpes Simplex Virus that was affecting her genitals. She went to the local pharmacy and requested a course of Valtrex, and she was told that the medication would cost $100. She heard about our clinic, signed up for our services and now is able to get a course of treatment with Valtrex for $1.49.
As another example, we had a diabetic patient who was not actively managing his diabetes because he was scared about how much the medication might cost. He was not seeking medical attention and was not taking any medication at all for his diabetes. Unfortunately, he developed a severe skin infection that required hospitalization. The nursing staff directed him to our clinic and we were able to get his diabetic medication for free through a pharmaceutical program. Additionally, we are able to manage his high blood pressure and high cholesterol for under $5/month.
Because of this type of work that we do for our patients everyday, we have the privilege of being interviewed on WDET’s Detroit Today. This segment will air at 9:00 am on Wednesday May 22nd. Please tune in or share the podcast link to spread the word about how we’re actively lowering the cost of health care and prescription medications in Detroit and beyond.
Thank you for reading and listening,
Dr. Paul Thomas with Plum Health DPC
For more information on this topic, read our previous blog post, titled: How to Find the Best Prescription Drug Prices in Detroit
Detroit doctor, Paul Thomas MD, is using the Direct Primary Care model to the lower the cost of prescription medications in Detroit and beyond
This is an addendum to the Original Post, from WDET’s post:
Henderson also speaks with Dr. Paul Thomas, a primary care physician at Plum Health in Southwest Detroit. Since 2016, Thomas has had his patients pay an affordable monthly membership fee for healthcare and then he gets them their necessary medication at cost. A common blood pressure medication that would normally cost between $5 and $10 when billed through insurance and filled at a pharmacy, is instead costing patients just 27 cents for a month supply.
WDET’s coverage of Stephen Henderson’s conversation with Paul Thomas, MD on Detroit Today.
Dr. Paul Thomas of Plum Health Featured on Sound Financial Bites
This week, we were featured on Sound Financial Bites. The topic was wide ranging, and it was great to be featured on this podcast. The producers of Sound Financial Bites, Paul Adams and Cory Shepherd, wrote a fantastic summary of our conversation, here:
EPISODE SUMMARY
This episode of the Sound Financial Bites Podcast tackles a topic that is central to our financial and physical wellbeing: healthcare. Paul Adams and Cory Shepherd welcome primary care physician Dr. Paul Thomas to discuss his practice, Plum Health, and the innovative strides he is making in the healthcare industry. Dr. Paul’s mission is to make healthcare accessible to those who cannot afford it and those who are fed up with the time, energy and money spent on traditional methods.
WHAT WAS COVERED
01:24 – Introducing today’s guest, Dr. Paul Thomas
02:38 – Dr. Paul defines the term direct primary care
03:18 – Concierge medicine
04:59 – How Dr. Paul’s business model makes money
06:39 – The huge markup on healthcare services
09:49 – The amount of patients a typical primary care physician has
11:26 – The pricing model that Dr. Paul utilizes
13:32 – Dr. Paul talks about the incredible growth of his practice, Plum Health
15:53 – Dr. Paul’s vision for the next five years of his practice
19:25 – Cosmetic surgery and Lasik
20:43 – Paul interrupts the podcast to provide the audience with a special offer
21:52 – The distinction between health insurance and healthcare
22:42 – Making healthcare accessible to those who cannot afford it
24:49 – The high-income earning patients that Dr. Paul also serves
26:28 – How Dr. Paul’s practice remains profitable
29:45 – The value of primary care
34:04 – The convenience factor
34:36 – Paul invites the audience to submit questions for Dr. Paul that he will answer in the next episode he joins
35:58 – Cory thanks Dr. Paul for joining Sound Financial Bites
TWEETABLES
“If you make greater than sixteen thousand dollars, you are disqualified from Medicaid services.”
LINKS
Sound Financial Group on Facebook - @SoundFinancialGroup
Sound Financial Group on LinkedIn
Dr. Paul Thomas Book - Direct Primary Care: The Cure for Our Broken Healthcare System
Thinking about Direct Primary Care, if you’re able to integrate our service with the right insurance product, there could be tremendous savings for you, your family, or your business. In short, part of my job is to protect you from insurance companies, big lab companies, and hospital systems that will overcharge you for your routine primary care services.
Thanks for reading and listening, and have a great day,
-Dr. Paul Thomas with Plum Health DPC
Here’s the promo image from Sound Financial Bites for the podcast on Healthcare vs Health Insurance featuring Dr. Paul Thomas of Plum Health DPC.
