Plum Health Blog
Plum Health DPC Featured on PBS Nationally
Plum Health featured on PBS’ Start Up Show
Plum Health DPC was featured on the PBS show Start Up - we filmed this in July 2020 and it was a great opportunity to share about our mission to deliver affordable and accessible healthcare services in Detroit and beyond. The host Gary Bredow and his team interviewed our staff and our patients, including our doctors Raquel Orlich, DO and Jamie Qualls, DO.
Plum Health Start Up show Episode Overview
Here’s what PBS had to say about the episode:
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.
Why Direct primary care is appealing for Patients
During the episode, the host Gary Bredow interviews a few of our patients. He talks with Will Langford and he talks about being seen by his doctors, and understood by his doctors. Will says that “I believe that Plum Health is the future of medicine.” He goes on to say that, “for people who’ve never experienced direct primary care - it’s worth it. If you’ve ever felt that a doctor didn’t see you, or didn’t hear you, or didn’t believe you, anybody who’s just wanted help, and they haven’t gotten it from people who were supposed to help, try direct primary care.”
Will “The Poet” Langford discusses why he’s a part of Plum Health DPC with Gary Bredow, the host of the Start Up show on PBS.
Why Direct primary care is appealing for Doctors
During the episode at about the 10 minute mark, Gary Bredow sits down with Dr. Raquel Orlich and asks “what do you find attractive or appealing about this model versus the traditional model?” Dr. Orlich discusses the importance of talking with patients and getting to know them, and the ease of communication via in-person appointments, text messages, and emails. She also discusses the importance of having enough time to work through all of the factors that are affecting her patients’ health, and this can lead to patients feeling heard and being able to get to the root of their health care problems.
Raquel Orlich, DO of Plum Health DPC during the filming of Start Up with Gary Bredow on PBS. Plum Health DPC is a direct primary care practice in Detroit and Farmington Hills that delivers affordable and accessible health care services.
Dr. Jamie Qualls is working with Plum Health out of our Farmington Hills, Michigan location and she joined our practice because she can “go out and be the doctor I really wanted to be.” She goes on to say that this direct primary care model is growing rapidly not only across the country, but locally, and patients are loving the experience of being a part of Plum Health and a part of direct primary care practices in general. The direct relationship between doctors and patients is really appealing to patients in our practice.
Dr. Jamie Qualls, DO, MPH of Plum Health DPC talks with the host Gary Bredow about why the direct primary care model works for both patients and doctors.
“Maybe the direct primary care model is the future.”
There were so many memorable moments from this episode, but perhaps the most powerful sentiment was communicated in the closing remarks of the host of the show, Gary Bredow. He said:
“After speaking with several of his patients, his model is working. Throughout our conversation, I couldn’t help but wonder why a common-sense approach to health care seemed so foreign to me. Dealing with insurance companies is all that many of us have ever known. Waiting on hold for hours at a time trying to speak with someone and trying to decode confusing bills has always been synonymous with healthcare for me. I just assumed that it’s a part of the wellness process.
“But this is something entirely different. Individuals pay an affordable monthly rate for the service, the doctor gets to spend more time with patients, which possibly leads to better preventative care and you don’t have to wonder what your next visit is going to cost, or have to deal with co-pays, deductibles, or out of pocket expenses. To me, the health care system is not working for everyone equally with millions of people uninsured or underinsured. Maybe the direct primary care model is the future. Either way, it’s nice to know that there’s options available.”
We agree - direct primary care is the future, or at least a part of it. While direct primary care will never replace catastrophic insurance or some form of insurance coverage that serves as a financial tool to prevent bankruptcy, insurance can never give to patients what direct primary care gives to patients - a straightforward and trusting relationship between doctors and their patients.
How to Sign Up
If you want this type of care for yourself or your loved ones, your business or your family, you can enroll here.
Thanks for reading and watching this segment, and we are happy to help you in your journey to better health!
-Drs. Paul Thomas, MD, Raquel Orlich, DO, Jamie Qualls, DO, MPH, and Leslie Rabaut, DO
Paul Thomas, MD of Plum Health DPC during the filming of Start Up with Gary Bredow on PBS. Plum Health DPC is a direct primary care practice in Detroit and Farmington Hills that delivers affordable and accessible health care services.
