Plum Health Blog
Plum Health DPC is a Family Medicine Practice in Detroit that is Accepting New Patients
Plum Health DPC is a family medicine practice in Detroit that is accepting new patients.
We have a family medicine clinic with three family medicine doctors and we are all accepting new patients into our practice. We see patients of all ages and stages and help our patients with a variety of medical concerns, like asthma, allergies, sleep apnea, depression, anxiety, diabetes, high blood pressure, hypertension, anemia, acid reflux, obesity, and so much more.
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
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:
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
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.
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.
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.
Three Excellent Family Physicians in Detroit Michigan Accepting New Patients
Detroit Primary Care Doctors Accepting New Patients
Paul Thomas MD, Raquel Orlich DO, and Leslie Rabaut DO are family medicine doctors accepting new patients in Detroit, Michigan. Their practice is called Plum Health and they see patients using a membership model for health care. Patients pay a low monthly fee to be a part of Plum Health, and with that membership, receive excellent primary care services.
Patients can come into the office whenever they want to be seen - we guarantee a same-day or next-day appointment for our Plum Health members. We also offer easy communication, with phone calls, text message, and email access to the doctors.
To see what all the buzz is about, you can enroll yourself, your family, or your small business into the Plum Health service via this link.
Thanks for reading and have a wonderful week!
The Doctors at Plum Health DPC are Raquel Orlich DO, Paul Thomas MD, and Leslie Rabaut DO. They are all board certified family medicine physicians and they are all accepting new patients.
Connect with Dr. Paul Thomas on LinkedIn
If you’d like to connect with Dr. Paul Thomas on LinkedIn, follow this link:
Paul Thomas MD in the Conference Room with Mark S Lee
Today I’ll be in the Conference Room with Mark S Lee. Here’s what he posted on his LinkedIn:
This week “In the Conference Room”, we welcome Dana C. Harvey, MBA, Paul Thomas, M.D. and Wayne Handmarsh.
Topics include entrepreneurial challenges during COVID, medical challenges in diverse segments and and senior care services.
You can join the conversation, Sunday, 11 am, EDT, by calling (313) 778-7600. You can also stream via the station’s FB Live, iHeart Radio or the station’s app (click on “Watch Live”).
And don’t forget to Spring Forward this weekend!
I’ve known Mark for the last 4 years as he was one of the first journalists to cover me and my journey with Plum Health DPC. He wrote an excellent article about us in Crain’s Detroit Business back in March 2017, and that was a tremendous boost for our business and our brand.
Mark’s program today starts at 11 am on 910 am Superstation (you can watch or listen live, here) and we’ll be featured at the noon hour. Please join us!
MORE ABOUT PLUM HEALTH DPC
At Plum Health, we believe that health care should be affordable and accessible for everyone. Members of the practice can call, text, or email the doctor anytime they need health care services. We guarantee same-day/next-day appointments. Additionally, patients have access to wholesale medications, at-cost imaging services, and at-cost lab work. Plum Health began in November 2016 with 8 patients, and now has 975 active patients, spanning in age from 4 months to 101 years of age. Our vision is to provide the best healthcare experience in Detroit and beyond.
-Paul Thomas MD with 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.
Open Enrollment in Detroit Michigan
We wrote an Opinion on open enrollment, and how it upholds the bottom line for insurance companies, rather than protecting the health of every day Americans.
You see, if you miss the open enrollment period, you can be excluded from health insurance coverage for 12 months, which will reduce your ability to have access to healthcare resources.
Plus health insurance plan prices are often exorbitant, forcing folks to pay hefty deductibles before any "coverage" from the health insurance company kicks in.
Finally, it's a mistake to tie health insurance coverage to employment - as we've seen with this pandemic, millions of job losses lead to millions more uninsured, and this is horrible considering that the job losses are due to a pandemic that leaves folks vulnerable to high cost hospitalizations.
I have to give a big thank you to my co-author Geoffrey Ginter a 3rd year medical student at Wayne State University School of Medicine. Also a big thank you to the editorial staff at The Detroit News for featuring our opinion.
Dr. Paul Thomas Interviewed on the Talk2MeDoc Podcast
Dr. Paul Thomas Interviewed on the Talk2MeDoc Podcast
This month, I had a great interview with Andrew Tisser of the Talk2MeDoc podcast. We discussed the direct primary care model and why it’s beneficial for patients and why it’s beneficial for doctors. We talk about primary care, access to care, health disparities, physician burnout, and so much more. Here’s what they had to say:
Join Andrew Tisser with Dr. Paul Thomas as they talk about an exciting new model of primary care. In this episode, you’ll learn:
What is Direct Primary Care?
