Dr. Paul Thomas Speaks at the Dr. Morris S. Brent Lectureship

This month, Dr. Paul Thomas spoke at the Dr. Morris S. Brent Lectureship, a part of the Wayne State University School of Medicine’s Alumni Reunion Weekend activities. In the lecture, Dr. Paul Thomas discussed best practices for personal branding, and why it is important for doctors to become physician leaders, and build the platforms that can help them educate other doctors and the community about important issues in medicine.

This session will focus on developing a personal brand for physicians. What is a personal brand? How can you leverage your personal brand to attract new patients? How can you own your own brand and content? These topics and more will be addressed in this session!

Dr. Paul Thomas talks about Personal Branding at the WSU SOM Alumni Reunion Weekend during the Morris S. Brent Lectureship.

To watch the full lecture, head to the 2:14 (2 hour, 14 minute) mark in the YouTube video below:

Dr. Paul Thomas on the Soul of Enterprise

Dr. Paul Thomas on the Soul of Enterprise

In February 2022, Dr. Paul Thomas was featured in an episode of The Soul of Enterprise with Ron Baker and Ed Kless. In the episode we discuss all things Direct Primary Care! and they plug my book, Startup DPC:

Dr. Paul WROTE THE BOOK on Direct Primary Care. It’s called Startup DPC. Ron recommends this book because you can learn a lot from Dr. Paul’s experience. Here’s the Amazon link.

Here’s the full interview.

Dr. Paul Thomas is a family medicine physician who started Plum Health DPC in 2016, right out of residency. He is a board-certified Family Medicine Physician.

Direct Primary Care (DPC) is a model of primary care that is growing in popularity as an alternative to the traditional fee-for-service model. In a DPC practice, patients pay a monthly or annual membership fee for access to comprehensive primary care services. This fee typically covers all office visits and DPC practices offer at-cost medications, lab work, and imaging services to lower the cost of care for patients.

One of the benefits of DPC is that it allows for more time for the physician to spend with each patient. This is because DPC practices typically have fewer patients than traditional practices, which allows for more personalized care. Additionally, DPC patients often have direct access to their physician through phone or email, which can lead to quicker resolution of health concerns.

Another benefit of DPC is that it can help to lower healthcare costs for patients. By eliminating the need for insurance and reducing the number of unnecessary tests and procedures, DPC can save patients money in the long run.

Dr. Paul Thomas has been offering DPC services for the last 6 years and has seen positive results in the health of his patients. He believes that the DPC model allows for better continuity of care and a stronger physician-patient relationship, which leads to better health outcomes.

A big thanks to Ed Kless and Ron Baker for highlighting the work of Dr. Thomas and Plum Health DPC on The Soul of Enterprise!

-Paul Thomas MD with Startup DPC

Paul Thomas MD Featured in Michigan Academy of Family Physicians Magazine

Paul Thomas MD Featured in Michigan Academy of Family Physicians Magazine

A big thank you to the Michigan Academy of Family Physicians for featuring me and our family medicine colleagues with their recent cover story!

I love being a family medicine doctor - I get to take care of patients of all ages and stages, I get to manage a broad spectrum of medical conditions, and I get to build long-lasting relationships with amazing people in my community.

Family medicine is a medical speciality that requires 4 years of college, 4 years of medical school, and 3 years of residency training. With this 11 years of training, we're Family Medicine specialists!

Here's my quote from the recent publication:

“Starting and growing a direct primary care practice has changed my life. I’ve been able to serve people in my community with a high value family medicine service, advocate for causes that I feel passionate about, and be creative in my approach to solving people’s healthcare challenges.

"In short, I’ve been able to become the doctor I’m meant to be. The direct primary care model simplifies healthcare delivery in that our patients are able to text, email, or call us anytime.

"This takes a lot of the anxiety and stress out of the healthcare experience and our patients can seamlessly access the care that they need, when they need it.” - Paul Thomas, MD (Detroit)

#PlumHealth #DirectPrimaryCare #FamilyMedicine #HealthCare #Detroit #PrimaryCare #FamilyMedicineSpecialty #MAFP #AAFP #Corktown 

What kind of medical conditions do Family Medicine Doctors take care of?

Family medicine doctors are primary care physicians who treat a wide range of medical conditions in patients of all ages. This can include common conditions such as the flu, colds, and injuries, as well as chronic conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, and asthma.

Family doctors also provide preventive care, including routine check-ups, immunizations, and screenings for conditions such as cancer and heart disease. In addition to treating physical health conditions, family medicine doctors may also provide care for mental health conditions and may coordinate care with specialists as needed.

Can Family Doctors take care of Mental Health Concerns?

Yes, family medicine doctors can treat mental health conditions. While they may not have the same level of training as a psychiatrist or psychologist, they are often the first point of contact for patients seeking help for mental health concerns. They can provide a range of services, including counseling, medication management, and referrals to specialists as needed. It is important to note that the specific mental health services provided by a family medicine doctor may vary depending on their training and experience.

Fortunately, our family medicine doctors at Plum Health DPC have robust training in primary care mental health concerns, like depression, anxiety, ADD, ADHD, bipolar disorder, eating disorders, and others.

If you’d like this type of Family medicine service for yourself or for your family, you can sign up here:

Paul Thomas MD in the USA Today

Back in 2013, Dr. Paul Thomas helped start an organization called Street Medicine Detroit.

Street Medicine Detroit is a student-run organization that delivers primary care medical services to homeless and uninsured people on the streets of Detroit, in parks and in church basements, warming centers and homeless shelters. Street Medicine Detroit is a lifeline for folks who are living on the streets.

Medical Students from Wayne State University School of Medicine run the Street Medicine Detroit program and deliver medical care and compassion to people who are homeless, unsheltered, or without permanent housing.

When I was a fourth year medical student at Wayne State University School of Medicine in 2013, I helped a second year medical student named Johnny Wong start the organization. We went on "street runs" to deliver medical care to homeless people.

During one of those runs, a journalist named John Wisely followed our work and wrote about it in the USA Today.

I've been reflecting about the meaning of our work at Plum Health DPC and it has deep roots in the advocacy and volunteering that I engaged in before, during, and after medical school.

I turned the newspaper article from the USA Today into a plaque that I hang in my office as a reminder to keep meeting people where they are at, to keep delivering compassionate care, and to keep striving to make health care affordable and accessible for everyone.

Thanks for reading and have a wonderful day.

- Paul Thomas, MD with Plum Health DPC

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Plum Health Featured on Fox 2 News Detroit for Lowering the Cost of Insulin

Plum Health Featured on Fox 2 News Detroit for Lowering the Cost of Insulin

Yesterday, Plum Health DPC was featured on Fox 2 News Detroit for lowering the cost of insulin in Detroit and beyond.

MANAGING DIABETES IN DETROIT

Diabetes care can be difficult and expensive, especially if you’re uninsured. If you’re uninsured and trying to access diabetes care, patients can face the following costs:

• $150 for a primary care visit

• $150 to check hemoglobin a1c

• $150 to check blood sugar via a comprehensive metabolic panel

• $300 for insulin at the pharmacy

• $10 for Metformin (Glucophage) at the pharmacy

At our Plum Health office, we dramatically lower the cost of these vital services to help our diabetic patients manage their blood sugar.

• $55 to $75 monthly for as many primary care visits as it takes to manage your diabetes

• $6 to check hemoglobin a1c

• $6 to check blood sugar via a comprehensive metabolic panel

• $0 for insulin at our Plum Health clinic as we get several free samples from industry

• $0.30 to $0.60 for Metformin (Glucophage) at our Plum Health clinic

What makes this pricing difference even more important is that folks with diabetes need to check their hemoglobin a1c every 3 to 6 months to ensure that they are managing their diabetes effectively.

Dr. Paul Thomas of Plum Health DPC being interviewed by Fox 2 News about the high cost of insulin in Detroit and beyond. People routinely pay $125 for 1 pen of long-acting insulin like Tresiba. At our Plum Health DPC office, we are able to get free samples so that the cost is $0 for our members at Plum Health. Our mission is to make health care affordable and accessible, and lowering the cost of insulin is just one way that we achieve that mission.

Here’s our social media post about Insulin Costs in Detroit:

These insulin pens are $125 a piece at your local pharmacy. 🤑 💰

They should be capped at $35 a piece, but that protection was removed by Congress this week. 🤯😭🤢🤮

Fortunately, we get free samples from industry to help our patients at Plum Health DPC ✅

Tune in to Fox 2 News at 6 pm with Veronica Meadows as we talk about what’s broken in our healthcare system and what we’re doing to fix it 💯

#PlumHealth #DirectPrimaryCare #FamilyMedicine #insulin #drugprices #healthcare

Here’s what Fox 2 News Detroit wrote on their webpage about the story:

FOX 2 - For those who have diabetes, many know the struggle of paying for insulin.

"This can be $125 per pen at the pharmacy," said Dr. Paul Thomas. "In the United States there’s seven million people who need to take insulin and 25 percent of those cannot afford the insulin, they need to manage their diabetes."

For Raphael Wright, that stress hits close to home. A Detroit entrepreneur — Wright says at first he didn't have health insurance. He says his out-of-pocket cost for insulin used to be around $300 a month.

"It was a punch in the gut, I did not feel good," he said. "I am on the fringe because now I'm worried about getting my lights cut out. You need electricity to keep insulin cold."

Senator Debbie Stabenow (D) says starting in January the inflation reduction act will help more than three million in the US afford insulin.

"If you receive your health care through Medicare your insulin medicine will be capped your cost at $35 a month," she said.

But Senate Republicans stripped a provision that would have capped the price of insulin in the private marketplace. That cap also doesn't apply to people who don't have insurance.

"I think we should have a $35 cap for all Americans because there are a lot of people who are uninsured - they make too much money to qualify for Medicaid and not enough money to buy private insurance," said Dr. Thomas. "And even if you have private insurance your deductible could be $7,000."

Thomas is the founder of Plum Health Direct Primary Care in Corktown. He says thanks to free samples, his patients don't pay for insulin.

Thomas says his mission is to make healthcare accessible to everyone — especially diabetes patients. He says the results are devastating for those who are priced out of insulin.

"They’re going without, because of that high cost, and essentially this leads to really bad outcomes: Diabetic retinopathy which can cause blindness, diabetes does damage to your blood vessels, which can lead to early heart attacks and strokes," he said.

Thomas says diabetes is the number one cause of amputations and blindness in the United States. He says that is one more reason why insulin needs to be affordable for everyone. 

Paul Thomas, MD - Recent Alumni Award Recipient from Wayne State University School of Medicine

Paul Thomas, MD - Recent Alumni Award Recipient from Wayne State University School of Medicine

In 2019, Dr. Paul Thomas received the Recent Alumni Award from Wayne State University School of Medicine. This is a prestigious award that is not given out every year. Here’s how it’s described by WSU SOM:

The Recent Alumni Award, established in 2003, is presented to an individual who received an M.D. degree from the WSU School of Medicine within the last 15 years and has demonstrated outstanding professional achievement, community contributions or service to Wayne State University School of Medicine.

Here’s a list of the previous Recent Alumni Award Winners at Wayne State University School of Medicine:

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Paul Thomas MD at Wayne State University School of Medicine for a Business of Medicine Elective Course Panel

Wayne State University School of Medicine Business of Medicine Elective Course Invites Dr. Paul Thomas to a Panel

Dr. Paul Thomas, a Wayne State University School of Medicine graduate from 2013, was invited to be a part of a panel discussing Business of Medicine. This was a group of medical students interested in the business side of medicine.

I was really happy to receive this invitation as it is my opinion that medical schools should focus more time in their curriculum to the business of medicine. Topics that ought to be discussed included how to attract patients, how to generate revenue, how to pick and use an electronic medical record, how to manage practice finances, how to start a PLLC or an LLC to operate your business or purchase real estate for your business, how to invest, etc… These skills would be transformational if all physicians were equipped with these business fundamentals.

Paul Thomas, MD of Plum Health DPC speaks to a group of medical students at Wayne State University School of Medicine During their Business of Medicine elective course.

During the course of the evening, we talked about all of the above topics and more, including the following:

• How do you build and maintain a patient population in a private practice?

• How do referrals work, and what do you focus on when building relationships with specialists when it comes to referrals?

• How to decide on employee personnel (PA vs NP vs another MD/DO, MA's vs CNA's etc)

• As a growing practice, how do you gain buying power against large healthcare establishments?

• Other than telemedicine, what changes from COVID do you foresee staying/playing a role long term? 

It was an excellent conversation and I was happy to share my knowledge and insights in these areas. After the event, I received the following thank you.

On behalf of the students and myself, a sincere and grateful 'thank you' for the gift of your time and your insights last evening.

During this very informative and engaging discussion you helped these first-year medical students gain a better understanding of many of the business issues involved in establishing a direct primary care practice. Your entrepreneurial skills were very evident, and we are thrilled they had a chance to get to know this other side of your story.

It was great to observe the ease with which you engaged with the students, and we all benefited from the breadth and particulars of the discussion. The discussion continued after you left, and I am certain the students will continue to benefit from the opportunity to hear about your fascinating journey and will take to heart the advice you gave.

In closing, it’s great to see medical students engaged in the Business of Medicine, as if we want to create a more compassionate health care system, we need to fundamentally change the business models that we use to deliver health care services. Hopefully these students will be apart of that change for the better.

-Dr. Paul Thomas with Plum Health DPC

Managing Diabetes in Detroit

Managing Diabetes in Detroit

This week, I had a wonderful interview with Dr. Cleamon Moorer. We talked about how folks can manage their diabetes in Detroit. Diabetes care can be difficult and expensive, especially if you’re uninsured. If you’re uninsured and trying to access diabetes care, patients can face the following costs:

• $150 for a primary care visit

• $150 to check hemoglobin a1c

• $150 to check blood sugar via a comprehensive metabolic panel

• $300 for insulin at the pharmacy

• $10 for Metformin (Glucophage) at the pharmacy

At our Plum Health office, we dramatically lower the cost of these vital services to help our diabetic patients manage their blood sugar.

• $49 to $69 monthly for as many primary care visits as it takes to manage your diabetes

• $6 to check hemoglobin a1c

• $6 to check blood sugar via a comprehensive metabolic panel

• $0 for insulin at our Plum Health clinic as we get several free samples from industry

• $0.30 to $0.60 for Metformin (Glucophage) at our Plum Health clinic

What makes this pricing difference even more important is that folks with diabetes need to check their hemoglobin a1c every 3 to 6 months to ensure that they are managing their diabetes effectively.

Interview with Dr. Cleamon Moorer

As it is diabetes awareness month, Dr. Cleamon Moorer came by our Plum Health DPC clinic to talk about our direct primary care model, health care access, and diabetes care resources in Detroit. Here’s our interview:

In Season 1, Episode 17 of The Home Health Care Today Show, Dr. Paul Thomas, MD., of Plum Health, DPC visits the show to discuss National Diabetes Month, the value of Direct Primary Care, and Plum Health DPC's affordable subscription-based model to effectively close the gap to access quality healthcare for adults and children in Detroit. The show's goal is to inform, inspire, influence, and educate Metropolitan Detroiters on the importance of Diabetes awareness, treatments, and best practices for living healthier lives. Hosted by Dr. Cleamon Moorer Sponsored by: American Advantage Home Care, Inc.

Dr. Paul Thomas at Detroit Digital Inclusion Week 2021

Dr. Paul Thomas at Detroit Digital Inclusion Week 2021

On October 4th, Dr. Paul Thomas was a part of the Detroit Digitial Inclusion Week 2021, specifically speaking on a panel called the Future of Healthcare https://youtu.be/197ao4G_sO8?t=8392.

It was a pleasure speaking with Joshua Edmonds the Director of Digital Inclusion at the City of Detroit, Shannon Wilson the Vice president of State Markets East at Priority Health, and Courtney Stevens the Director of Virtual Care at Henry Ford Health Systems about digital health access and the digital health divide here in Detroit, Michigan.

The big problem is this: too few Detroit residents have access to reliable internet access, and that impacts their health and wellness. The question is, how can we equip Detroiters with the resources to bridge this digital divide and potentially improve health outcomes?

Throughout the interview, I make the case for right-sizing our approach to telehealth/telemedicine as it is not a silver bullet. Giving Detroiters access to digital health tools will help somewhat, but it will not solve intergenerational chronic health challenges and learned health behaviors.

As always, I advocate for more family medicine physicians who are neighborhood based, who have the medical knowledge, clinical skills, and physical resources to provide excellent medical care in a patient-centered way, while accounting for cultural and geographic context.

In short, I believe we need more doctors in Detroit, not more telehealth visits. While telemedicine may help with some problems, like coughs and colds, or pink eye, a telemedicine app won’t help to teach folks how to take care of their diabetes with the support of their family and community, telemedicine apps won’t be able to draw blood or deliver medications, and most importantly, telemedicine apps cannot perform a comprehensive physical exam.

The following video was filmed live on Monday, October 4, 2021, at TechTown Detroit's I2C Building. The panel was moderated by Joshua Edmonds, Digital Inclusion Director for the City of Detroit. The event was hosted by the Connect 313 Policy, Advocacy, and Ecosystem Committee.

I got to be a speaker at an event regarding digital inclusion and health care with the @CityofDetroit https://t.co/QgseV48sB9#DirectPrimaryCare #DigitalDivide #PlumHealth #Detroit #Michigan #DigitalInclusionWeek #PrimaryCare #FamilyMedicine @JoshEdmonds216 pic.twitter.com/WHc7bIQ5BV

— Paul Thomas, MD (@PlumHealthDPC) October 25, 2021

Plum Health DPC Offering the COVID 19 Vaccine

We are elated to be offering both the Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson vaccine to our patients at Plum Health DPC. If you haven't gotten your dose yet, please call our office at 313.444.5630. We are more than happy to give you the vaccine, for your health and the health of our community.

The Pfizer vaccine is a two dose series, with one dose being given now/at time zero and the second dose being given 3 weeks later.

The Johnson and Johnson vaccine is a one dose series and can be given at any time.

Thanks for reading, and have a great day.

- Dr. Paul Thomas with Plum Health DPC

Detroit Demo Day - Plum Health DPC Two Years Later

Back in 2021, we won Detroit Demo Day - we competed with several other businesses and we won $50,000 to help us get to the next level.

Since then, we've:

• Hired 3 Doctors

• Tripled the number of patients served

• Built out a brand new office in Detroit's Corktown Neighborhood

• Opened up a second office in Farmington Hills

• Been featured on National News outlets like PBS

• Created a more sustainable business

If you want to accelerate the growth of your business, apply for Demo Day pitch competition as it can be rocket fuel for your next big move! More details, here.

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Congrats to the WSU SOM Class of 2021!

Congrats to the Wayne State University School of Medicine Class of 2021

Congrats to the Wayne State University School of Medicine Class of 2021 as they become Doctors this week! It takes 10,000 hours to become an expert in any given field of study, and these new graduates have definitely put in the time over this 4 year journey and course of study. We wish you the best as you embark on Transitional Years, Internship, Residency, Fellowship, and your practice years beyond these years of additional training.

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What it takes to become a Family Physician

For those of you unfamiliar with medical education, to become a board certified family medicine physician, it takes four years of undergraduate or college study, four years of medical school training, and at least three years of residency training. That comes out to 11 years of higher education after high school to become a board certified family medicine physician.

At Plum Health, we’re incredibly lucky to work with a team of four board-certified family medicine doctors. To learn more about our team, check them out here.

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 Vaccines in Pregnancy

The Coronavirus Vaccines are Safe and Effective in Pregnancy

First, I want to say that the coronavirus vaccines are safe and effective in pregnancy. There’s a great research article from the New England Journal of Medicine followed over 35,000 pregnant women and revealed the following, “Preliminary findings did not show obvious safety signals among pregnant persons who received mRNA Covid-19 vaccines.”