Interview on Small Talk with Mark S. Lee
This week, we were featured on Small Talk with Mark S. Lee! Mark S. Lee is a good friend, and a champion of entrepreneurship in Detroit, so it was a privilege to be on the show. Here’s what we talked about:
Intro (01:45)
Dr. Paul Thomas is introduced by Mark S. Lee. Paul Thomas, MD is a board-certified family medicine physician practicing in Southwest Detroit. His practice is Plum Health DPC, a Direct Primary Care service that is the first of its kind in Detroit and Wayne County. His mission is to deliver affordable, accessible health care services in Detroit and beyond. He has been featured on WDIV-TV Channel 4, WXYZ Channel 7, Crain's Detroit Business and CBS Radio. He has been a speaker at TEDxDetroit. He is a graduate of Wayne State University School of Medicine and now a Clinical Assistant Professor.
Flashpoint Interview (02:30)
Two weeks ago, we were featured on Flashpoint with Devin Scillian and Dr. Frank McGeorge. We were able to discuss the Direct Primary Care model and what’s included in a membership with Plum Health DPC. At Plum Health, we believe that health care should be affordable and accessible for everyone. We also believe in the power of a personal relationship with your physician. To that end, all of my patients have my cell phone number, and can contact me at any time, and they can have an appointment in our office same-day or next-day guaranteed. People are choosing Direct Primary Care services because they are looking at rising premiums for health insurance and seeing less and less value from these insurance plans. We also discuss how to differentiate health care from health insurance.
The beginnings of Plum Health DPC in Southwest Detroit (04:00)
The beginnings of Plum Health DPC and the growth of the practice - we’ve met and exceeded our growth goals for Plum Health. We currently have 425 to 430 active members in our practice. People choose Plum Health because they want to have a personalized relationship with their doctor.
Why the current health care system is broken (05:30)
People are over-insuring, or insuring everything from Flu Shots to ICU care, and this drives up the prices of everything in between. When you remove the third party payers, you can lower the cost of care.
The Direct Primary Care book (06:00)
Direct Primary Care: The Cure for Our Broken Healthcare System - I wrote the book because our health care ecosystem is so complicated, and I wanted to write a book that could guide folks to understanding the Direct Primary Care movement and our practice. I broke up the book up into three chapters: the current crisis in our primary care system, defining direct primary care, and showing the impact that we’re having in our practice, Plum Health DPC, in Southwest Detroit.
REcent media appearances (07:00)
With the recent media appearances, there are more and more primary care doctors starting Direct Primary Care practices. There’s been a groundswell of physicians taking up this DPC model, because there’s been a groundswell of patients standing up and demanding excellent primary care services from a physician that they can trust.
Clinical Assistant Professor at Wayne State University School of Medicine (08:30)
I love speaking with students because they are really excited to learn about Direct Primary Care. Medical students are looking for a way to become primary care physicians without the insurance headaches like prior authorizations. When I speak with students, the lightbulb goes off, and they understand the model and get excited about practicing primary care. I love this because our country and our communities need excellent primary care physicians - they save communities money, they prevent hospitalizations and ER visits, and reduce unnecessary surgeries. From the American Academy of Family Physicians:
An increase of one primary care doctor per 10,000 people has been shown to result in:
5% decrease in outpatient visits
5.5% decrease in inpatient admissions
10.9% decrease in ER visits
7.2% decrease in surgeries
TedxDetroit Talk (09:30)
We spoke at TEDxDetroit in November of 2017 and, looking back, there have been several key events that helped us grow. The TEDxTalk, the Crain’s Detroit business profile, the Channel 4 WDIV story and the Channel 7 WXYZ story all contributed to our success.
Future Plans for Plum Health (10:30)
As we’re growing, more and more patients are spreading the word about Plum Health DPC via word of mouth. We’ve had some great reviews from our members! Excitingly, we’re growing and planning to add another doctor to our practice this year to be able to care for the next 500 patients who want to join.
Listen to the full interview here:
Thank you so much for reading and listening, and have a great week!
-Dr. Paul Thomas with Plum Health DPC
If you want to meet your goals for 2019, please reach out at paul@plumhealthdpc.com or 313.444.5630
Plum Health featured in Excelerate America's Tenacity Tales
This week we were featured in Excelerate America’s Tenacity Tales! Here’s what they said about us:
Imagine being able to access your doctor anytime by phone, text or email. And knowing that you can get in to see him or her that very day, or within 24 hours at the longest.
Well Dr. Paul Thomas and Plum Health DPC is making this revolutionary possibility a reality for hundreds of Metro Detroit, Michigan-based patients.
The concept is specifically called Direct Primary Care. It's a completely new healthcare movement, one that's so different than the system most people are used to that Dr. Paul was compelled to write a book about it.
He's also constantly invited to speak about it at large conferences and galas, and was even invited to the White House earlier this month as a guest of Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar.
Read more about Dr. Paul's incredible entrepreneurial journey in an all-new healthcare space.
What’s the obstacle that you’ve overcome that you’re most proud of?
This has been a big year!
Publishing the book, "Direct Primary Care: The Cure for Our Broken Healthcare System", has been a big accomplishment for me.
It was not difficult to write the book, but having the intentionality to move the book from a completed word document on my desktop computer to a physical product that you can buy on Amazon has been challenging, with several small obstacles to overcome week by week and month by month.
I guess it's a good metaphor for being in business—It's not hard to have a great idea, but it is difficult to have the consistency, grit, and intentionality to advance that idea every day and every week towards your stated goals.
Additionally, I'm proud of signing a lease to grow into a larger space. Our practice has grown from zero patients two years ago to over 425 patients today, so we will need a larger office to accommodate the diverse needs of our patients.
The process of signing a lease, designing an office space, and working with several different professionals to get the job done has been challenging.
What do you know now that you wish you’d known then?
Experience is the greatest teacher, and I've made several mistakes along the way.
My biggest mistake by far has been undervaluing my time and talents. I recently finished reading "Entrepreneurial You" by Dorie Clark and it talks about having the courage to charge for your services, including during speaking engagements.
I'm glad to have asked for payments for past speaking gigs, and I need to be better at valuing my time and talents with future consulting gigs and speaking engagements.
What’s your best advice to other small business owners?
If you're waiting for the perfect time to start, that moment when you feel ready, you'll never start.
One quote to reinforce this is from Hugh Laurie, the actor who played “House MD”. His nugget of wisdom is as follows: “It’s a terrible thing, I think, in life to wait until you’re ready. I have this feeling now that actually no one is ever ready to do anything. There is almost no such thing as ready. There is only now. And you may as well do it now. Generally speaking, now is as good a time as any."
Fortunately I had a really compelling reason to start my business, otherwise I may still be dragging my feet about the perfect time to launch. Anyways, a community member signed up online, before I was ready to start. He called me on a Tuesday saying "I just took my last antidepressant, so I need you to be my doctor now." That day, I ordered $100-worth of medications, including the antidepressant that he needed. The next day, I received the medications and made the house call to his rental.
All I had was my doctor's bag, my stethoscope, a blood pressure cuff, oximeter, my laptop, and the medications he needed, but I was able to meet a previously unmet need at an affordable price for this person.
So, my advice is to stop waiting and do the thing. Done is better than perfect.
What’s a typical day like for you?
I typically wake up and go for a run to get my mind and my body ready for the day. Then I make coffee and have breakfast.
Most days, I work in the office 9am - 5pm, sometimes 8am to 6pm or later depending on what needs to be done for which patients. A lot of my patients are working class folks, so they will need appointments outside of their typical eight hour shift and I do my best to accommodate them and deliver an excellent level of service.
I typically see 5-10 patients each day, and use my downtime to write blog posts, work on big projects, follow up on lab results or imaging results, order more medications, and leverage my social media channels to reach more customers.
For a solo entrepreneur, I catch myself spending too much time working on the minutia of the business rather than setting big goals for the business, i.e. working in the business rather than working on the business. Anyways, I'm looking forward to scaling up and adding another doctor so that I can focus more time on the big goals.
What’s next for Plum Health DPC?
Great segue (can we use bad jokes?).
I've mentioned before, but I just signed a lease for a 1,700 square foot space because we're reaching capacity in our small, one room office and I'm looking to grow both in space and in personnel.
My mission is to serve more of the Detroit community and Southeast Michigan with affordable and accessible health care services, so I am leveraging the tools I have available to meet these needs.
Look out for big things in 2019 from Plum Health DPC!
Plum Health DPC on Channel 7 Action News Detroit
Plum Health DPC on Channel 7 Action News Detroit
This week, our clinic Plum Health DPC was interviewed by the journalists at Channel 7 Action News in Detroit. The piece will be airing on Monday September 24th at 11 pm, after the season 2 premiere of “The Good Doctor”. This will air on Channel 7 in the Greater Detroit television market.
I was very impressed by the depth of questioning and level of examination our Direct Primary Care practice received during the course of the filming and interviewing. The journalists at Channel 7 WXYZ Detroit did a phenomenal job of learning about our practice and what makes us unique.
They went into great detail about the membership pricing, the wholesale medications, at-cost labs, and at-cost imaging services. I came away with a greater understanding and appreciation for how much work goes into each and every segment that we watch on the local news and I am so excited to see the final piece, tonight at 11!
Thanks for reading and watching, teaser trailer after the break,
- Dr. Paul Thomas, MD with Plum Health DPC in Detroit, Michigan
To make an appointment, call 313.444.5630. To enroll online, go to this link. To learn more, check out our main webpage.
Full Video from WXYZ Channel 7 News Featuring Dr. Paul Thomas of Plum Health DPC.
Video trailer of the WXYZ Detroit Channel 7 News Clip featuring Dr. Paul Thomas of Plum Health DPC: