Plum Health Blog
Dr. Paul Thomas of Plum Health DPC Featured in the Save Summer 2021 Campaign
We all want to get through this COVID-19 pandemic as soon as possible. The best tool that we have at this time is the Coronavirus vaccine. A group of ambitious and vocal young adults and college students are working to get their peers vaccinated so that Summer 2021 can go off without a hitch. If everyone gets vaccinated, we’ll be able to have more graduations, concerts, get togethers, and celebrations while we minimize the risk of transmitting the virus. Check out their important work at Save Summer 2021!
Coronavirus and Misleading Headlines for April 7th 2021
I've been reading too many misleading headlines in the Detroit Media landscape recently and I'm frustrated by this misinformation.
Media companies can present information in certain ways, and the way that this information is presented makes a difference for public perceptions, especially around coronavirus vaccine efficacy.
The headline I'm talking about is this one that I saw circulated on several news media outlets: "246 fully vaccinated Michiganders got COVID-19 between January and March, state reports"
This information is true, but it misleads the public into thinking that the coronavirus vaccines are not safe and effective.
The media organizations neglected the greater context in their initial reporting, failing to state clearly that 1,700,000 Michigan residents have been vaccinated and only 246 of those have become ill with Covid-19.
If I were to re-write this headline, it would say: "99.99% of vaccine recipients in Michigan have not become ill with Covid-19"
This speaks clearly to the safety and efficacy of the vaccine.
Additionally, some media outlets also reported that 3 fully vaccinated Michiganders have died after being fully vaccinated.
This is true, but again misleading.
When taken in the greater context of 1,700,000 (or 1.7 million) fully vaccinated Michiganders, that means that only 0.00017% of those fully vaccinated Michiganders have died from coronavirus.
That means that 99.9999% of those who have achieved full vaccination have NOT died from the coronavirus.
Further, these media organizations did not fully discuss the cases and left out pertinent details.
I would like to know, and these media outlets should report:
- How old were the people who got sick?
- Did these people have pre-existing conditions?
- Were these people taking medications that would suppress an immune response, like steroids or drugs for auto-immune conditions?
- Did these patients have HIV/AIDS or another condition that suppresses normal immune functioning?
- Did these patients die from COVID or were their deaths due to another cause, such as heart attacks, strokes, etc…?
My biggest fear is that people who are opposed to vaccinations will use these misleading headlines as "evidence" that the vaccines don't work, when, in fact, these vaccines are safe and effective.
Thanks for reading, and reach out to your City or County health department to get the vaccine.
If you live in the City of Detroit:
- Call: 313-230-0505
- Monday-Friday from 9 am until 6 pm.
- Any resident of the City of Detroit who is age 16+.
- Any person who works in the City of Detroit whose job requires them to work from their job site.
- There will be no cost to individuals for the COVID-19 vaccination.
Thanks again,
- Dr. Paul Thomas with Plum Health DPC
Plum Health DPC Welcomes Dr. Leslie Rabaut to the Detroit Office
Plum Health in Detroit adds a Spanish-speaking primary care physician
Detroit, Michigan, March 8th, 2021 - Plum Health DPC is pleased to announce that they have expanded access to primary care resources in Metro Detroit by hiring a fourth physician who is fluent in Spanish and English, Dr. Leslie Rabaut, DO.
We are excited to announce that Dr. Leslie Rabaut has joined our service at Plum Health DPC. She is a family medicine physician and she is accepting new patients.
Plum Health hired a fourth doctor because of the increasing demand for Plum Health’s services and the desire to be more easily accessible to patients of diverse backgrounds throughout Metro Detroit.
As we grow our practice, we aim to work with intention to serve our local community better. Adding a bilingual doctor is one of those steps.
Dr. Leslie Rabaut is passionate about forming strong relationships with her patients and is fluent in medical Spanish. Her clinical interests include functional medicine, preventative medicine, and integrative therapies that work with a patient’s natural physiology to encourage healing.
Dr. Rabaut is a graduate of the Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine and completed her residency training at Aurora St. Luke’s Family Medicine Residency in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She is excited about expanding access to primary care in Metro Detroit.