Benefits of DPC to patients and physicians alike
How to negotiate wholesale prices on labs and imaging
Much more!
Here’s that full episode and below I take a deeper dive into some of these topics.
The Private Medical Practice is Not Dead
During medical school, medical students are told that the only way to have a career in medicine is via an employed model. That simply isn’t true. The private medical practice is not dead. In fact, once you get outside of the health insurance model, the private medical practice is thriving.
When I first started our direct primary care practice back in November of 2016, there were only about 400 practices across the country. Now, there’s over 1,300 direct primary care practices, and the movement continues to grow.
Why? Because patients are looking for kind, caring, and thoughtful physicians who have enough time to fully address all of their concerns. And guess what? The Direct Primary Care model allows doctors to have the time and space to take care of their patients in a comprehensive manner with enough time to fully listen.
Doctor, Heal Thy Self
For too long, primary care physicians have been battling burnout and moral injury by practicing in the fee-for-service model. This has lead to many doctors experiencing burnout and compassion fatigue. As many of 54% of physicians are affected by burnout.
In this podcast episode I make the analogy of half of your lights in your house burning out. If this were to happen, you wouldn’t change each individual lightbulb. Instead, you’d call the big energy company and inquire about the electrical grid in your city, or you’d call up an electrician and have them evaluate the electrical panel in your home.
Yet, when 54% of doctors face burnout, the hospital systems and insurance companies tell them to engage in meditation exercises, retreats, or self-care activities. Sometimes they just tell the doctors to “be more resilient.”
This approach is a slap in the face for hard working and compassionate doctors across our country.
What needs to happen is a comprehensive, systems-based reform of our health insurance and medical care payment systems that uplift the doctor patient relationship rather than forcing doctors into a one-size-fits-all model of high-volume, low-quality patient visits.
About Paul Thomas, MD:
Dr. Paul Thomas is a board-certified family medicine physician practicing in Corktown 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. Finally, he is an author of two books Direct Primary Care: The Cure for Our Broken Healthcare System and Startup DPC: How to Start and Grow Your Direct Primary Care Practice
You can find Dr. Thomas.
Website: https://www.plumhealthdpc.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PlumHealthDPC/
Dr. Paul Thomas Speaks with The Gold Humanism Honor Society at Wayne State
This week, I had the privilege of speaking with the medical students who make up the Gold Humanism Honor Society at Wayne State University School of Medicine. Here’s what they had to say about it:
Tonight we had the opportunity to hear from Dr. Paul Thomas about direct primary care and providing affordable and accessible care for everyone. We are so grateful that you took the time to talk with us and we were able to learn more about @plumhealthdpc 💜
When I was a medical student at WSU SOM, I was a part of the Gold Humanism Honor Society. Here’s what they’re all about:
The Gold Humanism Honor Society Chapter at Wayne State University School of Medicine was founded in 2005. We strive to embody the following tenets:
Excellence in patient care and advocacy
Compassion for patients and their families
Professionalism and leadership among colleagues, students and staff
Commitment to teaching students
Devotion to promoting humanism in medicine through behavior and attitude
Throughout my training and career in medicine, I’ve worked to cultivate my compassion for others and humanistic approach to medical care. Speaking with students is always a great reminder of the attributes that make up a kind and caring physician, so it was great to be invited to talk with these students.
Thanks for reading and have a great day,
-Dr. Paul Thomas of Plum Health DPC
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.
Family Medicine Doctor Accepting New Patients in Farmington Hills Michigan
Dr. Jamie Qualls is a Family Medicine Doctor practicing in Farmington Hills Michigan with Plum Health DPC. She is accepting new patients.
Dr. Jamie Qualls is a family medicine doctor accepting new patients in Farmington Hills, Michigan. She is a Board Certified Family Medicine doctor who completed her residency here in Southeast Michigan at Ascension Providence Hospital. She is a graduate of Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine.
Dr. Jamie Qualls practices full time at the Plum Health DPC office in Farmington Hills, Michigan - the address is 25882 Orchard Lake Road, Suite 200B, Farmington Hills, MI 48336.
As a family medicine physician, Dr. Jamie Qualls has a broad scope of practice. She helps patients manage chronic conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, depression, anxiety, mood disorders, asthma, COPD, and many more. Dr. Qualls is also proficient in caring for urgent concerns, like urinary tract infections, laceration repairs, ingrown toenails, strep throat, viral gastroenteritis, and others.
Finally, Dr. Qualls excels at integrating plant based nutrition into her care plans to produce optimal health outcomes for her patients. Dr. Qualls can collect blood work in the office to test for cholesterol levels, thyroid disorders, electrolyte imbalances, and kidney or liver disorders. She can also coordinate imaging studies that may be needed to make an accurate diagnosis.
To become a patient of Dr. Qualls, please sign up here.
Plum Health Featured in The Jewish News
Plum Health DPC Featured in The Jewish News
This week, Plum Health DPC was featured in The Jewish News by writer Ben Falik. My favorite excerpts are as follows:
It’s simpler to describe how direct primary care works than how — let me count the ways — traditional fee-for-service, even with “good” insurance, does not:
I am a member of Plum Health Direct Primary Care. Membership costs $49 a month. Raquel Orlich is my doctor.
I guess she’s other people’s doctor too. But I can call, email or text (from my $50/month phone) Dr. Orlich anytime I’m having an issue and, if she can’t solve it remotely, she can always see me that day or the following.
At one point, there were some balloons celebrating Dr. Orlich’s 300th patient. Ultimately, she’ll have around 500. That seems like a lot, I thought, especially compared to my prior impression that I was her only patient.
The writer, Ben Falik, discusses when his daughter got a splinter in her finger and she was brought to our Plum Health DPC office for care:
Phoebe got a splinter in her finger recently. We texted “Dr. Raquel.” She wrote me right back with her availability. I brought Phoebe to the office at Michigan and Trumbull. Free street parking. Splinter gone. Respectable Band-Aid selection. No charge. And now Phoebe wants to be either a doctor or Great Dane when she grows up.
Dr. Raquel Orlich removes a splinter within 24 hours of being notified of said splinter.
Thanks for reading and have a wonderful day,
-Dr. Paul Thomas with Plum Health DPC
Dr. Paul Thomas' Statement on George Floyd
This week has been a tumultuous week for our communities and our country. I’m proud to be an ally to those who face racial injustice and race-based discrimination and violence.
The vast majority of people were supportive of the post, but there were some negative comments. One person on Facebook said: “This was a terrible event. Likewise, Dr Thomas, there is no professional reason for you to comment on this.”
In response, I said “I respectfully disagree. I serve a diverse group of patients, some of whom have been exposed to trauma that can negatively affect their health outcomes. By communicating my understanding of these realities, I aim to help others and support those who've been affected by traumatic events like this. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29019632/”
Thanks for reading,
-Dr. Paul Thomas
Paul Thomas MD Interviewed on Model D Media
On April 7th, 2020, Dr. Paul Thomas was interviewed by Dorothy Hernandez during Model D Media’s Facebook Live stream. The topic was Coronavirus and how we are managing this pandemic in the Detroit community.
Here’s what Model D Media wrote about this:
Editor’s note: This guest column by Dr. Paul Thomas, a family medicine doctor and founder of Plum Health Direct Primary Care, has been adapted from this blog post on the health center's website. Click here for the full post published on April 4.
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought an overload of information — and there's a lot of misinformation out there. Do you have a question for Dr. Thomas about coronavirus? Join us on our Facebook page for a Facebook Live Q&A at 10 a.m. Wednesday, April 8, with Dr. Thomas.
Q: Which counties nationwide have been impacted the most by coronavirus?
A: From the perspective of the number of cases and the number of deaths, the following counties/areas have been impacted the most by the coronavirus:
New York City (Queens, Bronx, Manhattan, Brooklyn, Staten Island)
Wayne County, Michigan
King County, Washington
Orleans County, Louisiana
Cook County, Illinois
Oakland County, Michigan
Bergen County, New Jersey
This comes from the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center and it's notable that Michigan has two neighboring counties in the top six hardest-hit counties: Wayne County and Oakland County.
Q: Why has Michigan and Southeast Michigan been hit so hard by the coronavirus?
A: Bridge Magazine wrote an excellent article on this and I agree with their assessment with one addition that we haven't been talking about.
In the article, Bridge Magazine talks about the following factors causing Michigan to be more susceptible to the virus:
Automotive trade with suppliers in Wuhan China
Detroit Metro Airport with Direct Flights to Wuhan, China
Michigan’s March 10th Presidential Primary
Ties between Detroit and Italy via Fiat Chrysler (FCA)
In addition to these factors, I would want to add a few others, including higher rates of overweight and obesity in Detroit and Michigan - rate of overweight is 47.5% in Detroit (34% in NYC) and rate of obesity is 34.6% in Detroit (22% in NYC).
All of these factors have led to a higher case fatality rate here in Detroit and Michigan than the national case fatality rate:
National case fatality rate is 2.47%
Michigan case fatality rate is 3.75%
Detroit case fatality rate is 3.29%
Q: What are the comorbid conditions increasing the risk of mortality in COVID-19 positive patients?
A: [Last] week, I spoke with a physician colleague at one of the nearby regional hospital systems and we discussed the conditions that lead to a higher mortality rate. These comorbid conditions are as follows:
Cardiovascular disease (High blood pressure)
Diabetes
Pulmonary Disease
Obesity
Cancer
These factors that we discussed were similar to those studied in Wuhan, China.
While it’s still too early to state exactly why this is the case, I have a few theories. First, African American folks have higher rates of diabetes, hypertension, and obesity than their white counterparts here in Detroit and in Michigan. As we stated above, these are risk factors for higher mortality from the coronavirus. Next, African American people may be more likely to depend on low and minimum wage jobs that put them at a higher risk of contracting the coronavirus.
Q: Should I wear a mask to prevent the spread of the coronavirus?
A: Yes, the CDC now recommends that all Americans wear a mask when in a place where they have a higher chance of contracting the Coronavirus, like grocery stores. This can be a cloth or fabric mask. Please wash these each day if you wear them. Please do not hoard surgical or N95 masks as these are needed at hospitals at this time.
Q: What can you do to slow down the coronavirus?
A:
Stay at home
Donate extra supplies to hospitals or your primary care doctor’s office
Unused N95 masks
Unused nitrile gloves
Donate blood
DO NOT congregate in large groups
DO NOT visit elderly or vulnerable relatives, even if you feel fine
Act as though you have the virus
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
Can Vitamin C Treat the Coronavirus?
Can Vitamin C Treat the Coronavirus?
No.
At this time, there is no evidence that Vitamin C can prevent or treat the Coronavirus.
In late March, I began to receive an uptick in questions about vitamin supplementation. There is little to no evidence that high doses of vitamin C will prevent or treat the Coronavirus. But some people have been recommending these supplements as a panacea for all viruses and all seasonal afflictions. There’s also been a few social media posts promoting vitamin supplementation as a cure for Coronavirus. In this blog post, I aim to set the record straight on vitamin C and Coronavirus.
What is Vitamin C?
First of all, Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) is an essential nutrient as it supports normal growth and development and it helps your body absorb iron. Your body doesn’t produce or store vitamin C, so it’s important to get enough vitamin C by eating a healthy diet.
Next, and according to the Mayo Clinic, the average adult needs 65 to 90 mg of vitamin C each day. Again, we can get enough vitamin C by eating a healthy, well-balanced diet. There’s 190 mg of vitamin C in a raw sweet red pepper and there’s 97.5 mg of vitamin C in a large orange. Other foods high in vitamin C include guava, tomato juice, orange juice, strawberries, papayas, and broccoli.
Here’s an awesome chart from Medical News Today that shows which foods are rich in Vitamin C.
The best way to get enough Vitamin C? A healthy diet. The above foods have adequate amounts of Vitamin C.
Where is this Bad Advice on Vitamin C coming from?
Here’s the issue, in late March I was forwarded general advice from a holistic doctor who went so far as to recommend as much vitamin C “as your body can handle” but at least 3,000 to 5,000 mg each day. In their words, this would protect you from the Coronavirus.
Not only is this person misleading their patients and giving potentially dangerous medical advice on a non-individualized basis, but he is also profiteering on their lack of knowledge. The doctor has an online supplement store where patients can purchase his recommended vitamins without a prescription for a hefty sum.
This email was forwarded to me from a holistic doctor who has been prescribing the above supplements as Coronavirus “protection.” As a family medicine doctor who follows evidence-based guidelines, it is very frustrating to see this type of bad information circulating via email and on social media channels.
Can Too Much Vitamin C be Dangerous?
When people think of vitamins, minerals, and supplements, they think of good health. If supplements are good, then more supplements are better, right? But what people don’t know, and what this vitamin-pushing doctor should know, is that mega doses of supplements can have negative consequences.
Most adults only need 65 to 90 mg of vitamin C each day, and adults shouldn’t take more than 2,000 mg each day. Although too much dietary vitamin C is unlikely to be harmful, mega doses of vitamin C supplements might cause diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, heartburn, abdominal cramps, headaches, and insomnia.
Let’s create a hypothetical patient who is a middle-aged adult man who takes Metformin 500 mg twice daily for his long-standing diabetes. The Metformin works well, keeping his blood sugar and hemoglobin a1c levels near normal. It’s important to know that adverse effects of Metformin include diarrhea, GI complaints, nausea, vomiting, and abdominal distention.
If both the Metformin and the high-dose Vitamin C are taken at the same time, the side effects from Vitamin C supplementation may be incorrectly attributed to the Metformin, potentially causing the patient to stop a beneficial medication.
Always Talk to Your Doctor about Your medications and your supplements
It’s entirely possible that in some cases, a patient might be taking mega doses of vitamin C, and not inform their physician of these supplements. Usually a doctor only asks their patients about which medications they’re taking, and not specifically about supplements. If the doctor doesn’t know about these mega doses of vitamins, those adverse effects caused by the vitamin C mega doses may be blamed on or attributed to a life-saving or life-prolonging medications prescribed by your doctor.
And this is just one example - many medications, from blood pressure medications to SSRIs for depression to other medications for diabetes like glipizide can have gastrointestinal side effects. So, please, talk with your family medicine doctor or internal medicine doctor about the medications and supplements that you’re taking.
What Can You do to help improve your immune system?
Here’s my recommendation for a healthy lifestyle during this time:
Exercise: 1 hour daily
Sleep: 7 - 9 hours daily
Eat: a balanced, healthy diet
Meditate: 30 minutes to 1 hour daily
If you choose to supplement with Vitamin C, talk with your doctor.
As a final note, the USA Today wrote a good article about this topic, and Harvard Health has another good article about this topic.
Thanks for reading, - Dr. Paul Thomas with Plum Health DPC
Plum Health in Crain's Detroit Business
This week, we were featured in Crain’s Detroit Business under a special section regarding the Caring for Kids radio program. Here’s the part about Plum Health DPC, our membership model family medicine service in Detroit:
Caring for kids: Advocating for the mental and physical care of children
On his monthly radio program, The Children’s Foundation President and CEO Larry Burns talks to community, government and business leaders about issues related to children’s health and wellness.
Guests for this discussion were Dr. Stephen Bloom, Medical Director of Rehabilitation, St. Joseph Mercy Hospital Rehabilitation, Ann Arbor; Dr. Paul Thomas, Family Medicine Doctor, Plum Health DPC; and David Coulter, County Executive, Oakland County.
The hourlong show typically airs at 7 p.m. the fourth Tuesday of each month on WJR 760AM. Here’s a summary of the show that aired December 31st; listen to the entire episode, and archived episodes, at yourchildrensfoundation.org/caring-for-kids.
Larry Burns and Dr. Paul Thomas discuss Plum Health DPC
Larry Burns: Plum Health DPC (Direct Primary Care) is the first practice of its kind in Detroit and Wayne Country. Tell us more about your mission.
Dr. Paul Thomas: We believe that health care should be affordable and accessible. We’ve lowered the cost of health care and allowed people to be more proactive in taking care of themselves. With this direct care model, my patients—or members—pay me directly. It’s $10 a month for kids and then it starts at $49 a month for adults. They can come see me any time they need to. They also have my cell phone number so they can call or text me anytime.
Burns: What might a parent get for that $10 kid membership?
Thomas: You have a doctor on call for you. You might send me a photo of a rash and I could walk you through that. Or you might be concerned about an ear infection and I’d want you to come in to be seen for that. Or you have your well visit.
Burns: If somebody has insurance can they still be a member?
Thomas: Yes. We see people who are uninsured, under-insured, and fully insured.
Burns: What are the membership advantages for adults?
