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.

Health Benefits of Plums

Plums are a great source of fiber and vitamin C. I recommend eating 4 - 5 fruits and vegetables each day, and Plums can be a great part of this. When you eat a healthy balanced diet, you don't need to take as many supplements; the foods that are available for consumption have all the essential vitamins and minerals that we need to be healthy.

As an update, we were recently featured in Crain's Detroit Business, so a big thanks to their editorial staff and Mark S. Lee for giving me the platform to spread the word about Direct Primary Care. Here's a video update:

Thanks for reading and watching, and have a wonderful day! Also, Happy April Fool's Day!

- Dr. Paul with Plum Health DPC

Plum Health Featured in Crain's Detroit

This week, Plum Health DPC was featured in Crain's Detroit Business. The opportunity came up after meeting with Mark S. Lee on his program, Small Talk with Mark S. Lee. During the on-air interview, we only had 15 minutes to talk about Plum Health and Direct Primary Care. It simply was not enough time to get down into the nuances of what Direct Primary Care is, the mission of Plum Health, and the future of health care and health care policy in this country.

This follow up interview in Crain's Detroit allowed for a deeper dive into these nuances, and so I must thank Mark S. Lee and the Crain's Detroit editorial team for working with me and publishing this important piece. You can read the full article here.

I truly believe that Direct Primary Care will play a greater role in our health care ecosystem as people/health care consumers wake up to the actual cost of their medical care. By making health care prices transparent at Plum Health DPC, we allow people to use free market principles to purchase the health care that they need. 

Thanks so much for reading, thanks again to Mark and Crain's Detroit, and thank you the readers, followers, patients, and supporters that make Plum Health DPC possible!

- Dr. Paul with Plum Health

Plum Health on Small Talk with Mark S Lee

This week, I was invited onto Small Talk with Mark S. Lee! I first met Mr. Lee at the Motor City Match Round 6 showcase in our building, 1759 West 21st Street, Detroit, MI, when then Vice President Joe Biden came to town. I recognized Mr. Lee as he is a frequent contributor to Crain's Detroit Business and a thought leader on small business growth in Detroit.

This month, he invited me onto his radio program, which airs on CBS Detroit, AM 1270 at 8:00 am every Sunday morning. 

Not only is Small Talk broadcasted in the local market, Mr. Lee has faithful listeners from across the country as Small Talk is broadcasted nationally through CBS Radio's online and digital platforms. Some of these listeners write in to the show to express their gratitude as Mr. Lee covers small businesses, small business owners, and discusses a wide range of issues pertaining to starting and running a business in Detroit. He even has some listeners who want to come to Detroit to start a business!

During the show, we talk about Detroit, Direct Primary Care, Plum Health DPC, and some of the issues with Health Care as we know it today. 

I really appreciate Mark's invitation, and I hope you enjoy the broadcast, which you can find here, as well as the video of the interview, which is here:

Thank you for reading and have a great day!

- Dr. Paul with Plum Health

P.S. you can follow Mark S. Lee on Twitter, @LeeGroup, and read more about what he does on his website, Lee Group Innovation. 

A photo with Mr. Lee after the interview on Small Talk with Mark S Lee. Photo credit: Mark S. Lee.