“I chose direct primary care so that I could have the time to get to know each of my patients as a unique individual which allows me to tailor my treatment to provide truly patient-centered care,” said Dr. Rabaut.
"We believe that healthcare should be affordable and accessible for everyone, that’s why we’re hiring another excellent physician who is bilingual – to expand access to care," says Dr. Paul Thomas, who for the last four-and-a-half years, has been serving residents in Detroit and beyond from Plum Health's Corktown office.
There are currently 960 members in the practice who are cared for by Drs. Paul Thomas, Raquel Orlich, and Jamie Qualls. Dr. Leslie Rabaut’s arrival will allow Plum Health to care for an additional 500 patients.
Direct primary care (DPC) physicians do not bill or use insurance. They provide their patients with steeply discounted medications, labs, imaging services, and procedures. The DPC model allows patients to have a direct relationship with their primary care physician by enrolling in an affordable subscription-based service, costing between $10 and $89 per month.
Plum Health doctors are available to patients not just in our offices, but by phone, text message, or video call. This connectivity makes getting care even more convenient for their patients.
Plum Health DPC currently operates two thriving locations in Corktown Detroit and Farmington Hills with doctors Paul Thomas, MD, Raquel Orlich, DO, and Jamie Qualls DO, MPH.
Dr. Leslie Rabaut will be practicing out of Plum Health’s Corktown Detroit office located at 1620 Michigan Avenue, Suite 125, Detroit, MI 48216.
Media Contact
Dr. Paul Thomas, MD
Founder & Physician
Plum Health DPC
(313) 444 - 5630
More about Plum Health DPC
At Plum Health, we believe that health care should be affordable and accessible for everyone. Members of the practice can call, text, or email the doctor anytime they need health care services. We guarantee same-day/next-day appointments. Additionally, patients have access to wholesale medications, at-cost imaging services, and at-cost lab work. Plum Health began in November 2016 with 8 patients, and now has 960 active patients, spanning in age from 4 months to 101 years of age. Our vision is to provide the best healthcare experience in Detroit and beyond.
Paul Thomas MD, Jamie Qualls DO, Chris Lake, Raquel Orlich DO, and Leslie Rabaut DO at Plum Health DPC in Detroit, Michigan.
More about Paul Thomas, MD and Leslie Rabaut, DO
Dr. Paul Thomas is a board-certified family medicine physician practicing in Detroit’s Corktown neighborhood. 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 is a Clinical Assistant Professor at Wayne State University School of Medicine. He served as Chief Resident at Oakwood Family Medicine Residency Program. 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 and is an author of the book Direct Primary Care: The Cure for Our Broken Healthcare System.
Dr. Leslie Rabaut is a board-certified family medicine physician in Detroit. She practices high quality care that is individualized to each patient. Her interests include functional medicine, preventative medicine, and integrative therapies that work with a patient’s natural physiology to encourage healing. She enjoys working with patients on lifestyle factors that impact health and disease, such as stress, sleep, physical activity, nutrition, and social relationships. She believes in working together with patients as a team to help them achieve their personal health goals. Dr. Rabaut is fluent in Spanish and English.
More about Direct Primary Care
The direct primary care (DPC) model gives family physicians a meaningful alternative to fee-for-service insurance billing, typically by charging patients a monthly, quarterly, or annual fee (i.e., a retainer) that covers all or most primary care services including clinical, laboratory, and consultative services, and care coordination and comprehensive care management. Because some services are not covered by a retainer, DPC practices often suggest that patients acquire a high-deductible wraparound policy to cover emergencies.
Direct primary care benefits patients by providing substantial savings and a greater degree of access to, and time with, physicians.
