Plum Health at the Michigan Central Station

Yesterday was a momentous occasion - Ford Motor Company announced their purchase and their plans for the historic and beautiful Michigan Central Station. The Michigan Central Station has been abandoned since the mid-1980's, and it has been an eyesore on the Detroit skyline for the past 20 years. 

The empty station had been an emotional thorn in the side, constantly nagging at Detroit, reminding Detroiters of their past prominence, but also standing as a signal of our post-industrial economic failures.

But all of those bad feelings have been erased after today's event. Now, there's a sense of pride that Detroit has an opportunity to remake this historic site in the best way possible. The event at the Michigan Central Station felt inclusive, as community leaders from several different sectors were invited to be seated on stage. 

There's also the impending economic impact of having thousands of Ford Motor Company employees working out of the Michigan Central Station in about 4 years. 

As a lover of Detroit, Detroit history, and architecture this was a great day for me. As someone who cares deeply about the health of Detroiters and the prosperity of the region, this was one of the best days for me. 

I am hopeful that the benefits of having Ford Motor Company in Detroit will be felt and experienced by all Detroiters - employment and economic prosperity is a key to having great health. 

As a physician and a family doctor in Southwest Detroit, with our office just two blocks behind the historic and now revitalizing Michigan Central Station, I'm excited for the future challenges and opportunities. 

Thanks for reading and watching,

- Dr. Paul Thomas with Plum Health DPC

Plum Health DPC is a family medicine practice in Southwest Detroit that delivers affordable, accessible healthcare. We remove the profit takers between you and your doctor, lowering the cost of healthcare. Our memberships are $10/month for children and start at $49/month for adults. This allows you to have contact with me, your doctor, any time you need me, as well as the ability to purchase wholesale medications and receive lab work at-cost. To start your journey with Plum Health, head over to our scheduling page: https://www.plumhealthdpc.com/schedule/

Plum Health will pitch at Detroit Demo Day

Plum Health DPC will pitch at Detroit Demo Day, and there's $100,000 on the line! That money goes to the top vote getter, so we need to pack the house and get a lot of votes - help us make health care more affordable and accessible. Be in the audience, cast your vote, get your tickets here!

Also, there's a ton of news coverage about the event, from Crain's Detroit Business, to the Detroit News, and even the Seattle Times!

Thanks for reading, and have a wonderful day!

- Dr. Paul Thomas, MD with Plum Health DPC

Plum Health DPC Mentioned in Business Insider

This week, I was delighted to see Plum Health DPC mentioned in two different publications. The first was an excellent, comprehensive piece on Direct Primary Care in Business Insider by Lydia Ramsey.

Ms. Ramsey and I have spoken over the phone about the Direct Primary Care movement, and she asked several insightful questions about our practice in Detroit, Michigan. She has spoken with roughly 16 other DPC doctors and synthesized a great summary of the movement in her article.

I loved the chart she used to compare and contrast traditional Fee-For-Service medicine with Direct Primary Care services:

Next up, we were mentioned in the South Florida Sun-Sentinel article on Direct Primary Care written by Ron Hurtibise. The article discusses Direct Primary Care and the efforts in the Florida Legislature to make DPC 'legal' in that state. 

Fortunately, in Michigan, Direct Primary Care has been 'legalized' via the efforts of State Senator Patrick Colbeck and his Senate Bill No. 1033. I have placed legal and legalized in quotations above because practicing Direct Primary Care or retainer-based medicine is not illegal, but having laws on the books like Senate Bill No. 1033 in Michigan and the proposed HB 37 in Florida removes any potential legal challenges and allows doctors who want to practice DPC medicine a clear path.

And we need more doctors having a clear path to the type of medical practice that they can enjoy and sustain for the long term. We need more doctors practicing primary care medicine. One of the arguments against DPC is that the panel size is smaller in the typical DPC practice as compared to the traditional Fee-for-Service practice. In the Sun-Sentinel article, a part of my LinkedIn article was quoted:

"As to the charge that Direct Primary Care contributes to the shortage of primary care doctors, Paul Thomas, a doctor with Plum Health DPC, wrote in an essay published on LinkedIn.com last year that the model might actually encourage more medical students to become primary care doctors, rather than pursue higher-paying specialty fields.

"A Direct Primary Care practice with 500 members can provide a primary care provider with more income than some earn with 3,500 patients at a fee-for-service practice, Thomas wrote. And the increased time for personal interaction eliminates “role strain” and allows the provider to address patients as whole people, he said.

I believe that Direct Primary Care practices provide physicians and patients with a better primary care experience, and will allow doctors to practice for longer periods of time without retiring early or leaving the field completely because of burnout. I'm happy to see the DPC movement spreading across the country, and I'm happy to be quoted in these two publications.

Thanks for reading!

- Dr. Paul Thomas with Plum Health DPC

Guy Gordon Discusses Direct Primary Care on WJR

Today, Guy Gordon and Senator Patrick Colbeck discussed Direct Primary Care and the potential impact that it can have on the health and wellness of Michigan residents as well as the sustainability of the Michigan economy. The discussion was held on WJR News Radio (AM 760).

My name is Paul Thomas, M.D. and I am a family medicine doctor practicing in Southwest Detroit. I believe that healthcare should be affordable and accessible for everyone. I also believe that we can achieve this goal through direct primary care medicine.

It is a dream of mine to see and help more family doctors and primary care physicians transition from the fee-for-service model of healthcare to the direct primary care model. This will allow more doctors to deliver compassionate, truly patient-centered care with transparent pricing in our great state of Michigan. 

To this end, I will be speaking at the Michigan Academy of Family Physicians statewide conference in mid July in Kalamazoo, Michigan about this very topic.

Thanks so much for reading and watching, and have a wonderful day!

– Dr. Paul Thomas, M.D.

Most Visited Family Medicine Physician in Detroit

In February, HealthGrades sent us a note informing us that we had one of the most visited Family Medicine Physician pages on their website. 

It was really cool to see that we were in the 97th percentile nationally and the 95th percentile in Detroit, Michigan for page views on HealthGrades in 2017. I think this is due to our services at Plum Health DPC being so highly rated on the HealthGrades website. As of this post, we have 54 Five Star reviews on HealthGrades! 

Because of these rankings, our service is pushed to the top of the HealthGrades algorithm, and that's probably why we have so many page views. 

Thanks for reading!

- Dr. Paul Thomas with Plum Health DPC

Plum Health Featured on the Detroit Rising Podcast

This week, Plum Health DPC was featured in Crain's Detroit Business in an article by Senior Reporter Chad Livengood. There is an accompanying audio recording of the interview, here. 

The Detroit Rising Podcast focuses on business and commerce and the intersection of Public Policy in Detroit. It was a pleasure to be featured on the podcast and on the Crain's Detroit website. Additionally, Chad Livengood brings excellent insights along with his investigative reporting. 

In the audio segment, Mr. Livengood states, "one of the biggest challenges to rebuilding Detroit is getting service-based businesses to set up shop after decades of disinvestment." And, Plum Health DPC is one of those service-based businesses, and it was exciting to discuss how we're making health care more affordable and accessible in Detroit.

During the interview, we talk about the Direct Primary Care business model, the availability of primary care physicians in Detroit, and what the City of Detroit is doing to improve the quality of life in the city. 

Thanks for reading and listening, and have a wonderful day,

- Dr. Paul Thomas with Plum Health DPC

A screenshot from the Crain's Detroit webpage featuring our interview.

On February 20th, we were featured on the front page of the Crain's Detroit Business webpage, you just might have to squint to see us!

Family Doctor Accepting New Patients in Detroit Michigan

During the busy days and weeks of the year, sometimes we forget to make one thing clear - we are a family medicine service in Detroit, Michigan and we are accepting new patients in our family medicine clinic. 

Family Doctor Accepting New Patients in Detroit Michigan

My name is Dr. Paul Thomas and Plum Health DPC is a family medicine clinic in Southwest Detroit and we are accepting new patients. As a family medicine doctor, I take care of patients of all ages and stages. This means that I can take care of children or pediatric patients as well as adults.

What We Treat

We treat a broad range of conditions, from the acute care concerns like sore throats to coughs and colds as well as influenza. We also treat high blood pressure, diabetes, and other chronic conditions. Additionally, we perform procedures like Pap tests, skin lesion removal and biopsies, as well as rapid strep test, rapid influenza testing, and rapid mono testing.

Why We Are Different

We are different because we're available, affordable, and accessible. Our service is just a click away, so don't hesitate to send us a note here or through any of our other social media channels.

Thank you so much for reading and watching, and have a wonderful day!

– Dr. Paul Thomas, M.D.

Detroit Medical Students Run a Free Medical Clinic

For the last 6 years I've been volunteering at a free medical clinic on Detroit's East Side called the Robert R. Frank Student Run Free Clinic or the SRFC. The SRFC services Detroit residents who are uninsured, and as their name implies, it is run by medical students.

Last night we had a stakeholders meeting and I am continually impressed by these medical students and their diligence, commitment, and compassion. 

If you'd like to help these students serve more uninsured Detroit citizens, you can donate here, participate in their upcoming 5K, or participate in their upcoming Golf Outing (date TBD). 

Heart Health in Detroit Video

Because it's February and it's heart health month, I shot a short video about high blood pressure, changes in blood pressure thresholds, and what you can do to keep your heart healthy!

Heart Health on SEEN Magazine

Today is Valentine's Day and it's a great time to talk about heart health aka cardiovascular health. We were invited to write a blog post for Detroit's SEEN Magazine and it is now live and currently on their front page! Head over to their website to read the full article, here.

Thanks for reading,

- Dr. Paul Thomas with Plum Health DPC

Morris S. Brent Lectureship at Wayne State Medical School

I'm excited to announce that I will be giving a lecture to my medical colleagues at Wayne State University School of Medicine's Sesquicentennial Celebration. A part of that Sesquicentennial Celebration is the Medical Alumni Reunion Weekend, which features the Dr. Morris S. Brent Lectureship. 

Image taken from Wayne State University's website, https://alumni.med.wayne.edu/mard

My topic is "WSU SOM - 150 Years of Medical Excellence & Innovation" and I'm proud of the rich history of Wayne State. A few notable facts: 

• What is now WSU SOM was originally founded as the Detroit Medical College by five US Civil War Veterans in 1868, thus 2018 is the year of the Sesquicentennial Celebration
• WSU SOM is the birthplace of the mechanical heart pump used in the world's first successful open heart surgery in 1952; it was a collaboration between General Motors and Forest Dodrill, MD
• In 2015, WSU SOM remains on the forefront of medical research as they opened the Integrative Biosciences Center, which aims to study and eliminate the health disparities affecting Detroit's residents.

After the break, there is a description of the Morris S. Brent Lectureship series in greater detail. Thanks for reading, and have a great day,

- Dr. Paul Thomas with Plum Health DPC

The Dr. Morris S. Brent Lectureship was established at the Wayne State University School of Medicine in 1989 by Brent General Hospital in honor of the late Morris S. Brent, M.D., to provide quality lecturers for continuing medical education during Medical Alumni Reunion Day. Dr. Brent, grew up in Detroit, attended Cass Technical High School and received two degrees from Wayne State University, a bachelor's degree in 1927 and a medical degree in 1931. He spent much of his career in general practice, specializing in surgery and obstetrics. In 1942, he founded Brent General Hospital, a non-profit corporation, and served as its administrator until his retirement. He married Anne, a dental hygienist, and they had two sons, Burton Brent, a graduate of Chicago Medical School, and Robert Brent, a graduate of the WSU School of Medicine (Class of 1960).