Thomas: Again, you have me on speed dial. We also do in-house labs and medications for all of our patients at significantly lower cost. For example, for a cholesterol panel at the hospital, you might be charged $100; at our office it’s $6. Or, if you came in to manage your blood pressure and you’re taking Lisinopril, that tablet might be $10 at the pharmacy for a one-month supply. At our office it’s 1 cent per pill, so your blood pressure medications now cost 30 cents a month.
Burns: How’s the practice going?
Thomas: We initially launched in 2016 as a house call practice. I had a small office in Southwest Detroit with about eight members. We’ve now grown to about 580 members. We hired a second doctor to help with the demand and we moved into a larger office in Corktown.
Burns: What is in the future for Plum Health?
Thomas: We want to continue to grow and bring on a new doctor perhaps every year to meet the demand. There are only 100 primary care physicians practicing in Detroit for 600,000 residents. That’s one doctor for every 6,000 residents. If you go north of Eight Mile into Oakland County there’s one primary care physician for every 600 residents. That’s a 10x disparity in primary care access.
Burns: How can someone become a member?
Thomas: Go to plumhealthdpc.com.
Thanks for reading and have a wonderful day, - Dr. Paul Thomas with Plum Health DPC
This week, we were featured in a special section of Crain’s Detroit Business.
This week, Paul Thomas, MD of Plum Health DPC was featured in Crain’s Detroit Business with Larry Burns, CEO of the Children’s Foundation.
Daily Detroit Covers the Plum Health Move to Corktown
Daily Detroit, shares what to know and where to go in Southeast Michigan in a 15-20 minute, local podcast. They recently covered our move from Southwest Detroit to our new location in Corktown Detroit. Here’s what we discuss:
The move into our new 1,700 Square Foot office in Corktown, at the Corner, which is the historic former site of Tiger Stadium. This is the corner of Michigan and Trumbull, and our address is 1600 Michigan Ave, Suite 125, Detroit MI 48216
We’re a Direct Primary Care practice in Detroit, and we provide Family Medicine services through a membership model for health care. Our members pay $10 each month for children, and our adult memberships start at $49 per month. With the membership, our patients can see us anytime they need to without a copay.
Dr. Raquel Orlich started with our practice in July 2019. She’s an Osteopathic Physician who studied at Michigan State University and was the Chief Resident in Family Medicine at Ascension Macomb.
Why did we move? We moved because we outgrew our original space in Southwest Detroit. We had also won some grant money through the Motor City Match program and the Detroit Demo Day that we needed to use towards our build out of a new office.
Why this specific location? We moved to the Corner because it’s very close to our original location. Our new spot in Corktown is only 1.1 miles away from our old spot in Southwest Detroit. Importantly, this allows us to continue serving all of our original members.
What have we learned since starting this business? If you’ve ever started a business, you know that it’s not the decisions, it’s the decisiveness. This was something that was difficult to learn as a Physician because Doctors are trained to over-analyze problems and leave no stone unturned. I still use that part of my brain when taking care of patients, but I have to turn that part of my brain off when I think about challenges in our business.
How can people get involved? You can enroll on our website, here. Or you can give us a call at 313.444.5630. Finally, you can stop by at our new office - 1620 Michigan Ave Ste 125, Detroit MI 48216.
Listen to the episode on Daily Detroit’s YouTube Channel (below). Our segment starts at the 4:28 mark.
If you like Plum Health, and if you like YouTube, you’ll love our Plum Health YouTube Channel!
Thanks for reading and watching and have a marvelous day - Dr. Paul Thomas and Dr. Raquel Orlich
Meet our Medical Assistant at Plum Health
Medical Assistant at Plum Health DPC
Everyone this is Chris, Chris this is everyone! He’s our amazing Medical Assistant and he helps us give injections 💉 and draw blood among other things.
Chris Lake is the Medical Assistant at Plum Health DPC
You might be thinking 🤔 “why is Chris holding a plate of cookies 🍪?” Well, he had a small bet with one of our patients who bruises easily during blood draws. She said that she would definitely bruise, regardless of how good the blood draw was - she just always bruises, she said. Chris made a friendly wager of a plate of cookies 🍪 and our patient delivered after “the best blood draw she’s ever had.” Later that week, a plate of white chocolate macadamia nut cookies found their way to our office!
In all seriousness, it’s great to have Chris as a part of our team. He does excellent work and is a great person to know. We can’t wait to see you for your next appointment,
-Dr. Paul Thomas, Dr. Raquel Orlich, and Chris Lake