Taken from the American Academy of Family Physicians website:
START UP TV Show Featuring Plum Health DPC Airing Sunday at 1:30 pm on PBS
START UP TV Show Featuring Plum Health DPC Airing Sunday at 1:30 pm on PBS
Sunday November 15th at 1:30 pm in the Detroit market and Sunday November 22nd nationally, Plum Health DPC will be featured on the START UP TV Show on PBS. They’re focusing on how we’re lowering the cost of healthcare in Detroit and beyond. If you didn’t know, the number one reason for bankruptcy in the US is medical debt. 🏥 💰This is wrong and it needs to be fixed. 🛠
As doctors 🥼 , we took an oath to “first do no harm”, and that oath needs to include financial harm. Join us as we work towards a more just and equitable health care delivery system. 💊 💉
Here’s what they had to say about us:
Dr. Paul Thomas knew what he wanted to do with his life since the age of 17. After completing medical school, residency and a short stint at an urgent care facility, he founded Plum Health. Plum Health offers direct primary care services based on a subscription model. Rather than charge patients for each visit, patients pay a set fee each month, gaining direct access to doctors as needed, including access to wholesale medications, imaging services and lab work. This is a story about disruption, and being the change that you wish to see.
Here’s the description of START UP TV Show from their website:
What does it really take to follow your dreams? Learn from the people who've done it.
Join host Gary Bredow as he travels across America interviewing small business owners to hear their personal stories and find out what it really takes to start a successful business from the ground up. Energetic, inspirational, and educational, START UP is a fast paced series that captures the heart and imagination of anyone who has ever dreamed of starting their own business.
The filming process for this episode took a lot of time, effort, and energy, so we’re grateful to the START UP TV Show team.
Thanks for reading and have a wonderful day,
-Dr. Paul Thomas with Plum Health DPC
Dr. Jamie Qualls uses an osteopathic manual medicine technique for one of our patients. Dr. Jamie Qualls is a board certified family medicine physician who practices out of our Plum Health DPC location in Farmington Hills. You can learn more about Dr. Jamie Qualls, here.
Dr. Raquel Orlich counts out medications, getting ready to dispense them from our in-house pharmacy at our Plum Health DPC location in Corktown, Detroit. Dr. Raquel Orlich is a board certified family physician taking care of patients in our Corktown Location. You can learn more about Dr. Raquel Orlich, here.
House Call Doctor in Detroit
I make house calls because I believe that healthcare should be affordable and accessible. 🥼
That accessibility piece can be out of reach for some elderly and disabled patients who cannot leave their home. This is especially true in Detroit, where nearly one third of Detroiters lack access to reliable transportation. 🚗
Studies on the effects of house calls on healthcare outcomes show fewer hospitalizations 🏥, fewer emergency room visits, decrease in re-admissions (going back to the hospital shortly after discharge), and these house 🏠 calls save patients money 💵.
That’s why it’s important for me to offer this vital service. This pic was taken last week in the Five Points neighborhood. I’m proud of this work and of how we’re able to lower the cost of care and make excellent health care available to more people.
The vast majority of our visits take place in our offices - we have two locations where we take care of people face to face and by using virtual visits. But, house calls can be used at any time to help our patients who are shut in, who have mobility issues, or who have concerns where they’d prefer not to leave their homes.
From the American Academy of Family Physicians:
House calls, also referred to as home visits, are increasing in the United States. Approximately 40% of patient visits in the 1930s were house calls. By 1996, this decreased to 0.5% because insurance reimbursements for house calls decreased. The pendulum in the United States is swinging again to house calls because of the need to develop care models for the growing aging population.
More information from the American Academy of Family Physicians on the benefits of house calls:
The Independence at Home program demonstrated a 23% reduction in hospitalizations, a 27% decrease in 30-day readmissions, and a cost savings of $111 per beneficiary per month, which is a $70 million savings over three years. Similarly, a large systematic review (N = 46,154; nine studies) evaluating home-based primary care outcomes for homebound older adults reported fewer hospitalizations, hospital bed days of care, emergency department visits, long-term care admissions, and long-term bed days of care.
If you’d like this type of care and service for yourself or your family, you can sign up here.
Dr. Paul Thomas makes a house call on the West Side of Detroit in the Five Points neighborhood. House calls can make health care more affordable and more accessible.
Coronavirus Update For Detroit Michigan: What Happens Next?
Current Number of Coronavirus Cases and Deaths in Michigan
Covid 19 has been with us for well over 2 months now, and here’s where we stand:
45,045 Cases in Michigan
4250 Deaths in Michigan
657 new cases today
71 new deaths today
Despite the high numbers of total cases (cumulative cases) and cumulative deaths, there is a distinct downward trend in new cases each day. This is great, and it demonstrates the effectiveness of increased testing, social distancing parameters, government interventions like shutting down bars and movie theaters, as well as limiting the capacity of restaurants.
Percentage of People Testing Positive for Covid-19 in Michigan
In Michigan, about 23% of those who have been tested have tested positive for Covid-19. From April 6 to April 27th, the average percentage of positive tests has declined from almost 40% to just over 16%, which is well above the World Health Organization's 3% to 12% recommendation, but moving in the right direction.
Comparing Coronavirus in Finland, Sweden, and Norway
Some groups in the United States have demanded a re-opening of the country, and some of those have pointed to Sweden as a model country. However, Sweden has had worse outcomes with Coronavirus than its neighboring Scandinavian countries.
Finland has 5,573 cases and 252 total deaths
Norway has 7,915 cases and 215 total deaths
Sweden has 23,918 cases and 2,941 total deaths
It’s important to understand what’s working and what’s not working globally so that we can inform our own public policy at the National, State, County, and City level.
When will the Coronavirus Vaccine Be Available?
The Coronavirus vaccine will likely be ready in late 2021. There are multiple phases and stages that the vaccine has to go through, and we’re near the beginning of that process.
What is Direct Primary Care?
Some of you have asked more about Plum Health and Direct Primary Care - we provide a membership model for health care and we believe that health care should be affordable and accessible for everyone. We take care of patients of all ages and stages, from across the metro region, and of varying insurance coverages (including uninsured and underinsured folks). We love saving people money on healthcare services and delivering excellent care and service for our members.
A Few Thank You Notes!
Thank you to Max and his team at Commonwealth Sewing Company for the work they’re doing around making masks in Detroit. Thank you to Tyson Gersh at the Michigan Urban Farming Initiative for delivering 100 KN95 masks to our office - we appreciate you! And thank you to the team at MI FACE SHIELDS for providing us with 60 face shields - this is just another way we can protect ourselves and our patients during this time.
Thanks for reading and watching - Dr. Paul Thomas with Plum Health DPC
Digital Marketing for my Direct Primary Care Doctor Colleagues
Starting a Direct Primary Care practice is a tall task, by any measure. Doctors emerge from residency with little to no business training. Starting a DPC practice is starting a business, and for many doctors, this is their first attempt at something like this. The journey from 'idea' to 'successful practice' is fraught with pitfalls and difficulties.
Knowing how hard it is to start a business and how hard it is to start a DPC practice, I wrote a blog post for my colleagues. It is my sincere hope that they are able to grow while minimizing mistakes, errors, and difficulties. One area where I see that doctors could make significant improvements is their digital marketing.
Specifically, DPC docs need to know how to build a sales funnel for their services. You see, when a doctor is employed by a large health system, her name is on the back of the insurance card for thousands of patients. That same doctor, when she breaks free from the insurance-based system, has to find her own patients. Where will these patients come from?
Direct Primary Care (DPC) doctors must leverage social media, email marketing, networking events, etc... in order to grow their practices successfully. This piece that I wrote on the Hint Health blog will facilitate this growth, and it focuses on building a sales funnel for your practice.
Thanks for reading, and have a wonderful day,
- Dr. Paul with Plum Health
Plum Health Featured in Healthcare Michigan
On February 9th, I was invited as a panelist at the Future of Healthcare event at Wayne State University School of Medicine. While at the event, I met Paul Natinsky, a writer for Healthcare Michigan. Friendly, outgoing and genuinely interested in the work that I was doing, Mr. Natinsky and I scheduled to meet up a few weeks later.
When Mr. Natinsky came to our Plum Health office, he brought his tape recorder and camera, and most importantly he brought his insight and some tough questions. We talked for well over an hour on a variety of subjects. This week, he released his notes from that meeting in the form of a publication in Healthcare Michigan.
The work that we're doing with Plum Health is the feature story in the March 2017 issue, and we couldn't be happier about spreading the word about Direct Primary Care in Michigan. You can read the article in full, here.
Thanks for reading, and have a wonderful day!
- Dr. Paul