The Dr. Morris S. Brent Lectureship will take place in the Richard J. Mazurek, M.D., Medical Education Commons Margherio Family Conference Center. This year's program provides continuing medical education credits and feature presenters from our own Wayne State family of physicians who will speak on a variety of interesting topics.
 

Paul Thomas MD TEDxDetroit Video

THE DAY HAS FINALLY ARRIVED! Our talk at TEDxDetroit has been posted on YouTube! Check it out here: 

In case you missed the original blog post after the TEDxDetroit event, check out my thoughts on speaking during the event, here. 

Thanks for reading and have a wonderful day!

- Dr. Paul Thomas with Plum Health DPC

The Radically Accessible Doctor in Detroit

This week, we took on a new patient on a Sunday evening. They had developed a pretty serious abscess in their armpit over the Thanksgiving weekend. On their drive home, they realized that they should probably have it looked at. By searching Google, they found our clinic!

Our new patient searched "Doctor Open Today", that's when they found Plum Health DPC!

Because it was a Sunday evening, they knew that it would be difficult to find an available doctor in Detroit. They searched "Doctor Open Today" and fortunately found our Plum Health clinic. 

I believe that health care should be affordable and accessible. Because of that belief, I am radically accessible for the patients in my care. 

So, that patient called around 2:30 pm on Sunday, and I was able to see them at 4:20 pm. We drained the abscess and started the appropriate antibiotic, dispensed from our in-clinic/on-site pharmacy. They had a follow up appointment during regular business hours on Tuesday, and was feeling much better!

Thanks for reading, and have a great day!

- Dr. Paul Thomas with Plum Health DPC

Healthy Aging in Detroit

Let me tell you about one of my favorite things: educating people in the community about how they can be healthier. 

Today I was invited to the Earnest T Ford Recreation Center at 10 Pitkin Street in Highland Park to speak with a group of older men. They had questions and concerns about their health and their health care, and it was a pleasure speaking with them.

This group of senior citizens wanted to know how they could better their lives, and they peppered me with as many questions as they could think of, and I loved it. I love sharing my knowledge as a practicing family medicine doc with the people in my community. 

I especially enjoyed seeing the 'aha!' moments when things started to click with those men in my audience. We talked about high blood pressure, diabetes, erectile function and dysfunction, the aging brain, exercise, osteoporosis and bone health, and the connections between these conditions. Below are some pictures from the event!

Thanks for reading, and have a wonderful day,

- Dr. Paul Thomas with Plum Health in Detroit, MI

Health Fair with the Wayne State Physicians Assistants

Over the past 6 months I've been hosting and teaching Physician Assistant students from Wayne State University at the Plum Health office. I've also had a few residents rotate through and a few medical students visit the clinic, some from Wayne State and some from University of Michigan. 

As Plum Health is the only Direct Primary Care practice in Detroit and Wayne County, and only one of less than ten in the State of Michigan, I find that we attract PA students, medical students, residents, doctors and allied health professionals who are thinking differently about health care and it's delivery, especially in the context of health equity and health disparities. 

Anyways, I've loved having these students rotate through Plum Health! They bring a unique perspective, build genuine relationships with our members, and create an atmosphere of teaching and learning in the practice. This last point is important because I practice evidence-based medicine, and having a student helps to keep me up-to-date on the latest recommendations for evidence-based practice. 

So last weekend, we were able to host a health fair at the Plum Health office. "We" being myself and the Physician Assistant students at Wayne State. Their energy was boundless and they put a great deal of time and effort in creating fun health-focused stations that taught participants about being healthier.

All in all, it was a successful day! We reached out to new people in the community, and gave away free medical care. We caught a case of diabetes that was unknown prior to the fair and helped folks gauge their blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol levels (HDL, LDL, Total Cholesterol and Lipid Panel). 

Below are photos from the event! Thanks for reading, and have a great day!

- Dr. Paul Thomas with Plum Health DPC in Detroit, Michigan

Don't Further Entrench an Already Broken System

Dear Congressional Representatives, Leaders in the AAFP, and all of those concerned with improving the health of Americans,

I’ve recently become aware of a part of the Alexander-Murray health reform bill that is concerning for the Direct Primary Care (DPC) movement, my practice and the patients that I care for in Southwest Detroit.

The bill includes a provision that mandates all High Deductible Health Plans cover an allotted primary care benefit. As written currently, the Alexander-Murray bill will cover “3 office visits per year” but many organizations, including the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), are pushing to expand that.

While this may sound like a nice perk for patients, it only further traps patients and their primary care doctors in a broken system that undervalues primary care. It reinforces the notion that government and insurance companies must micromanage our dollars and decisions.

Forcing patients to pre-pay for a “primary care benefit” with no out-of-pocket costs will have a few detrimental effects. First, it will almost certainly increase the up-front costs of already skyrocketing health insurance plans. It will also dissuade patients from taking a proactive approach to managing their own health and health care, instead pushing them to be managed by an insurance plan or government programs. Finally, this pre-paid primary care benefit will discourage people from joining Direct Primary Care Practices, a promising practice model that is already achieving the quadruple aim: improving population health, increasing patient satisfaction, reducing per-capita health care spending, and improving physician and staff satisfaction while practicing medicine.

Furthermore, the Alexander-Murray bill fails to address the Health Savings Account (HSA) issue with regards to Direct Primary Care membership fees, something that my DPC doctor colleagues and I have been advocating for over the last few years.

My recommendation at this time would be to advocate for the Primary Care Enhancement Act (SB 1358), which would address the above HSA issue and not further entrench an already broken primary care delivery model.

In closing, Direct Primary Care is an innovative health care delivery model that has promise for achieving the quadruple aim on a nationwide basis. There are nearly 1,000 primary care doctors already practicing or on the cusp of engaging in this model. This is an opportunity to help us grow this DPC movement, to help us better serve our patients in this innovative way, and to potentially heal a broken primary care system in America. Help us reach our goal.

Thank you for your time and consideration,

- Dr. Paul Thomas, MD with Plum Health DPC in Detroit, Michigan

Direct Primary Care Conference 2017

Today I'm blogging from Orlando! The 2017 Direct Primary Care Nuts and Bolts 2.0 conference is ongoing! There are some heavy hitters in the room, and it's great to meet up with colleagues and learn best practices. Moreover, this is a call to action - it's inspiring being surrounded by 250 of the leaders in the Direct Primary Care movement!

These doctors have left a secure paycheck, given up on their employed gigs and pursued their dream of delivering the best care possible for their patients. I'm always inspired by their courage in the face of uncertainty and their dedication to lifting up the profession of primary care. 

One of the most inspiring talks of this conference was given by Dr. Doug Farrago. He received a standing ovation after sharing his truth about why he's a Direct Primary Care doctor. He detailed his trajectory from being a battered employed doctor, threatened with termination if he questioned his marching orders, to leaving the system and practicing in a DPC model with fulfillment. 

A big thanks to Dr. Lee Gross and the Docs 4 Patient Care team who have organized this conference. I'm looking forward to 'next time'!

- Dr. Paul with Plum Health in Detroit, Michigan

Family Doctor at the Open Streets Detroit Event

Last week I had the opportunity to be on the street level, talking with folks about health care at the Open Streets Detroit event! For those of you who don't know, Open Streets is a global movement. Cities across the country and across the world shut down their streets to cars and buses, and open them up to walkers, joggers, bikers, rollerbladers and community partners. 

