Sanding and Staining

Sometimes  building something great takes a little elbow grease! This week, we've been working on building out the space at our new location in Southwest Detroit. If you didn't know, we are setting up our first office at 1759 W 21st Street, Detroit, MI. We are located inside of the Detroit School for Digital Technology and we have a gated parking lot that is shared with Detroit Farm and Garden. 

I really enjoy being in this location for several reasons. First, this is an exciting and growing area of town. Second, there are a ton of historic and cultural landmarks nearby - we are 2 blocks behind the Michigan Central Station and you can see the Ambassador Bridge from our main entrance. Third, there are great people that work in the space who are making things happen - Ezra Brown with The LifeLine Network and Karlos Harris of Koded Icons to name a few. 

Anyways, back to the elbow grease. I started by purchasing some lumbar from Reclaim Detroit - they operate a pop-up location out of the Habitat for Humanity Re-Store on the Northwest Side of Detroit. The lumber was not pretty when I picked it up, but it had potential. I sanded it and cut it to size. I started with a 60 grit and progressed to a 220 grit until it was quite smooth! 

The boards sanded and then aligned into their position as a shelf. They need to be stained at this point! 

After sanding comes staining, and I use Minwax prep, a dark American stain, and then a finishing coat of Polyurethane.  

Next up - that door! Someone painted it purple, much to my chagrin, so it took a few hours to scrape and sand the entire door. Originally I was going to sand only one side, but I decided that it would look funny with only one side sanded and stained. Here's the result!

If you're not going to do it right, it's not worth doing it at all. As you can tell, I'm all in on making Plum Health as great as it can be, from the little details about getting rid of those old layers of paint to the big picture of taking care of people. I'm really excited that things are coming together in the new space and I can't wait to serve more people in the community. 

Bonus: here's a short vid of the ongoing work from today: 

Thanks so much for keeping up with our progress and have a great day,

- Paul Thomas, MD

Plum Health + LifeLine Consulting

This week, I met Ezra Brown of LifeLine Business Consulting in Detroit, Michigan. Ezra does great work in terms of getting small business owners access to capital. Part of having a healthy community is having healthy economic opportunities for all. Find out more at their website or their Facebook Page. 

Also, a big thank you to Ezra for endorsing our services at Plum Health! You can sign up for our services on our Scheduling Page, here: http://www.plumhealthdpc.com/schedule/ 

This video was shot on 12/23/2016 at our Plum Health DPC office at 1759 West 21st Street, Detroit, MI. We're inside the Detroit School for Digital Technology. 

Thanks for reading!

- Paul Thomas, MD

Clear Pricing in Healthcare

I saw this Facebook post from the Surgery Center of Oklahoma: "I’ve decided there are 2 types of healthcare buyers in the U.S.: those who care what healthcare costs and those who don’t. I believe the more people who care, the less it will cost."

First, I agree with the sentiment. If we, as healthcare consumers, start demanding price transparency for the services that we receive in the healthcare ecosystem, it will drive down the cost of those services. 

For example, there is no way that you would pay the big box hospital $125 for a complete blood count (CBC) and $130 for a lipid panel when you know that you can get that same CBC for $5 and that same lipid panel for $6.50 at Plum Health. 

When you pay these inflated prices, you are paying the middle men between you and your doctor. Free market healthcare options like Direct Primary Care doctors and surgery centers like the Surgery Center of Oklahoma make prices clear and understandable. 

Second, I think the SCOK website is fascinating because you can literally look at each body part and each potential operation and see what that surgery would cost. This is something that most hospitals and surgery centers can't tell you because the insurance payment system obscures the true cost. 

This concept of price transparency is relatively new in the healthcare system, and it may be one solution to the rapidly rising healthcare costs. 

Below is an graph showing the rise in healthcare costs from the Kaiser Family Foundation; in the linked article they state: "In 1970, total health care spending was about $75 billion, or only $356 per person.  In less than 40 years these costs have grown to $2.6 trillion, or $8,402 per person.  As a result, the share of economic activity devoted to health care grew from 7.2% in 1970 to 17.9% in 2010."

This graph shows healthcare spending per person in the United States. "In 1970, total health care spending was about $75 billion, or only $356 per person.  In less than 40 years these costs have grown to $2.6 trillion, or $8,402 per person.  As a result, the share of economic activity devoted to health care grew from 7.2% in 1970 to 17.9% in 2010." This information is taken from the Kaiser Family Foundation: http://kff.org/report-section/health-care-costs-a-primer-2012-report/ 

Plum Health in Southwest Detroit

We are working on renovating a small space to bring it to our standards at Plum Health DPC - check out what we're up to in our latest video!

We are at 1759 West 21st Street, Detroit Michigan - we're on the map! Google Maps.

We are in Southwest Detroit, close to Corktown, Michigan Central Station, and Mexicantown. This will be our temporary or "pop-up" space as we build out our more permanent home downtown. Stay tuned for more details...

Plum Health + Detroit ID Program

We are happy to be a participant in the Detroit ID Program. Our services at Plum Health DPC are offered at 10% discount to those City of Detroit residents who participate in the Detroit ID program. Full details about the program can be found here. A full list of participating businesses can be found here.

We look forward to serving you!

- Paul Thomas, MD

Plum Health + PechaKucha Recap

On December 8th, 2016 we participated in the PechaKucha Detroit event at the Eastern in the Eastern Market neighborhood of Detroit. The idea of PechaKucha, or Chit-Chat in Japanese, is that each presenter can show 20 slides at 20 seconds a piece, or each presenter has 6 minutes and 40 seconds to get the point across in a visually interesting way.

We were invited to speak and discuss Direct Primary Care and the work that we are doing with Plum Health DPC. It was a great, well-attended event with 10 dynamic speakers, each discussing interesting and relevant subjects:

Martha Potere of the Grandmont Rosedale Development Corporation presented a spaghetti Western classification system for signs in Detroit, i.e. the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. David Clements of David Clements Productions highlighted the rich textures of Gospel Quartets in the City of Detroit. Aaron Jones, an architect, discussed his work in the context of the city, more found here. Leslie Tom is the Chief Sustainability Officer at the Charels H. Wright Museum and she highlighted the work that she's doing on that front. Mikayla Cutlip, a Challenge Detroit Fellow, discussed the history of Michigan Avenue and the work that she did with the Open Streets Detroit event in September/October of this year. Bailey Sisoy Isgro, a local historian, discussed the history of Rosie the Riveter. Bailey runs the Detroit History Tours company and is very knowledgable about our region's history. Gracie Xavier of Hatian origin discussed the immigrant experience and using the arts as a part of her toolbox to add value to the community. Rita Patel, the executive director of the Michigan Wellness Council, discussed using writing and drawing as a way of mapping emotions. Finally, Samira Guyot, originally from Madison, WI discussed the importance of parades, her involvement in the Marche du Nain Rouge and her dream of bringing a Bubble Mobile to Detroit. 

Special thanks to the MC Tracy Sweeney of Harley Ellis Devereaux and Dean Zoyes of Dean Zoyes Creative for organizing the event!

Here's our video from the event, and below are a few images from the event.

Thanks for reading!

- Paul Thomas, MD 

Plum Health + PechaKucha

We are excited to be an invited speaker at the PechaKucha event at The Eastern in the Eastern Market Neighborhood of Detroit tonight! We will be talking about health disparities, access to care, problems with the current health care system and a solution to these problems. Join us tonight at 6:30 pm at the Eastern, 3434 Russell St, Detroit, MI 48207. 

Here's a video preview of our talk: 

Thanks for watching!

- Paul Thomas, MD 

Plum Health + Rock CF

In the season and the spirit of giving, I want to introduce you to Emily Schaller and Rock CF. Emily has Cystic Fibrosis and uses Rock CF to raise money for others who have Cystic Fibrosis. Her website states their mission clearly:

"The Rock CF Foundation Is A 501(C)3 Nonprofit Corporation. Founded And Led By Emily Schaller, The Rock CF Foundation Is Dedicated To Increasing The Quality Of Life For People With Cystic Fibrosis. With The Help Of A Core Group Of Volunteers, The Foundation Utilizes The Arts, Entertainment, Fashion And Fitness To Support Research Initiatives And Heighten Public Awareness In The Fight Against Cystic Fibrosis."

One way that they raise money is by selling merchandise via their online store, http://rockcf.storenvy.com/. Proceeds from sales go to supporting those with Cystic Fibrosis. Emily Rocks CF by living her truth, running marathons, taking long-distance bike rides, and organizing healthy events around the city. The reason I'm highlighting the work of Rock CF is because she contributes to healthier community and healthier world.

Thanks for reading a bit about Emily and what she does with Rock CF!

- Paul Thomas, MD

Why Generic Drugs Cost So Much

Generic Medications Cost too much money!

There's a wide variability in the cost of generic medications from pharmacy to pharmacy. Researchers at Saint Louis University surveyed 175 pharmacies and asked for their prices for the meds Lisinopril, Carvedilol, and Digoxin. These are common heart failure medications.

The researchers found that the prices for three generic medications ranged from less than $20 to more than $150, with the highest price for all three medications being $397 for a 1 month supply!

This is way too much money. If you spent $150/month on medications alone, it would cost $1800 for the year. In contrast, if you spent less than $20/month on these same medications, it would cost less than $240 for the year. This is a difference of $1,560. Unfortunately, these costs have the greatest adverse effect on low income communities because they may not have the transportation resources to drive to these less expensive pharmacies.

A possible solution is Direct Primary Care. DPC doctors like myself buy medications at wholesale prices and give them to our patients at cost, or with a 10% mark up to cover the cost of shipping and handling. For example, at our clinic Plum Health DPC, we can wholesale these same three medications for about $18/month.

I created this video to more fully explain what I mean, see below.

- Paul Thomas, MD

Sore Throat - Is It Strep?

Sore throat or pharyngitis is common this time of year. How can you tell if it's bacterial or viral? Well, this video can help, but you should also talk with your doctor. If you don't have a doctor and you live in Detroit, you can talk to us! 

Here are a few bits of information:

Strep throat is caused by Group A Streptococcus, a bacteria that affects the back of the throat. Of the sore throats in kids aged 5 - 15 years, Group A Strep causes only 15 - 30% of these infections. So that means 70 - 85% of all sore throats in kids age 5 - 15 are viral or caused by a virus.

It's hard to tell the difference between a virus and a bacteria, so doctors use the Centor Criteria. The Centor Criteria states that bacterial pharyngitis (Strep throat) is more likely if the following points are met:

1. Age less than 14 years
2. Fever, or temperature > 100.4 F
3. Red throat with discharge
4. Tender Lymph Nodes
5. Absence of a cough, or other markers of a viral infection like runny nose, nasal congestion, etc...

Additionally, Strep throat typically has an abrupt onset, with fever, headache, abdominal pain, and nausea likely.

The best thing to do when you have symptoms is to talk with your doctor. Without proper treatment, there can be downstream effects. Children can develop acute rheumatic fever, post-streptococcal glomerulonephritis, and pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders associated with streptococcus, but these are rare. 

Appropriate treatment can prevent complications, prevent the spread of the bacteria, and reduce the length and intensity of the infection

Thanks for reading and watching!

- Paul Thomas, MD

Plum Health DPC Awarded $7,500 via TechTown Detroit

Over the past 9 weeks, I have participated in a class at TechTown Detroit called Retail Boot Camp. The RBC course is comprehensive in its approach to helping your business grow, from addressing your financial situation, to helping you choose a POS system, to refining your marketing and advertising strategies, and beyond. 

The best part of the RBC course was having a strong group of entrepreneurs to work with and learn from - people like Jay Rayford of Social Sushi, Nicole Mangis of Brut Detroit, Lionez Kimber of Artistic Flesh Tattoo and Supply, and 16 more phenomenal, bright small business people. I learned a lot from their successes and emulated their approaches to doing business in the city. 

The class culminated in the Retail Boot Camp Showcase, a mini pitch competition for the 20 students/small businesses who took part in the class. It was a great night that brought together teachers, mentors, supporters, consultants, family and friends. 

We were able to give our 90 second pitch on Plum Health DPC and then we were selected to give a follow-up 3 minute pitch about our plan to deliver affordable, accessible healthcare services in Detroit. It was well received and we were ultimately awarded a $7,500 grant from TechTown! 

There are a ton of people to thank: Faris Alami, our teacher during the course; Sarah Donnelly, who coordinated all of the RBC-related activities, Regina Ann Campbell who facilitated the course; Niles Heron, an extremely knowledgable consultant who helped our businesses grow/develop and who helped us perfect our pitches; all of the guest speakers that we had throughout the course, the judges from the night of the event (Lana Rodriguez, John Schoeniger, Bryan Waldron, Rachel Lutz, Michael Forsyth), and all of the supportive people in the TechTown ecosystem who are too many in number to name - thank you all!

We will be using this money wisely as we launch Plum Health DPC in Detroit!

- Paul Thomas, MD

Why Primary Care Costs So Much

Primary healthcare services shouldn't be so expensive! At Plum Health DPC, we have a solution that makes quality healthcare services affordable in a way that your insurance cannot. 

This video is a preview of our five minute pitch. We will give this pitch at TechTown's Retail Boot Camp Showcase. More information, and tickets for the event, can be found here. More information about TechTown Detroit can be found here.

Thanks for watching!

- Paul Thomas, MD

Our Pitch at TechTown Detroit

This Tuesday, we are pitching at TechTown Detroit's Retail Boot Camp showcase! This event is at TechTown on 440 Burroughs Street in Detroit's New Center neighborhood. It will take place from 5:30 - 9:00 pm on Tuesday evening. Event details are on Facebook. 

For the past 3 months, I have been participating in TechTown's Retail Boot Camp Program. Taking the course has helped me a great deal in formalizing my ideas and processes related to my business. I'm now at the point where I'm ready to open my brick-and-mortar business, Plum Health DPC.

This video is our 90 Second Pitch that we will be giving live on Tuesday night. You can read more about our services here and sign up for services here. 

Thanks for reading and watching our video, and I hope to see you at the TechTown Retail Boot Camp showcase on Tuesday night!

- Paul Thomas, MD

Making Healthcare Hassle-Free

Plum Health is the first Direct Primary Care practice in Detroit, Southeast Michigan and Wayne County. It makes healthcare hassle-free. We diagnose, treat, refill prescriptions, refer you to curated specialists, and make all of the frustrations in healthcare disappear.

Because you have a doctor who is available and responsive, you never have to worry about being on your own or trying to figure out if something’s terribly wrong. People sometimes get scared and rush to the hospital, but a $6,000 ER visit can be financially devastating.

One avoided ER visit pays for 10 years of care at Plum Health DPC. Plus, you get peace-of-mind, knowing your doctor is always available. To schedule an appointment, check out our scheduling link. To find out more, or if you have questions, call 313.444.5630.

- Paul Thomas MD

Removing the barriers between you and your doctor. 

Motor City Match grant awarded to Plum Health DPC

This was a big week for Plum Health DPC - we received a grant from the Motor City Match Program! This brings us one step closer to delivering affordable, accessible healthcare services in Detroit.

Crain's Detroit Business wrote an article about the event, and here's what they said about Plum Health DPC: 

Plum Health Direct Primary Care, $50,000: This health care facility provides an alternative to the traditional fee-for-service model. Direct Primary Care emphasizes wellness, prevention, communication and personalized patient relationships. For a monthly fee, members receive primary health care services that are tailored to their needs. These might include annual checkups, urgent care services and direct and unrestricted access to their doctor through calling, texting, emailing or in-person visits. The business is planned for 607 Shelby St. in downtown Detroit.

Additionally, Local 4 News in Detroit (WDIV) wrote an article about and created a video of the Award ceremony. Here's what they said: "Six Detroit entrepreneurs are putting their small-business plans into action after the Motor City Match program awarded them thousands of dollars to get started. Mayor Mike Duggan made the announcement Friday morning."

An article from the Michigan Chronicle wrote about the award and quoted Mayor Duggan: 

“Quality restaurants, health and wellness providers, arts centers are exactly the types of establishments that people expect when they think of a strong community,” said Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan. “These Detroiters are proving that our neighborhoods are great places to start a business.”

This is another step in the journey toward bringing affordable, accessible healthcare services to Detroit and we will continue to work diligently to deliver these services. 

- Paul Thomas, MD

New Video for Plum Health DPC

We are excited to release our new video! At Plum Health DPC, we deliver affordable, accessible healthcare services to Detroit and beyond. You can sign up here.

A big thank you to Josh at Soul Media for writing, filming and editing the piece. 

- Paul Thomas, MD

Doctors Should Charge for Time

Doctors should charge for time, not transactions. When doctors charge by transaction, they do more, get paid more, and your wallet suffers. Transactional relationships in medicine lead to high-speed churn, not high quality, personalized service.

And once you're sent home from the doctor, the ER, or an urgent care center, and something changes that will affect your outcome, you've got to make another appointment and pay more money.

We think that's inefficient, unfair, and unethical.

That's why Plum Health DPC offers an understandable health plan that ensures your access to high-quality healthcare services. Our plans at Plum Health start at $49/month, and we deliver:

• Responsiveness to phone calls, text messages, and emails direct to your doctor
• As many appointments as you need in a month
• Whole-sale medications, at a typical savings of 50% versus the big box pharmacies
• Lab services for recommended and preventive tests at a typical savings of 80%
• A focus on prevention that maximizes your health and wellness

So why a membership model? Because things take time to heal. To us, good care means ongoing communication and check-ins to ensure things are actually getting better. But sometimes things get worse and you need further care and care coordination. We can deliver that further care and help with this coordination as well, it's all part of the package.

So sign up today, and start your journey to better health with Plum Health. Direct. Primary. Care.

- Paul Thomas, MD 

Plum Health DPC mentioned by Crain's Detroit Business

Yesterday, Plum Health DPC was mentioned in Crain's Detroit Business. The article discussed the growth of Direct Primary Care in the State of Michigan and specifically Southeast Michigan.

Direct primary care is growing in the State and across the Nation because it provides a common-sense solution to several complicated healthcare problems. The full article is here, but this is an excerpt that pertains to the concept of Direct Primary Care:

"Direct primary care model grows in state

"Salta is one of several direct primary care physician companies in Southeast Michigan with more than 100 physicians in Michigan participating in similar models of care.

"Under direct primary care, physicians have an alternative to fee-for-service insurance billing by charging patients or companies a set fee per month for a range of primary care-type services.

"Physicians also typically give patients longer visits and allow them to contact them through emails or phone calls in off hours. Patients usually also have health insurance for non-covered services.

"Blanchard predicted that Salta projects will grow to 40 clinic offices and more than 160 physicians over the next 10 years in Southeast Michigan. The model primarily is directed at company contracts, although Blanchard said his office accepts single memberships for $209 per month.

"Last year, Forthright Health Management LLC, headed by Tom Valenti, began operations in Southeast Michigan with 59 primary care physicians in 15 practice locations. The network offers a hybrid direct primary care medicine program in which patients are guaranteed more time and access to their doctors than typical office visits.

"Another DPC practitioner is Plum Health DPC, an office managed by Paul Thomas, M.D., a private practice doctor who graduated from Wayne State University School of Medicine in 2013.

"Blanchard said the critical eyes of direct primary care physicians can help drive down health care costs.

"'The majority of the cost drivers all happen outside of the primary care office — unnecessary ER and urgent care visits, hospitalizations, high cost diagnostic testing,' he said. 'We can affect all those high cost things through preventative diagnosis and enhanced care.'

"Salta's primary care model gives patients additional time with their doctor and encourages email and phone conversations after weekday hours and on weekends."

- Paul Thomas, MD

RUNdetroit + Plum Health DPC

We are pleased to announce a partnership with RUNdetroit for an event tonight! We will be discussing Common Causes of Foot Pain. The event begins at 6 pm and runs until 8 pm, and it will be held at RUNdetroit, 441 West Canfield Suite #5, Detroit, MI. To RSVP, follow this link. 

Specifically, we will be comparing and contrasting Plantar Fasciitis, the Haglund Deformity or "Pump Bump", Morton's Neuroma, and Stress Fractures. 

There are many other causes of foot pain, including Arthritis, Gout, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Diabetic Ulcers, Osteomyelitis, Plantar Warts, Corns, Lumbar Radiculopathy, Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome, Sever Disease, Ingrown Toenails, among others. 

In light of the many things that can go wrong with our feet, there will be a question and answer session. This will be an opportunity to ask anything about foot pain!

Hope to see you there!

- Paul Thomas, MD

 

Plum Health DPC + Detroit SOUP

I am very excited that Plum Health DPC has been invited to pitch at Detroit SOUP on Sunday, September 25th at 5 pm at the Jam Handy, 2900 E Grand Blvd, Detroit, MI 48202.

The Detroit SOUP is a wonderful organization, and you can read more about what they do here. Succinctly, SOUP curates a monthly dinner where four ideas are shared and voted upon by the people who attend. Detroit SOUP states it this way:

"Detroit SOUP is a microgranting dinner celebrating and supporting creative projects in Detroit. For a donation $5 attendees receive soup, salad, bread and a vote and hear from four presentations ranging from art, urban agriculture, social justice, social entrepreneurs, education, technology and more. Each presenter has four minutes to share their idea and answer four questions from the audience. At the event, attendees eat, talk, share resources, enjoy art and vote on the project they think benefits the city the most. At the end of the night, we count the ballots and the winner goes home with all of the money raised to carry out their project. Winners come back to a future SOUP dinner to report their project’s progress."

Plum Health DPC will have a four minute time slot to present our idea for affordable, accessible healthcare services in the City of Detroit and beyond. If you want to see better healthcare options in the City and Metro region, if you care about creating a valuable and sustainable healthcare alternative, please come out and support us!

The Facebook event can be found here, September 25th Detroit SOUP.

Thank you!

- Paul Thomas, MD