In this video, I talk with a mom who was in the process of deciding whether or not to get the coronavirus vaccine, but ultimately decided to get vaccinated. We talk about the pros and cons of the vaccine, the difference between the Johnson and Johnson Vaccine and the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, the risk of getting a fever during pregnancy after getting the coronavirus vaccine, and many other topics.

The Vaccine Confers Immunity to Your Growing Baby

If you’re a pregnant mother and you receive the coronavirus vaccine, your body will produce antibodies and those antibodies will go from your body, to your placenta, to the baby’s body and protect the baby from Coronavirus. You will also share antibodies with your baby after birth via breast milk.

From the Harvard Gazette:

In the largest study of its kind to date, researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), Brigham and Women’s Hospital and the Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT and Harvard have found the new mRNA COVID-19 vaccines to be highly effective in producing antibodies against the SARS-CoV-2 virus in pregnant and lactating women. The study also demonstrated the vaccines confer protective immunity to newborns through breast milk and the placenta.

Coronavirus Vaccine and Fever in Pregnancy

Getting the coronavirus vaccine during pregnancy may cause a fever, however, this is not very likely and the fever after vaccination is of short duration and unlikely to cause any damage to the growing baby or fetus. From Harvard Health:

One possible side effect of the COVID-19 vaccines is fever a day or two after vaccination. This occurred in about

• 1% to 3% of people after the first dose of mRNA vaccine

• 15% to 17% after the second dose of mRNA vaccine

• 9% after the Johnson & Johnson single-dose vaccine.

These fevers are generally low and can be managed with acetaminophen, which is safe to take during pregnancy. Rarely, high, prolonged fevers in pregnancy may lead to birth defects.

Thanks for reading and have a great day,

-Dr. Paul Thomas 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.

Reaching out to Young People with the Coronavirus Vaccine

How to Reach Young People with the Coronavirus Vaccine

Presently, young adults have a wait-and-see mentality when it comes to the coronavirus vaccination. According to Kaiser Health News, young adults, ages 18-29, were most likely to be in this “wait and see” group, at 25% of respondents.

One young adult trying to change this wait-and-see attitude among her peers is Christina Zerka, an undergraduate/pre-medical student at the University of Michigan.

She started a campaign called Save Summer 2021, through which she advocates for vaccine acceptance among young people, with the goal of returning to fun and engaging public events, like concerts, once herd immunity is reached.

The Save Summer 2021 campaign can be found on Instagram, YouTube, and their own website.

In this interview, we talk about the Save Summer 2021 campaign and how we can make sure that all groups within our country have access to the best information around coronavirus and the vaccine.

Thanks for reading and have a great day,

- Dr. Paul Thomas with Plum Health DPC

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

Coronavirus Update for Detroit on April 5th, 2021

The house is on fire.

Michigan reported 8,413 new Covid-19 cases on Saturday, bringing the state's total pandemic case count to 692,206.

There were 8,413 new Covid-19 cases on Saturday - we’re getting close to that big spike that we had around the holidays in November and December of 2020, and that’s not good news.

16,218 Michigan residents have died over the last 13 months from the Coronavirus.

Just because you're "over it" doesn't mean that Coronavirus will magically disappear.

We're all tired - we all want this to be over with.

But now is not the time for recklessness.

Be safe, be smart, mask up, keep your distance, and get the vaccine as soon as you can.

On the bright side, 31% of Michigan residents have gotten at least one dose of the vaccine, and 19% are fully vaccinated.

I was on Daily Detroit with Jer Staes talking about Coronavirus and why cases are skyrocketing here in Metro Detroit.

Listen here: http://www.dailydetroit.com/2021/03/30/the-house-is-on-fire-with-coronavirus-in-metro-detroit/

Or listen here:

Thanks for reading and have a great week. - Dr. Paul Thomas with Plum Health DPC

Throwback to March 2018: Paul Thomas MD on IT in the D

Unfortunately, David Phillips, long-time Detroit podcaster, has passed away. To honor his memory, and to highlight his humor and magnetism, here’s our interview with Bob Waltenspiel, David Phillips, Jer Staes, and Randy Walker. As a warning, there is some adult humor and language in this episode, so if you want to jump to a cleaner portion of the interview, skip to time 31:00: