Plum Health Blog
A Brief History of Plum Health DPC
A Brief History of Plum Health DPC in Detroit
Plum Health DPC is a Family Medicine practice based in Detroit, Michigan that is dedicated to providing high-quality, affordable primary care to its patients. But where did it all begin? Here is a brief history of Plum Health DPC:
Plum Health DPC was founded in 2016 by Dr. Paul Thomas, a board-certified family medicine physician with a passion for improving healthcare for his patients. Dr. Thomas saw firsthand the challenges that patients faced when trying to navigate the traditional fee-for-service healthcare system, and he knew there had to be a better way.
That's when he discovered the direct primary care (DPC) model. In a DPC model, patients pay a monthly or annual fee for access to primary care services. This allows patients to have a close relationship with their primary care doctor and receive a wide range of medical services, including preventative care, chronic disease management, and acute care.
Dr. Thomas was convinced that the DPC model was the future of healthcare, and he set out to create Plum Health DPC to bring this model to his patients in Detroit. Since its founding, Plum Health DPC has grown to serve thousands of patients in the Detroit area and has become a leader in the DPC movement.
Today, Plum Health DPC is committed to providing high-quality, affordable primary care to its patients and improving the healthcare system in Detroit and beyond. We are proud of our history and look forward to continuing to serve our community for years to come.
Laceration Repair and Other Urgent Care Services at Plum Health DPC
Laceration Repair and Other Urgent Care Services at Plum Health DPC
At Plum Health DPC, we understand that accidents and injuries can happen at any time, and we are here to help our patients when they need it most. Our team is equipped to handle a wide range of urgent care needs, including laceration repair.
Lacerations, or cuts, can range in severity from small, shallow wounds to deep, jagged injuries that require surgical repair. No matter the severity of the laceration, it is important to seek medical attention as soon as possible to prevent infection and minimize scarring.
At Plum Health DPC, our team is skilled in laceration repair and can provide the necessary care to help our patients heal quickly and properly. Depending on the location and severity of the laceration, we may use sutures (stitches) or adhesive skin closures to close the wound. We will also clean the wound and provide any necessary antibiotics to prevent infection.
Furthermore, if you haven’t had a recent TDaP booster (a tetanus, diphtheria, and acellular pertussis vaccine), we will provide you with this necessary protection. If dirt or debris gets into the wound, tetanus can result. Getting the TDaP vaccine at the time of the laceration repair can prevent tetanus from occurring.
In addition to laceration repair, we also offer a range of other urgent care services at Plum Health DPC. These may include treatment for minor injuries, such as sprains and fractures, as well as management of acute illnesses, such as colds and flu.
If you or a loved one is in need of urgent care, don't hesitate to contact us at Plum Health DPC. Our team is here to provide the care you need, when you need it most.
Affordable and Accessible Health Care in Detroit
Affordable and Accessible Health Care in Detroit
At Plum Health, our goal is to make health care affordable and accessible in Detroit and beyond. We have a membership model for health care and our patients about $55 each month to $75 each month. Children pay $15 per month with an enrolled adult. When you’re a member of Plum Health, you can call, text, or email your doctor any time. You can come in for a visit anytime without a co-pay. Visits to Plum Health are included as a part of the membership. We also save people money on their medications and lab work. We buy medications at wholesale prices from AndaMeds, and then we sell these medications to our patients with little to no markup. This makes the medications that we dispense out of our practice much less expensive - sometimes 50% to 90% less expensive - than medications at the retail pharmacy.
Another way that we make health care more affordable and accessible is via house calls. As a physician, I make house calls for my patients. If our patients are in Detroit, we charge $100 per house call. If they live outside of the city, we may charge more to cover gas prices and time spent driving to the home that may be further away.
Dr. Paul Thomas with Plum Health DPC makes a house call for one of his members at Plum Health. Dr. Paul drove out to their home on the West Side of the City to make the house call.
How Plum Health Saves Patients Money on Prescription Costs
This week, I got an email from a prospective patient. Here’s their question:
Good morning Paul,
I have a question about Plum Health. I have a new job but do not have health insurance. I take five prescriptions.
For a 30 day supply it costs me
Simvastatin 20mg - $14.41
Phenytoin 100mg ER - $29.11
Hydralazine 50mg - $15.31
Metformin 500mg ER - $11.65
I also take Jardiance. However, it is between $500 and $700 dollars.
I was wondering what could possibly be done in my case. I pay out of pocket for the 4 medications listed above but the Jardiance is another story.
Thank you for your time.
It’s crazy that this patient is paying roughly $70.33 each month for four generic medications. Here’s what I sent back:
thanks for the note. Here are the prices at Plum Health for those medications:
Simvastatin 20 mg is $0.90 for a 30 day supply
Metformin 500 mg ER is $1.10 for a 30 day supply
Hydralazine 50 mg is $4.40 for 100 tabs (more than a 3 month supply)
Phenytoin 100 mg is $18 for 100 capsules (more than a 3 month supply)
It looks like you'd save about $60/month on your medications if you joined our practice, and you'd be able to have access to a high-quality family physician.
Thanks for reaching out and thanks for considering a membership with Plum Health! I hope you're having a great November 2021 all things considered, and let me know how I can be helpful - Dr. Paul 313.444.5630
To learn more about our service, head over to https://www.plumhealthdpc.com/
To sign up for our service, go to this link: https://plumhealthdpc.atlas.md/enrollment/index.html?account=nEzWixRVa2gKZ7CJ91e7&wmode=opaque
This is just one example of how we save patients money on their medications.
Thanks for reading,
-Dr. Paul Thomas at Plum Health DPC
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.
Dr. Paul Thomas Welcomes 300 New Medical Students to Detroit
Last week, Dr. Paul Thomas welcomed 300 new medical students to Wayne State University School of Medicine. Typically, the incoming students are packed into a large lecture hall at WSU SOM’s Scott Hall. But this year, due to Coronavirus, the event was held outdoors at Chevrolet Plaza, adjacent to the Little Caesars Arena. This open air venue accommodated 100 medical students at a time, and there were three “Welcome to Detroit” sessions throughout the day.
Dr. Paul Thomas gave a “Welcome to Detroit” lecture to the incoming medical students that emphasized the significant history and culture of the City of Detroit. There are so many opportunities for students to immerse themselves in service learning, by volunteering at local free clinics and by giving back to Detroit and the surrounding communities, by working with grade school students and the elderly, by volunteering at food banks and soup kitchens.
Dr. Paul Thomas shared a quote from Jeanette Pierce, “Detroit is big enough to matter in the world, and small enough for you to matter in it.”
Wayne State University School of Medicine Dean Margit Chadwell with Dr. Paul Thomas, MD, guest lecturer and Clinical Assistant Professor.
Plum Health Takes Care of Patients of All Ages and Stages
Doctors at Plum Health DPC take care of Patients of All Ages and Stages
This week we welcomed the newest member of the Plum Pack, Zaya! 👶 We saw this bundle of joy for her newborn appointment and she was healthy and had a great cry (a sign of vitality).
At Plum Health, we take care of patients of all ages and stages. Our youngest member is now 4 days old and our oldest member is 93 years young 😊
We’re family medicine doctors 🥼 and we’re trained to take care of people as they age and transition through life’s many challenges
Happy birthday Zaya 🎁 🎈 🎂 and here’s to your health!
Thanks for letting us share this moment, and 📸 photo cred to @goodlifedetroit
Patient Ages at Plum Health DPC
At Plum Health, the vast majority of our patients are ages 18 to 39 (55% of our panel) or ages 40 to 64 (32% of our panel). However, we take care of children or pediatric patients ages 0 to 17 (9% of our panel) as well as geriatric patients ages 65 and above (4% of our panel). See below:
At Plum Health, the vast majority of our patients are ages 18 to 39 (55% of our panel) or ages 40 to 64 (32% of our panel). However, we take care of children or pediatric patients ages 0 to 17 (9% of our panel) as well as geriatric patients ages 65 and above (4% of our panel).
If you’d like to sign up to be one of our patients, you can enroll here - all ages welcome!
- Dr. Paul Thomas with Plum Health DPC
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
Welcome Dr. Raquel!
We are very excited to welcome Dr. Raquel Orlich to our practice at Plum Health DPC. Join us tonight at 5:30 pm at Batch Brewing Company and meet the newest Family Doctor in Detroit! To RSVP on our Facebook event, click here.
Join us tonight at Batch Brewing Company, 1400 Porter Street, Detroit, MI as we welcome our newest Family Medicine Doctor to Plum Health DPC, Dr. Raquel Orlich, DO.
Dr. Raquel Pence, DO - soon to be Dr. Orlich - is board certified family physician. She is excited to join the mission of bringing affordable and accessible health care to Detroit. She is passionate about quality patient-centered care and establishing strong doctor-patient relationships. Her clinical interests include osteopathic manipulative medicine for chronic musculoskeletal issues, women’s health, and preventative health. She is a graduate of Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine and completed her residency training at Ascension Macomb-Oakland Hospital, where she is currently Chief Resident.
Family Medicine doctors are uniquely trained to take care of a wide range of health care issues. Family Practice doctors are able to treat children or provide pediatric care, women during their reproductive years or gynecological services, adults or internal medicine services, as well as health care for older adults also known as geriatric care. Family Physicians take care of the whole person and specialize taking care of people in the context of their families, communities, and greater environments.
Detroit is experiencing a shortage in excellent primary care services and specifically family medicine doctors. This is a part of the reason that we are so excited to have Dr. Raquel Orlich as a part of our team, serving Detroiters with high quality, affordable, and accessible health care services from our Southwest Detroit office.
Thanks for reading and have a great day,
- Dr. Paul Thomas, MD
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.
What is a Plum Health Membership?
What does it mean to be a member of Plum Health dpc?
What’s involved in being a member of Plum Health DPC? We hear this question often. So, it’s worth taking some time to address it head on. Plum Health is a family medicine service run by Dr. Paul Thomas. Our mission is to deliver affordable, accessible healthcare. We are unlike other offices in several ways. We highly value the doctor-patient relationship and we routinely spend thirty minutes to one hour with each of our patients per visit.
This time together is essential because it allows us to build a trusting relationship. When you’re a member of our practice, when you’re a member of Plum Health DPC, you have the opportunity to build this trusting and healing relationship with Dr. Paul Thomas over time.
In contrast, at a typical family medicine office in the fee-for-service or insurance-based system, doctors prioritize seeing as many patients as possible to increase their payments from insurance companies. This is why you may only have five to twelve minutes with a primary care doctor in the insurance-based system.
Committed to a long-term relationship between doctor and patient
Being a member of Plum Health means that you’re committed to being a part of the membership model. If you’re looking for a one-off visit or one-time services, Plum Health probably is not the right fit for you. However, if you’re looking for a dependable physician who is responsive to your calls, texts, and emails at anytime of day, who cares about you as an individual and not as another number, then Plum Health DPC will be a great fit for you.
Furthermore, we love taking care of people who believe what we believe - that health care should be individualized, that the doctor-patient relationship should be strong and seamless, that health care should be affordable and accessible. If you value these tenets like we do, then we’d love to have you as a part of the Plum Health DPC membership.
How much does a plum Health DPC membership cost?
A membership with Plum Health DPC costs $10/month for children, and starts at $49/month for adults. We have our full pricing structure here. With that membership, you can visit the office anytime without a copay. You also can call, text, or email the doctor anytime. Additionally, members of Plum Health DPC are able to get wholesale medications, at-cost labs, and at-cost imaging services at a fraction of the typical cost.
How do I sign up for a Plum Health DPC membership?
The signup process for Plum Health DPC is an easy one. Our online form takes about 5 minutes to complete. The form will ask for a credit card to complete the registration. Your card will not be billed until your account is confirmed by our staff and an appointment is made. We want to make sure you’re a good fit for our practice before we start billing you for the service.
Thanks for reading and for watching, and have a wonderful day.
Dr. Paul Thomas with 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:
Dr. Paul Thomas is a Detroit Young Professionals Vanguard Award Recipient
This week I am humbled to have been selected as a Detroit Young Professionals Vanguard Award Recipient along with an amazing class of movers and shakers. The winners are from various professional backgrounds and represent the next generation of leaders in Detroit and beyond.
Beyond being an award, this honor symbolizes that this idea is gaining traction. The idea that health care should be affordable and accessible for everyone. The idea that Detroit deserves excellent primary care services. The idea that we can make a tangible difference in people's lives by doing the right thing.
A sincere thank you to the Detroit Young Professionals organization for selecting me for this honor, and a heartfelt congratulations to my fellow awardees. See you October 24th at the Vanguard Awards!
Thanks for reading, and have a wonderful day,
- Dr. Paul Thomas with Plum Health DPC
Plum Health Featured in Model D Media
Today I'm ecstatic to see Plum Health DPC mentioned by Model D Media. If you're unfamiliar, Model D Media is a relentlessly positive digital publication that focuses on art, architecture, business, and development in and around Detroit.
The article featuring Plum Health DPC was entitled "8 Detroit startups that could change the world." Here's their take on Plum Health:
Plum Health DPC
Your own personal doctor, on call and on demand. That’s what Dr. Paul Thomas is pitching with his Plum Health practice in Detroit. Rather than pay a doctor for each visit, Thomas is instead instituting a monthly subscription-style service for his patients. What’s more is that you don’t need health insurance for his services (though Thomas does encourage patients have health insurance as he doesn't offer hospital-type healthcare).
Dr. Thomas’s patients receive unlimited care for a monthly fee, which breaks down as follows: Ages 0 to 17, $10 per month; 18 to 39, $49 per month; 40 to 64, $69 per month; and ages 65 and up, $89 per month. The service results in significantly cheaper lab tests, prescriptions, and more.
Dr. Thomas could disrupt the field of primary care, right from his office in Detroit.
A tweet from @ModelD about Plum Health DPC, a startup in Detroit that could change the world.
Thanks for reading, and have a wonderful day,
- Dr. Paul Thomas with Plum Health DPC
Plum Health will pitch at Detroit Demo Day
Plum Health DPC will pitch at Detroit Demo Day, and there's $100,000 on the line! That money goes to the top vote getter, so we need to pack the house and get a lot of votes - help us make health care more affordable and accessible. Be in the audience, cast your vote, get your tickets here!
Also, there's a ton of news coverage about the event, from Crain's Detroit Business, to the Detroit News, and even the Seattle Times!
Thanks for reading, and have a wonderful day!
- Dr. Paul Thomas, MD with Plum Health DPC
Most Visited Family Medicine Physician in Detroit
In February, HealthGrades sent us a note informing us that we had one of the most visited Family Medicine Physician pages on their website.
It was really cool to see that we were in the 97th percentile nationally and the 95th percentile in Detroit, Michigan for page views on HealthGrades in 2017. I think this is due to our services at Plum Health DPC being so highly rated on the HealthGrades website. As of this post, we have 54 Five Star reviews on HealthGrades!
Because of these rankings, our service is pushed to the top of the HealthGrades algorithm, and that's probably why we have so many page views.
Thanks for reading!
- Dr. Paul Thomas with Plum Health DPC
Family Doctor Accepting New Patients in Detroit Michigan
During the busy days and weeks of the year, sometimes we forget to make one thing clear - we are a family medicine service in Detroit, Michigan and we are accepting new patients in our family medicine clinic.
Family Doctor Accepting New Patients in Detroit Michigan
My name is Dr. Paul Thomas and Plum Health DPC is a family medicine clinic in Southwest Detroit and we are accepting new patients. As a family medicine doctor, I take care of patients of all ages and stages. This means that I can take care of children or pediatric patients as well as adults.
What We Treat
We treat a broad range of conditions, from the acute care concerns like sore throats to coughs and colds as well as influenza. We also treat high blood pressure, diabetes, and other chronic conditions. Additionally, we perform procedures like Pap tests, skin lesion removal and biopsies, as well as rapid strep test, rapid influenza testing, and rapid mono testing.
Why We Are Different
We are different because we're available, affordable, and accessible. Our service is just a click away, so don't hesitate to send us a note here or through any of our other social media channels.
Thank you so much for reading and watching, and have a wonderful day!
– Dr. Paul Thomas, M.D.