Plum Health grows with a second location in Farmington Hills, hires a third physician

Plum Health grows with a second location in Farmington Hills, hires a third physician

Detroit, Michigan, June 23, 2020 - Plum Health DPC is pleased to announce that they have expanded access to primary care resources in Metro Detroit by creating a second clinic location in Farmington Hills, Michigan.

Plum Health DPC currently operates a thriving location in Corktown Detroit with Doctors Paul Thomas, MD and Raquel Orlich, DO. Plum Health has selected Farmington Hills for its second location because of the increasing demand for Plum Health’s innovative services and the desire to be more easily accessible to patients throughout Metro Detroit.

Jamie Qualls, DO, MPH will start with Plum Health DPC at their new office location in Farmington Hills, Michigan on July 1st, 2020.

The Farmington Hills location opens on July 1st, 2020 and will be led by Jamie Qualls, DO, MPH who is passionate about forming strong relationships with her patients. Her clinical interests include community health, chronic disease prevention and reversal using food as medicine, LGBTQ-friendly medicine, and osteopathic manual medicine for chronic musculoskeletal issues.

Dr. Qualls is a graduate of Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine and completed her residency training at Ascension Providence Hospital. Further, she is excited about expanding access to primary care in Metro Detroit.

“Direct Primary Care gives me enough time to work with my patients to address the root cause of chronic illness. In short, I have enough time in the DPC model to be comprehensive in my care,” noted Dr. Qualls when asked why she chose to join a direct primary care practice over a traditional fee-for-service model.

"We believe that healthcare should be affordable and accessible for everyone, that’s why we’re growing into this second location – to expand access to care," says Dr. Paul Thomas, who for the last three-and-a-half years, has been serving residents in Detroit and beyond from Plum Health's Corktown office.

There are currently 750 members in the practice who are cared for by Drs. Paul Thomas and Raquel Orlich. Dr. Qualls' arrival will allow Plum Health to care for an additional 500 patients.

Direct Primary Care (DPC) physicians do not bill or use insurance, which means they can provide their patients with steeply discounted medications, labs, imaging services, and procedures. This practice model allows patients to have a direct relationship with their primary care physician by enrolling in an affordable subscription-based service.

A Plum Health subscription is between $10 and $89 per month. Further, DPC doctors like Dr. Qualls make themselves available by phone, text message, or video call. This connectivity makes getting care even more convenient for their patients.

The new office is located at 25882 Orchard Lake Road, Suite 200B, Farmington Hills, MI 48336.

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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 750 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.

More about Paul Thomas, MD and Jamie Qualls, DO, MPH

Dr. Paul Thomas 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 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. Jamie Qualls, MD, MPH is both a family medicine physician and a master of public health. She is able to take care of patients individually and the greater community with her additional training. She is passionate about forming strong relationships with her patients. Her clinical interests include community and public health, chronic disease prevention and reversal using a food as medicine approach, LGBTQ-friendly medicine, and osteopathic manual medicine for chronic musculoskeletal issues. She is a graduate of Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine and completed her residency training at Ascension Providence Hospital. 

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.