How Plum Health DPC Started
Recently, I had a great interview with Dr. Kevin Cuccaro and Dr. Melissa Cady of the Changed Physician. We discussed why I went into medicine and how Plum Health DPC came to exist. Here’s what they said about our practice:
This is Episode 67 of The Changed Physician Podcast with Dr. Paul Thomas discussing his journey into direct primary care with hosts, Dr. Kevin Cuccaro and Dr. Melissa Cady.
Timeline:
01:00 Why he went into medicine
03:00 Community outreach and art
06:30 His realizations during residency
09:15 What led to him discovering a new model of delivering medicine
12:30 Physician shortage area
14:30 What is DPC (Direct Primary Care)
15:30 How he provides affordable meds and labs for patients
16:15 Why Americans are screwed over by the Medical Industry
17:00 How DPC model empowers patients
19:20 How his interaction with his patients is now
22:20 Why he named his business Plum Health
24:45 The cost of his direct primary care model
26:50 How his practice model gives him time for his other pursuits
What is Plum Health DPC
Plum Health DPC is a membership model for primary care in Detroit, Michigan and Farmington Hills, Michigan. We believe that healthcare should be affordable and accessible for everyone. Our patients pay a membership to be a part of the practice, starting at $49 each month for adults. With that membership, they can call or text their doctor anytime they need care. We guarantee same-day or next-day appointments and no wait time for scheduled appointments. We also save our patients 50% to 90% on their medications, labs, and imaging costs.
What is Direct Primary Care
Direct Primary Care allows you to have a direct relationship with your doctor. For the equivalent of a monthly cell phone bill, you can receive direct, primary health care services that are tailored to your individual needs.
Fighting for Equitable Vaccine Access in Detroit
Vaccine Distribution Challenges in Detroit
This week, we’ve been frustrated by the way the Coronavirus vaccine has been distributed. Large hospital system primary care doctors, who mostly operate in suburban communities, have been able to get vaccinated. Meanwhile, independent primary care physicians, including our staff and other neighboring Detroit-based primary care doctors, have struggled to gain access to the vaccine at this time.
The issue is that, in our region especially, there is a corporate-based vaccine distribution. The majority of the vaccine has gone to large corporate health systems, and those doctors, nurses, and support staff who are employed by those larger health systems are more likely to get vaccinated.
This is a big frustration because this inequity in vaccine distribution will likely trickle down and affect our region negatively; suburban folks who live closer to larger health systems may have easier access tot he vaccine than those residents in urban underserved communities.
We recently talked to the news media about this issue, and we’re grateful to Ross Jones and Channel 7 Action News for picking up the story.
A National Perspective
On a National level, doctors have expressed frustration to National Public Radio (NPR) about inequality of vaccine distribution within the hospital. The article states that:
“At hospitals in Massachusetts, New York, Arizona, California and elsewhere, medical professionals say that those with the most exposure to COVID-19 patients are not always the first to get vaccinated. And others who have little or no contact with COVID-19 patients have received vaccinations.”
Possible Solutions
What could solve this issue? Perhaps we could have a national database for people to sign up, to ensure that no one is missed in vaccination and that no one receives too many doses or too few doses. Because vaccine recipients are given a plain card with the vaccine date and a follow up date, I could see the vaccine distribution becoming a problem for those with low health literacy, mental illness, or memory problems like Alzheimer’s disease.
Additionally, we could ensure that there is more equitable vaccine distribution among local health departments and hospital systems. For profit hospital systems will always act in a self-interested manner, vaccinating their employees and patients first. Health departments are more likely to reach out to the highest risk populations in the community and deliver the vaccine to nursing homes, assisted living facilities, vulnerable populations, and community-based primary care offices.
For example, my colleagues in other states and other counties have received phone calls and invitations for vaccines at their local health department. Other regions have hospital systems that act in a more equitable manner, inviting physicians and support staff and high risk populations from the community to get vaccinated at that hospital system.
Why Vaccine Distribution Matters
While I understand that this coronavirus pandemic is a once-in-one-hundred-years type of event, I will never stop advocating for health equity, especially at the community level. Vaccine distribution shouldn’t be based on which individual or corporation has the most money, but it should be based on risk factors and need. Equitable vaccine distribution matters, and we’ll keep pushing for that ideal.
Thanks for reading and watching,
-Dr. Paul Thomas at Plum Health DPC
Plum Health DPC Ribbon Cutting - One Year Later
On December 12th, 2019, we had a fabulous event at our Plum Health DPC office in Corktown - we officially cut the ribbon and opened our space on Michigan Avenue to the surrounding community.
Our patients, friends, families, neighboring businesses, community leaders, members of the news media, and Mayor Mike Duggan were on hand to make it a very special occasion.
This space serves us so well - it holds all of the medications that we need for our patients, it holds all of the equipment like EKGs that we need for patient care, it houses all of the laboratory equipment and blood draw supplies that we need to lower the cost of lab work for our patients.
One year later, our only regret is that we didn’t build a larger office! The only thing we’re missing is a little more space to accommodate more doctors and therefore serve more patients.
That aside, we look back on December 2019 with a big smile for the fond memories, as it marked the beginning of something great, and that is to serve our patients and the broader community with affordable and accessible healthcare services.
Thanks for reading and have a wonderful day,
-Dr. Paul Thomas, Dr. Raquel Orlich, Dr. Jamie Qualls, and Medical Assistant Chris Lake with Plum Health DPC in Detroit Michigan
Dr. Raquel Orlich and Dr. Paul Thomas of Plum Health DPC gather with members of the community to celebrate the ribbon cutting of Plum Health DPC in Detroit, Michigan. The office is at 1620 Michigan Ave, Suite 125, Detroit, Michigan 48216.
Dr. Paul Thomas Speaks with Wayne State Medical Students About Lowering the Cost of Health Care
This week, I was invited to speak with Wayne State University School of Medicine students who are interested in the Direct Primary Care model and who are interested in how the model makes health care more affordable and accessible.
During this session, I talked with the students about the current problems in the United States Health Care System, the challenges that doctors face when taking care of patients, and the solutions that the Direct Primary Care model offers.
The students asked some excellent questions during the question and answer session.
Thanks for watching,
- Dr. Paul Thomas with Plum Health DPC in Detroit, Michigan
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
What are the ages of patients at Plum Health DPC?
How Old are the Patients at Plum Health DPC?
We are often asked how old are your patients at your practice?
First of all, we are primary care physicians and family medicine doctors, and that means that we take care of patients of all ages and stages. All patients are welcome at our practice regardless of age.
Currently, our youngest patient is two months old and our oldest patient is 102 years old. That being said the majority of our members at Plum Health DPC are between the ages of 20 and 65 years.
I think there are a number of factors at play that cause the majority of our patients to be in that demographic.
First of all, we are a primarily urban practice, and we take care of several young urban professionals who are highly mobile and without children. Detroit and Southeast Michigan has a strong economic output, that attracts top talent to the region in various professions like law, medicine, automotive engineering, and others. Perhaps we would have more pediatric patients if we were in a suburban community where there are more children and families.
Second, the people that I know trust me and are more likely to become my patients. The people that I know are mostly my age, plus or minus a few years. That probably skews our data or the number of patients in our practice who are around the age of 33 somewhat.
Third, our country provides health insurance coverage for people under age 26 through the affordable care act. As long as a child’s parents have health insurance, that child will be covered under their parents’ health insurance plan. Also, those individuals over 65 are covered by Medicare, and because they may be on a fixed income they may be less inclined to seek out a direct primary care practice where they have to pay over and above their Medicare coverage.
Even thought we take care of patients of all ages and stages, one thing that we don’t do in our practice is deliver babies.
If you Don’t Deliver Babies, Who Do you Recommend for Obstetric Services?
We don’t deliver babies in our office and we don’t have hospital privileges to deliver babies at the hospital. However, we do take care of moms and growing babies during the first trimester of pregnancy. During that first trimester visit, we can perform a pregnancy test and also screen for conditions that may be harmful to the growing fetus, like blood sugar testing, sexually transmitted infection testing, and making sure there’s no bacteria in the urine.
During the second and third trimesters, we make sure to coordinate care with practicing Obstetricians and Gynecologists who are trusted in our community. We’ve developed a list of trusted professionals in Metro Detroit and we share it here to help our patients and the greater community find the Doctors or Midwives who can help them with a successful delivery.
This list includes doctors that we have worked with personally and doctors who our patients and greater community members have had great experiences with. Here’s that list:
Essam Khraizat, MD
Michigan Women's Care
Obstetrician-gynecologist in Canton Township, Michigan
Address: 6300 N Haggerty Rd #200, Canton, MI 48187
Phone: (734) 981-8181
Paige E. Paladino DO
Address: 11012 E Thirteen Mile Rd #212, Warren, MI 48093
Phone: (586) 582-7150
https://healthcare.ascension.org/doctors/1255651170/paige-e-paladino-warren-mi?&i
Cara Speier, DO with Beaumont
Address: 27750 Middlebelt Rd #150, Farmington Hills, MI 48334
Phone: (248) 476-7650
https://doctors.beaumont.org/provider/Carrie+Lynn+Speier+Schafer/225128
Dr. Soheyla Pezeshki
Metro Partners in Women’s Health out of Providence Park
Address: 26850 Providence Pkwy c500, Novi, MI 48374
Phone: (248) 662-4388
Beata Weiermiller, MD at Somerset Gynecology and Obstetrics
Address: 3290 W Big Beaver Rd Suite 444, Troy, MI 48084
Products and Services: somersetgynecologyobstetrics.com
Appointments: somersetgynecologyobstetrics.com
Phone: (248) 816-9200
https://www.somersetgynecologyobstetrics.com/md/BWeiermiller
Eastside Gynecology & Obstetrics, P.C
Address: 29751 Little Mack Ave # B, Roseville, MI 48066
Phone: (586) 415-6200
https://doctors.beaumont.org/provider/Carrie+Lynn+Speier+Schafer/225128
Women First OB/GYN Center
Medical clinic in Royal Oak, Michigan
Uses a Natural Birthing Center out of Beaumont
Address: 326 N Main St, Royal Oak, MI 48067
Phone: (248) 584-7600
List of Doctors, Nurses, and Midwives at this practice: http://women-firstobgyn.com/our-experts.html
IHA Nurse Midwives in Ann Arbor
Address: 4200 Whitehall Dr Suite 350, Ann Arbor, MI 48105
Phone: (734) 572-9600
https://ihacares.com/locations/mi/ann-arbor/iha-nurse-midwives
Covenant Community Care
Address: 27776 Woodward Ave, Royal Oak, MI 48067
Phone: (248) 556-4900
Appointments: covenantcommunitycare.org
Able to care for Medicaid-enrolled patients
Emerging Leaders Connect at Michigan Association of CPAs Event
Last week, I was invited as a speaker/panelist at the Michigan Association of CPAs event in Midtown Detroit. The panel focused on entrepreneurship and working with folks who are solo entrepreneurs and self-employed individuals. Many accountants and certified public accountants (CPAs) in Detroit and Metro Detroit are self-employed.
Additionally, many freelancers and self-employed individuals make more than the cutoff point for Medicaid in the State of Michigan (around $17,000) but not enough money to comfortably afford private health insurance. Or, self-employed individuals may not want to spend so much money on health insurance, and rather invest that money back into their businesses.
We take care of many folks in this situation - people are looking for alternative ways to manage their personal health and well-being, and many people are choosing direct primary care services like our Plum Health DPC service as a stand-alone service or as an add-on service to their health insurance plan or catastrophic coverage plan.
This was a great event and brought together many interesting accounting professionals. A big thank you to Matthew Kidd and the Michigan Association of CPAs for the invitation.
Further, it was a pleasure to share the stage with Andrew Dickow, the Managing Director at Greenwich Capital Group. He is an enthusiastic and engaging speaker, and he brought a ton of insights to the table regarding entrepreneurship, investment, and the food and beverage industry in Detroit and beyond.
-Dr. Paul Thomas with Plum Health DPC
We had a great time with the Michigan Association of CPAs Event, called Emerging Leaders Connect. It was a pleasure to speak with Matthew Kidd and Andrew Dickow regarding entrepreneurship in Detroit.
Photos courtesy of:
Kelly Dzierzawski | Video & Creative Services Senior Manager | Michigan Association of CPAs
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 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:
I had a blast speaking at the AAFP Direct Primary Care Conference
I cannot tell you how much fun I had speaking at the AAFP DPC Conference, I loved it this much:
Dr. Paul Thomas speaking about Branding and Marketing your Direct Primary Care practice at the American Academy of Family Physicians Direct Primary Care Conference in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Seriously, I had an amazing opportunity to speak directly with my Direct Primary Care colleagues about Branding and Marketing your Direct Primary Care practice at the American Academy of Family Physicians Direct Primary Care Conference in Indianapolis, Indiana.
I believe that our family physicians are the backbone of the health care system in America, and I am encouraged and enthused by their willingness to step into their own power and create ideal practices that optimally serve their individual patients and their greater communities.
I'm all in on helping my colleagues create their best practices and to become the doctors they were meant to be. One of the biggest challenges that doctors face is in the realms of branding and marketing as most family physicians have little or no training in these areas.
What I conveyed in my lecture was how to create a brand, engage in branding your practice, and actively market your practice. I'm posting about this again because I'm that amped up and because the lecture is now live on the AAFP website, here.
Thanks for reading and for watching! Below are some bonus screenshots from the talk. If you're an individual looking for this type of care for yourself, your family, or your employees, please call me at 313.444.5630 or send me an email at paul@plumhealthdpc.org. If you're a DPC doctor and you need help branding and marketing your practice, reach out to me because I'm happy to help.
Sincerely,
- Dr. Paul Thomas, MD, physician with Plum Health DPC in Southwest Detroit
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
Speaking at the AAFP DPC Summit 2018
Speaking at the AAFP DPC Summit
This weekend, I had the privilege of speaking at the American Academy of Family Physicians' (AAFP) Direct Primary Care Summit 2018. The DPC Summit 2018 took place in Indianapolis, Indiana from July 13th - 15th and we shared best practices about Direct Primary Care.
Several of the founding members of the Direct Primary Care Alliance, an organization advocating for the needs of the independent DPC doctors, including Dr. Paul Thomas, MD, Dr. Ryan Neuhoffel, Dr. Julie Gunther, Dr. Phil Eskew, Dr. Nicholas Tomsen, Dr. Landon Roussel, Dr. Amy Walsh, Dr. Delicia Haynes, Dr. Jeff Gold, Dr. Luke Van Kirk, Dr. James Gaor, Dr. Staci Benson, et al.
The name of my talk was "DPC Hustles Harder", an homage to the entrepreneurial spirit and can-do attitude of my home town summed up in the phrase "Detroit Hustles Harder." I also see several parallels between Detroit and the DPC movement - embattled, not fully understood, at a crossroads, with the potential to grow rapidly.
I named my talk DPC Hustles Harder because as a DPC doctor, your name is not on the back of your patients' insurance card and you will not get referrals from large health care systems or their doctors or administrators. In fact, as a DPC doctor, you have to go out, pound the payment, write for local papers, write blog posts, send emails, and leverage social media platforms to reach your target audience.
All of this can be a ton of work and it can feel overwhelming, especially for physicians who haven't had any formal communications or digital marketing training. So I set out to simplify the tools and processes for doctors to reach more patients.
I did this because I believe in the Direct Primary Care model and the DPC movement, it's ability to lower the cost of care and deliver a higher quality of service for patients, families, and communities across our nation. I sincerely believe in the abilities of my DPC colleagues, and I want to help and uplift their efforts.
I don't have the full video version of my presentation, but I will post it as soon as it's available. For now, I have several pictures taken by my colleagues (see below), some great memories from connecting with my colleagues, and a deep sense of gratitude for the ability to teach others about how to overcome challenges when it comes to branding and marketing their Direct Primary Care practices.
Thanks for reading and have a wonderful day,
- Dr. Paul Thomas with Plum Health DPC
Finally, if you’re a Primary Care Doctor or Allied Health Professional that is looking to Start and Grow a Direct Primary Care practice, check out our sister site www.StartUpDPC.com.
Speaking at the American Academy of Family Physicians Direct Primary Care Summit 2018, my lecture was called DPC Hustles Harder and it focused on Branding and Marketing your Direct Primary Care Practice.