This year, I again participated as the "Ask the Doctor!" community partner. Last year I participated as well, but I wanted to make my area more interactive this year. So, I brought out a hockey net, a few sticks and I had people take a few shots on me. I've never been a great goalie, but it was a fun way to interact with folks in Corktown. 

Our station was in front of the Michigan Central Station and I spoke with hundreds of people over the course of the day. There were thousands of participants, and the streets were filled with energy and vibrancy! I'm really looking forward to the 'next time,' but until then, enjoy some pictures of Open Streets Detroit 2017!

Mentoring Students at Wayne State University School of Medicine

Part of my mission, part of the "why" behind what I do, is to educate medical students and inspire them to choose a career in primary care specialties. Primary care doctors have the greatest impact on their communities, have the most tools at their disposal, and are most able to bend the cost curve in the health care ecosystem.

As a part of that mission, I spend a good amount of time interacting with medical students at Wayne State University School of Medicine (WSUSOM). This week, I took part in two different events at WSUSOM. The first was a mentoring session for first year students and the second was a mock interview session for the fourth year students. 

For the first year students, it's an opportunity to get to know each other, learn from each other, and to be a resource. For the fourth year students, it's an opportunity to help them polish their interviewing skills as they prepare for the next step in their careers - residency! 

This next generation of doctors will face significant changes and challenges in the health care system - from greater automation, to precision medicine, to even Artificial Intelligence. I hope that I can be a part of the foundation along with their formal education at WSUSOM that sets them on the right path to success in medicine. 

Thanks for reading, and have a beautiful day,

- Dr. Paul Thomas with Plum Health DPC

Drew and Mike on Health Care

I was listening to the Drew and Mike Podcast from September 26th, and Drew and his Crew were talking about how health insurance costs are outrageous! Early in the episode (time 1:16), one of the co-hosts admonished Drew Lane, "you can barely afford insurance for yourself!" This set off a conversation about the cost of health insurance, the little coverage that it affords and Drew Lane's displeasure with the overall system. 

Drew's first reaction (minute 1:28), "I don't know how people my age, in my position," not yet covered by Medicare, "and self-employed... ...that's a big chunk of money." He goes on to say that his insurance costs roughly $18,000 - 19,000/year and if you were to make $50,000/year, it would cost roughly 30% of your gross income. 

Because of this extremely high cost, Drew and his co-hosts speculate that some folks just choose to "roll the dice," i.e. go without insurance and hope for the best. They do mention that those folks earning less may be eligible for subsidies or tax breaks from the Federal Government. But, still - a huge chunk of our income is going directly to health insurance and health insurance companies. Even worse, the quality and service levels can be low because care is dictated by third party payers like insurance companies or the government. 

Because Drew's dog recently had eye surgery, Drew was talking about how veterinarians discuss charges before providing care, and how that concept should be applied to the human medical field. "Wouldn't that be something?" Drew asks rhetorically. 

Well, it doesn't have to be a rhetorical question. It doesn't have to be a pipe dream. I'm here to tell you that Direct Primary Care doctors make their prices clear and transparent, and it may revolutionize primary care!

Here's how it works: Direct Primary Care (DPC) is a membership model for health care. Prices vary between different DPC practices, but our prices at Plum Health are $10/month for kids, $49/month for young adults 18 - 40, $69/month for adults 40 - 65, and $89/month for older adults 65 and up. 

With that membership, patients or members can come in and see the doctor any time! They can also call, text or email the doctor anytime. 

Further, patients or members can have access to wholesale medications, at-cost labs, and at-cost imaging services. So far we've saved our members tens of thousands of dollars on these ancillary services. 

I shot a video explaining these concepts in more detail, here:

Thanks so much for reading and watching. I hope that I've opened your eyes to the possibility of better health care services with a transparent pricing structure.  Finally, have a wonderful day!

- Dr. Paul Thomas with Plum Health in Detroit, MI