Plum Health Blog
Plum Health DPC Started in 2016
Plum Health DPC Started in 2016
We started Plum Health DPC in November, 2016. We started by making house calls for our patients. We recognized a need for excellent primary care services in Detroit, and we strive every day to meet that demand. We have had great growth over the last 5 and a half years, and we’ve needed to grow and add more doctors.
Plum Health Grew into a Larger Office on Michigan Avenue in 2019
We decided to build out a new space in Corktown, Detroit’s oldest neighborhood, on Michigan Avenue near Trumbull. We’re at “The Corner” or the property where the old Tiger Stadium used to sit. When Tiger Stadium was torn down, the ball field/baseball diamond was perserved as a field for Detroit youth sports via Detroit PAL or Police Athletic Field. The properties around the perimeter of the park became the building where our office is, which has 3 floors of apartments above 1 floor of retail. There are also condos on the perimeter of the old Tiger Stadium site going up on Trumbull avenue.
Anyways, here’s some old pictures from about October 2018 when we leased out our new space and it started construction to eventually become our office.
The construction finished in October 2019! Boy did we have to be patient, but once it was complete, we were ready to serve the community with an amazing primary care and health care experience.
We love practicing in this space, and now we’re coming up on 6 years in practice as Plum Health DPC and 3 years in practice at the Michigan and Trumbull or “The Corner” location.
This is such an amazing place to work and to serve patients and we get to fulfill our mission of delivering affordable and accessible health care services in Detroit and beyond!
Plum Health Continues to Thrive into 2022
Now, we have three amazing doctors - Dr. Raquel Orlich, Dr. Leslie Rabaut, and Dr. Paul Thomas - serving patients in Corktown, Detroit, and beyond. We take care of about 1,150 patients at this point. Our patients are of all ages and stages - pediatric patients, young adults, older adults, and geriatric patients. We take care of a variety of health care conditions - high blood pressure, diabetes, gout, asthma, physical exams for work, and so much more, too many conditions to list.
To celebrate and to say thank you, we are having a thank you party at the Congregation Detroit tonight at 5:30 pm. Join us!
-Paul Thomas, MD with Plum Health DPC
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.
Getting the Coronavirus Vaccine in Detroit and Southeast Michigan
Getting the coronavirus vaccine in Detroit and Southeast Michigan will be challenging as this is a new experience for our country in recent history - we haven’t seen mass vaccination efforts like this since perhaps the Polio vaccinations of the 1950’s.
I am writing this blog post to get as much information out to our communities as quickly as possible, and to help educate folks around vaccine options.
The state of Michigan just published a Vaccine Prioritization Guidance and you can find that PDF by clicking here. I will summarize the key points from the document here.
The state of Michigan just published a Vaccine Prioritization Guidance and you can find that PDF by clicking here. Everyone in Phase 1A should have gotten their first dose of vaccine already, these include Health Care Workers and Residents of Long-term Care Facilities and Staff, like nursing homes and assisted living facilities.
Now the State of Michigan is entering Phase 1B and rolling out the vaccine to a broader audience - those 75 years of age and older, Frontline Workers, School and Child Care Staff, and Corrections Facility Staff.
Everyone in Phase 1A should have gotten their first dose of vaccine already, these include Health Care Workers and Residents of Long-term Care Facilities and Staff, like nursing homes and assisted living facilities. If you are in Phase 1A and you haven’t gotten the vaccine, there are a few options that I explored in a previous blog post.
Who is in Phase 1B for Vaccination in Michigan?
Now the State of Michigan is entering Phase 1B and rolling out the vaccine to a broader audience - those 75 years of age and older, Frontline Workers, School and Child Care Staff, and Corrections Facility Staff. If you read the Vaccine rollout document closely, you’ll see the following info about who is in Phase 1B.
PHASE 1B:
Persons 75 years of age or older and frontline essential workers in critical infrastructure.
Group A:
Persons 75 years of age or older not covered in Phase 1A.
This includes those in a congregate setting that were not reached in Phase 1A.
Group B:
Prioritized frontline workers whose work role has frequent or intense exposure, and, due to the nature of the work, are not able to maintain social distance.
For example, a first responder may have to physically touch other people in their response, and a child care provider cannot maintain social distance from children when caring for their physical needs.
The specific prioritized categories are:
Pre-Kindergarten through high school teachers, support staff and child care workers who usually have direct contact with children
First responders not covered in Phase 1A (e.g., firefighters, police, conservation officers, inspectors)
Corrections workers (e,g,, staff in prisons, jails, juvenile justice facilities)
Workers in homeless shelters, congregate child care institutions, and adult and child protective services
Group C: Other frontline essential workers in sectors essential to the functioning of society and at substantially higher risk of exposure to SARS-CoV-2 because their work related duties must be performed on site and involve being in close proximity (i.e., within 6 feet) to the public or to coworkers.
Frontline essential workers in critical infrastructures include by ACIP are:
Food and agriculture workers
Critical manufacturing workers
Public transit workers
Grocery store workers
U.S. Postal Service workers
Workers with unique skill sets not covered above, such as non-hospital laboratories and mortuary services
If further sub-prioritization is needed of frontline essential workers due to limited vaccine supply, local health departments may consider prioritizing workers in locations of their jurisdiction where high rates of transmission and/or outbreaks have occurred and/or workers who are at increased risk for severe illness based on age or underlying medical conditions.
The Logistics of How to Get Vaccinated in the City of Detroit if You’re in PHase 1b
The City of Detroit Health Department will be administering the vaccines. The vaccines will be administered drive through style at the TCF center. On Thursday the city began giving on-site vaccines at Senior Care Home, critical care workers and homeless shelters. Friday they started vaccinating city essential (police, fire, EMS, and DDOT). Staring Monday the remainder of those eligible in Phase 1B are able to register on a first come, first serve basis to get vaccinated. This includes essential frontline workers. The call center is open Monday through Friday from 9am-6pm. Call 313.230.0505 be prepared to schedule two vaccine dates (two shots are required two weeks apart).
How to Schedule an Appointment
Starting Monday, Detroit residents age 75 and older and their “good neighbor” drivers 65 and over, will be able to call 313-230-0505 starting Monday to schedule an appointment at the TCF center. The first appointments will take place on Wednesday.
Detailed information on the TCF testing site is available at detroitmi.gov/covidvaccine. As additional independent vaccination sites at pharmacies and elsewhere come online in the city, a map of locations will be added to the website.
Driving directions to the TCF Center to get the vaccine.
It looks like you will enter the TCF Center’s surrounding area via West Jefferson, turning onto Steve Yzerman Drive near the old Joe Louis Arena site.
Thanks for reading and please share with a neighbor who may not have internet access or a car to get to the vaccine site. You could be that good neighbor that helps prevent the spread of Coronavirus by helping a neighbor get vaccinated.
-Dr. Paul Thomas with Plum Health DPC in Detroit MI
Dr. Paul Thomas Talks Health and Wellness with Strategic Community Partners
The Coronavirus Pandemic has been a trying time for our personal health and wellness. It has disrupted our typical routines, strained our relationships, and limited our ability to volunteer. The Coronavirus pandemic has also been a burden for our personal finances, as we’ve put off taking care of important projects at our homes and for our families.
This week, I was able to sit on a wonderful panel with three other people in the health and wellness space to discuss these challenges and see how we can address them going forward.
Thanks for reading and watching, and have a wonderful day,
-Dr. Paul Thomas with Plum Health DPC
Family Medicine Office in Detroit Accepting New Patients
Plum Health DPC is a Family Medicine Office in Detroit Michigan that is accepting new patients. For new and prospective patients, we’re excited to share our latest 3D rendering of our office - you can now take a virtual tour of our Plum Health DPC office using the navigation system below. We have a waiting room, a conference room, 3 exam rooms, a medication room, and more.
Check out this excellent 3D rendering created by our friends at The Handbuilt City. Here’s what they had to say about our service:
Plum Health DPC (Direct Primary Care) is a family practice doctor’s office in Detroit’s Corktown neighborhood, occupying a storefront space in the new development at the former Tiger Stadium. Dr. Paul Thomas, MD, and Dr. Raquel Orlich, DO, are the two doctors here, while Dr. Jamie Qualls, DO, MPH, operates out of a new office in Farmington Hills. Paul has written two books, one explaining the emergent phenomenon of Direct Primary Care, and one explaining the practice for doctors from a startup and entrepreneurial standpoint.
The Handbuilt City had more good things to say:
Plum Health started a few blocks away in the Detroit School of Digital Technology, a former police precinct, on West Vernor Highway. DPC is a healthcare model that emphasizes individual access. Patients pay a subscription fee per month, the “direct” part of the DPC– almost like “medicine-as-a-service.” Patients can text, call, or e-mail their doctor directly, rather than having to schedule weeks-out appointments through the increasingly byzantine and faceless processes of corporate medicine. In comparison, one might pay five times more per month for a high-deductible health insurance plan, but might have to nonetheless wait weeks to schedule an appointment with a doctor who doesn’t have the time to get to know you as a patient. DPC also provides affordable access to a range of common medications, affordable lab testing, vaccinations, and more.
As GoodRX notes: “[DPC] physicians are able to avoid the time normally spent preparing and filing insurance paperwork. This allows for in-depth visits and consultations with their patients. Direct primary care practices also typically have fewer patients than those accepting insurance.”
The practice has been well-reviewed on Google (5.0 stars out of 72 reviews) and Yelp (5.0 stars out of 5 reviews). See JC Reindl’s write-up in the Free Press, coverage from MJ Galbraith in Model D Media, and this article from TheHUB.
Thanks for reading and have a wonderful day,
-Dr. Paul Thomas with Plum Health DPC
Dr. Paul Thomas' Statement on George Floyd
This week has been a tumultuous week for our communities and our country. I’m proud to be an ally to those who face racial injustice and race-based discrimination and violence.
The vast majority of people were supportive of the post, but there were some negative comments. One person on Facebook said: “This was a terrible event. Likewise, Dr Thomas, there is no professional reason for you to comment on this.”
In response, I said “I respectfully disagree. I serve a diverse group of patients, some of whom have been exposed to trauma that can negatively affect their health outcomes. By communicating my understanding of these realities, I aim to help others and support those who've been affected by traumatic events like this. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29019632/”
Thanks for reading,
-Dr. Paul Thomas
Plum Health Featured in Model D Media
This week, the growth and expansion at Plum Health DPC was featured in Model D Media, under their Development News section. Here’s what they said:
Plum Health, the direct primary care practice founded in 2016 by Dr. Paul Thomas, has left its Southwest Detroit beginnings for one of the most high-profile developments in the city: The Corner mixed-use development located at the site of the old Tiger Stadium.
The move to the 1,700-square-foot space results from a significant increase in the amount of patients Thomas serves, from 8 in November 2016 to more than 550 active patients today.
Thomas hired Dr. Raquel Orlich this summer and, with the move, a third physician will be hired, meaning that Plum Health will eventually be able to serve more than 1,500 patients from their new Corktown offices.
"We believe that health care should be affordable and accessible for everyone, and this new office takes us one step closer to that goal," says Thomas.
"Our new family medicine office is warm and inviting, and we look forward to serving the medical needs of our community from this space for many years to come."
In June 2018, Model D wrote that Dr. Thomas "could disrupt the field of primary care" because Plum Health offers direct primary care services based on a subscription model. Rather than charge patients for each visit and service rendered, patients pay a set fee each month, gaining direct access to doctors as needed.
Patients also have access to wholesale medications, at-cost imaging services, and at-cost lab work.
No health insurance is required for Plum Health services.
Plum Health is located in Ste. 125 of 1620 Michigan Ave. in Corktown.
Got a development news story to share? Email MJ Galbraith here or send him a tweet @mikegalbraith.
We’re grateful to Model D Media for the continuing coverage and very excited to continue to serve people in this way. Thanks for reading and have a wonderful day.
Drs. Paul Thomas and 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
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 serves a Health Professional Shortage Area
Plum Health serves a Health Professional Shortage Area, and we’re proud to do this. Part of our mission is to deliver affordable, accessible health care services in Detroit and beyond. This is important because we are passionate about making health care available to communities that have been traditionally neglected by the existing medical system.
Unfortunately, doctors and hospital systems choose to locate their practices in neighborhoods and communities that have higher income levels and higher rates of private insurance coverage. You see, doctors in the current fee-for-service system only receive what they are paid by third party payers, like Medicare, Medicaid, and private insurance companies.
And some of these payers pay more for services than others. For example, Medicaid reimbursement is much lower than Medicare reimbursement or Private Insurance reimbursement. This really hurts Detroit as a greater proportion of Detroiters rely on Medicaid for health insurance relatives to other counties in our region.
Therefore, the current fee-for-service system incentivizes doctors to locate their practices in higher-income communities, and thus leaves lower-income communities medically underserved. As an example, the ratio of primary care physicians to general population in Detroit is roughly 1 primary care physician for every 6,300 residents. In Oakland county, there’s about 1 primary care physician for every 683 residents.
Below are the medically underserved areas in Detroit as of 2017. We are proud to be practicing in the Southwest Detroit/Corktown neighborhoods and serving our neighbors, community members, and small businesses with high-quality medical services.
Thank you for reading and understanding this important issue,
-Dr. Paul Thomas, MD with Plum Health DPC in Detroit, Michigan
More on the above map: Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), a Federal Agency, develops shortage designation criteria to determine whether a geographic area, population group or facility is a Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) or a Medically Underserved Area/Population (MUA/P). HPSAs may be designated as having a shortage of primary medical care, dental or mental health providers. They may be urban or rural areas, population groups, or medical or other public facilities. MUAs may be a whole county or a group of contiguous counties, a group of counties or civil divisions, or a group of urban census tracts in which residents have a shortage of health services. MUPs may include groups of persons who face economic, cultural or linguistic barriers to health care.
Additional information on Medicaid rates in Wayne county, take from MLive:
