Plum Health Blog
Getting the Coronavirus Vaccine in Detroit and Southeast Michigan
Getting the coronavirus vaccine in Detroit and Southeast Michigan will be challenging as this is a new experience for our country in recent history - we haven’t seen mass vaccination efforts like this since perhaps the Polio vaccinations of the 1950’s.
I am writing this blog post to get as much information out to our communities as quickly as possible, and to help educate folks around vaccine options.
The state of Michigan just published a Vaccine Prioritization Guidance and you can find that PDF by clicking here. I will summarize the key points from the document here.
The state of Michigan just published a Vaccine Prioritization Guidance and you can find that PDF by clicking here. Everyone in Phase 1A should have gotten their first dose of vaccine already, these include Health Care Workers and Residents of Long-term Care Facilities and Staff, like nursing homes and assisted living facilities.
Now the State of Michigan is entering Phase 1B and rolling out the vaccine to a broader audience - those 75 years of age and older, Frontline Workers, School and Child Care Staff, and Corrections Facility Staff.
Everyone in Phase 1A should have gotten their first dose of vaccine already, these include Health Care Workers and Residents of Long-term Care Facilities and Staff, like nursing homes and assisted living facilities. If you are in Phase 1A and you haven’t gotten the vaccine, there are a few options that I explored in a previous blog post.
Who is in Phase 1B for Vaccination in Michigan?
Now the State of Michigan is entering Phase 1B and rolling out the vaccine to a broader audience - those 75 years of age and older, Frontline Workers, School and Child Care Staff, and Corrections Facility Staff. If you read the Vaccine rollout document closely, you’ll see the following info about who is in Phase 1B.
PHASE 1B:
Persons 75 years of age or older and frontline essential workers in critical infrastructure.
Group A:
Persons 75 years of age or older not covered in Phase 1A.
This includes those in a congregate setting that were not reached in Phase 1A.
Group B:
Prioritized frontline workers whose work role has frequent or intense exposure, and, due to the nature of the work, are not able to maintain social distance.
For example, a first responder may have to physically touch other people in their response, and a child care provider cannot maintain social distance from children when caring for their physical needs.
The specific prioritized categories are:
Pre-Kindergarten through high school teachers, support staff and child care workers who usually have direct contact with children
First responders not covered in Phase 1A (e.g., firefighters, police, conservation officers, inspectors)
Corrections workers (e,g,, staff in prisons, jails, juvenile justice facilities)
Workers in homeless shelters, congregate child care institutions, and adult and child protective services
Group C: Other frontline essential workers in sectors essential to the functioning of society and at substantially higher risk of exposure to SARS-CoV-2 because their work related duties must be performed on site and involve being in close proximity (i.e., within 6 feet) to the public or to coworkers.
Frontline essential workers in critical infrastructures include by ACIP are:
Food and agriculture workers
Critical manufacturing workers
Public transit workers
Grocery store workers
U.S. Postal Service workers
Workers with unique skill sets not covered above, such as non-hospital laboratories and mortuary services
If further sub-prioritization is needed of frontline essential workers due to limited vaccine supply, local health departments may consider prioritizing workers in locations of their jurisdiction where high rates of transmission and/or outbreaks have occurred and/or workers who are at increased risk for severe illness based on age or underlying medical conditions.
The Logistics of How to Get Vaccinated in the City of Detroit if You’re in PHase 1b
The City of Detroit Health Department will be administering the vaccines. The vaccines will be administered drive through style at the TCF center. On Thursday the city began giving on-site vaccines at Senior Care Home, critical care workers and homeless shelters. Friday they started vaccinating city essential (police, fire, EMS, and DDOT). Staring Monday the remainder of those eligible in Phase 1B are able to register on a first come, first serve basis to get vaccinated. This includes essential frontline workers. The call center is open Monday through Friday from 9am-6pm. Call 313.230.0505 be prepared to schedule two vaccine dates (two shots are required two weeks apart).
How to Schedule an Appointment
Starting Monday, Detroit residents age 75 and older and their “good neighbor” drivers 65 and over, will be able to call 313-230-0505 starting Monday to schedule an appointment at the TCF center. The first appointments will take place on Wednesday.
Detailed information on the TCF testing site is available at detroitmi.gov/covidvaccine. As additional independent vaccination sites at pharmacies and elsewhere come online in the city, a map of locations will be added to the website.
Driving directions to the TCF Center to get the vaccine.
It looks like you will enter the TCF Center’s surrounding area via West Jefferson, turning onto Steve Yzerman Drive near the old Joe Louis Arena site.
Thanks for reading and please share with a neighbor who may not have internet access or a car to get to the vaccine site. You could be that good neighbor that helps prevent the spread of Coronavirus by helping a neighbor get vaccinated.
-Dr. Paul Thomas with Plum Health DPC in Detroit MI
Coronavirus Update with Daily Detroit and Dr. Paul Thomas
This week, we had a great conversation with Jeremiah Staes of Daily Detroit about where we stand in terms of the Coronavirus, the number of infections, the number of deaths, and the status of the vaccine.
Will There Be Another Spike in Cases After the Holiday Season?
There were 8 million travelers who flew during the holiday season. It’s possible that we may see a large spike in new cases after the holiday break as more people visit friends and family out of state, contract the virus, and bring it back to Michigan. We may see a lag in this spike as people tend to be busier around the holiday season and this can cause people not to want to visit the doctor’s office to get tested during this time. So, we shall see what happens.
Can I Work Out at the Gym During the Coronavirus Pandemic?
Just because a place is open, it doesn’t mean that it’s a great place to hang out at. This definitely applies to gyms, as gyms are a great place to pick up the coronavirus. In the gym, people are touching multiple surfaces, breathing heavily, and coming into close contact. Just think of all of the surfaces inside a gym locker, or a treadmill, or an elliptical machine, or a rack of weights. It’s virtually impossible to wipe down every single surface after every use, so it’s best to exercise outside or at home.
We Discuss Equitable Vaccine Distribution
More vaccine doses have gone to
Fighting for Equitable Vaccine Access in Detroit
Vaccine Distribution Challenges in Detroit
This week, we’ve been frustrated by the way the Coronavirus vaccine has been distributed. Large hospital system primary care doctors, who mostly operate in suburban communities, have been able to get vaccinated. Meanwhile, independent primary care physicians, including our staff and other neighboring Detroit-based primary care doctors, have struggled to gain access to the vaccine at this time.
The issue is that, in our region especially, there is a corporate-based vaccine distribution. The majority of the vaccine has gone to large corporate health systems, and those doctors, nurses, and support staff who are employed by those larger health systems are more likely to get vaccinated.
This is a big frustration because this inequity in vaccine distribution will likely trickle down and affect our region negatively; suburban folks who live closer to larger health systems may have easier access tot he vaccine than those residents in urban underserved communities.
We recently talked to the news media about this issue, and we’re grateful to Ross Jones and Channel 7 Action News for picking up the story.
A National Perspective
On a National level, doctors have expressed frustration to National Public Radio (NPR) about inequality of vaccine distribution within the hospital. The article states that:
“At hospitals in Massachusetts, New York, Arizona, California and elsewhere, medical professionals say that those with the most exposure to COVID-19 patients are not always the first to get vaccinated. And others who have little or no contact with COVID-19 patients have received vaccinations.”
Possible Solutions
What could solve this issue? Perhaps we could have a national database for people to sign up, to ensure that no one is missed in vaccination and that no one receives too many doses or too few doses. Because vaccine recipients are given a plain card with the vaccine date and a follow up date, I could see the vaccine distribution becoming a problem for those with low health literacy, mental illness, or memory problems like Alzheimer’s disease.
Additionally, we could ensure that there is more equitable vaccine distribution among local health departments and hospital systems. For profit hospital systems will always act in a self-interested manner, vaccinating their employees and patients first. Health departments are more likely to reach out to the highest risk populations in the community and deliver the vaccine to nursing homes, assisted living facilities, vulnerable populations, and community-based primary care offices.
For example, my colleagues in other states and other counties have received phone calls and invitations for vaccines at their local health department. Other regions have hospital systems that act in a more equitable manner, inviting physicians and support staff and high risk populations from the community to get vaccinated at that hospital system.
Why Vaccine Distribution Matters
While I understand that this coronavirus pandemic is a once-in-one-hundred-years type of event, I will never stop advocating for health equity, especially at the community level. Vaccine distribution shouldn’t be based on which individual or corporation has the most money, but it should be based on risk factors and need. Equitable vaccine distribution matters, and we’ll keep pushing for that ideal.
Thanks for reading and watching,
-Dr. Paul Thomas at Plum Health DPC
Plum Health DPC Ribbon Cutting - One Year Later
On December 12th, 2019, we had a fabulous event at our Plum Health DPC office in Corktown - we officially cut the ribbon and opened our space on Michigan Avenue to the surrounding community.
Our patients, friends, families, neighboring businesses, community leaders, members of the news media, and Mayor Mike Duggan were on hand to make it a very special occasion.
This space serves us so well - it holds all of the medications that we need for our patients, it holds all of the equipment like EKGs that we need for patient care, it houses all of the laboratory equipment and blood draw supplies that we need to lower the cost of lab work for our patients.
One year later, our only regret is that we didn’t build a larger office! The only thing we’re missing is a little more space to accommodate more doctors and therefore serve more patients.
That aside, we look back on December 2019 with a big smile for the fond memories, as it marked the beginning of something great, and that is to serve our patients and the broader community with affordable and accessible healthcare services.
Thanks for reading and have a wonderful day,
-Dr. Paul Thomas, Dr. Raquel Orlich, Dr. Jamie Qualls, and Medical Assistant Chris Lake with Plum Health DPC in Detroit Michigan
Dr. Raquel Orlich and Dr. Paul Thomas of Plum Health DPC gather with members of the community to celebrate the ribbon cutting of Plum Health DPC in Detroit, Michigan. The office is at 1620 Michigan Ave, Suite 125, Detroit, Michigan 48216.
Bis Das Si Cito Das
Bis das si cito das is one of my favorite phrases that I learned while studying Latin in high school. It literally translates to “twice you give if quickly you give” and it more or less means “you give twice if you give quickly.”
This idea has stuck with me more than a decade later and it is part of the ethos of our work at Plum Health and as a direct primary care doctor.
When a patient has a problem, the best time to address it is now. If one of our patients calls our office, we do our best to answer the phone right away. When one of our patients texts us or emails us, we do our best to respond with in a few minutes or a few hours. We guarantee a response within 24 hours for these sort of digital communications.
When we give information and guidance to our patients quickly, it’s worth more to them than having to wait hours and hours or maybe even days and days for the appropriate care and guidance. That’s one of the big reasons why our patients stay with us long term - we offer unrivaled speediness when it comes to responding to their health concerns.
Therefore, bis das si cito das.
Thanks for reading, and have a wonderful day,
-Dr. Paul Thomas with Plum Health DPC
Bis das si cito das or you give twice if you give quickly is a guiding principal of our practice at Plum Health DPC.
Dr. Jamie Qualls is a Family Medicine Doctor in Farmington Hills, Michigan
Shout out to Dr. Jamie Qualls, family physician and frontline healthcare worker. 👩🏼⚕️
Dr. Jamie has been helping us serve patients at our Plum Health DPC office in Farmington Hills, Michigan.
She is diligent, caring, and an excellent physician - we're lucky to have her serving and healing patients in our broader community. 🏥
Thank you Dr. Qualls for all that you do, and in helping us deliver affordable and accessible care in Detroit and beyond. 💉 💊 🌱
Jamie Qualls, DO is a trusted family medicine doctor in Farmington Hills, Michigan. She operates Plum Health DPC - Farmington and is accepting new patients.
Jamie Qualls, DO, MPH is both a family medicine physician and a master of public health. She is able to take care of patients individually and the greater community with her additional training. She is passionate about forming strong relationships with her patients. Her clinical interests include community and public health, chronic disease prevention and reversal using a food as medicine approach, LGBTQ-friendly medicine, and osteopathic manipulative medicine for chronic musculoskeletal issues. She is a graduate of Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine and completed her residency training at Ascension Providence Hospital.
Thanks for reading,
-Dr. Paul Thomas with Plum Health DPC
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.
Conversations about Direct Primary Care with a Senior Undergraduate Student at Michigan State
Conversations about Direct Primary Care with a Senior Undergraduate Student at Michigan State
Pre-medical students have a ton of questions about their future and their careers in medicine. As an undergraduate, this can often be a black box - you can see doctors on the other side, but it's hard to look closely at the medical school and residency training processes.
Often times, I'll chat with pre-medical students, medical students, and residents who have insightful questions about medicine and the future of health care in our country. Karan, a Senior Undergraduate student or a pre-medical student at Michigan State University, allowed me to record our conversation and to share it with other pre-medical students like him.
We had a wide ranging conversation as we discuss Direct Primary Care, Plum Health DPC, what inspired me to be a doctor, how to prepare for medical school interviews, and more. Here’s a list of what we touched on during this conversation:
How to scale a direct primary care practice
What does a direct primary care doctor do with their time each day
How a diverse group of doctors can best serve the needs of our communities
Building a team that reflects the needs of our population
Physician burnout and what may be causing physician burnout among doctors
Patient panel sizes in primary care and how they are different between direct primary care and fee-for-service medicine
Price points for direct primary care practices
How direct primary care bridges the gap between Medicaid and private insurance plans
How direct primary care practices can help people across the income spectrum
How direct primary care practices can lower the cost of medical care by preventing emergency room care and urgent care visits
How the Affordable Care Act codified perverse incentives in the health care ecosystem
How the limited free market in the health care space drives up prices in health care
The downsides of having health insurance provided via employment and employment contracts
How we can push towards transparent pricing at a grassroots movement
How has the Coronavirus Pandemic affected Direct Primary Care practices
How can pre-medical students improve their chances of getting into medical school and what kind of activities can help them considering the limited opportunities of shadowing during the Coronavirus pandemic
What inspired Dr. Paul Thomas to go into primary care medicine
How will the health care system change over time, especially in the context of the ongoing Coronavirus Pandemic
The three factors that make a career in medicine fulfilling
The real reason why you should pursue a career in medicine
This conversation was a little bit different than the typical videos that populate my YouTube channel and associated blog, but I think you'll find this information valuable and enjoyable. My goal with this is to uplift the doctor and patient relationship, and help to doctors and patients to find greater understanding of each other, and I think this video helps with this process.
After our conversation, the undergraduate student sent me this note:
"As someone who is extremely excited about going into medicine, the constant messaging to us about how the healthcare system is broken, how as doctors we aren't set up to serve our community, but rather to line the pockets of insurance companies, was very discouraging. It was a breath of fresh air to meet with you to see that there are still doctors who love what they do and are working to help fix a broken system and provide the best care to individuals. " - Karan, Undergraduate Student at Michigan State University
Thanks for reading and watching, and a big thanks to Karan for engaging in this sort of discourse,
- Dr. Paul Thomas, MD of Plum Health DPC
Dr. Raquel Orlich is a Family Physician in Detroit Michigan
Dr. Raquel Orlich is a Family Physician in Detroit Michigan
Dr. Raquel Orlich is a family medicine physician in Detroit, Michigan. She takes care of a broad range of conditions out of her office in Corktown Detroit. She’s building a reputation as an excellent primary care physician and family medicine doctor. One of her patients recently left a glowing review on Google:
I have been a patient at Plum for a little under one year now. Since the moment I was greeted at the door by Chris, I felt very welcomed and comfortable. Changing doctors can sometimes be scary because you hope they have your best interest at heart, but sometimes that doesn't always end up being true. That is not the case with Plum Health. Dr. Raquel is hands down the best Dr. I've ever had (and I've had a lot). She addressed every issue and concern with meticulous solutions. Dr. Paul was also very attentive any time Dr. Raquel was away. What I love most about Plum Health is how you can text or call them at all hours if the matter is urgent or if you have random health questions. They respond in a timely manner, it's awesome. I would recommend Plum Health to every person who does not have access to health insurance. It's the next best thing. OH! Getting your prescriptions at wholesale price saved me a lot of money which was a huge plus!
Raquel Orlich, DO is a Family Medicine Doctor Accepting New Patients
Currently, Dr. Raquel Orlich is accepting new patients at her office in Corktown Detroit. She takes care of people from Detroit and the surrounding communities, including Royal Oak, Ferndale, Southfield, Dearborn, Taylor, Redford, Southgate, Grosse Pointe, and many more.
In the above photo, Dr. Raquel Orlich is using an osteopathic manual medicine technique - she uses her hands to help people with musculoskeletal pain and discomfort. If you’d like to see Dr. Raquel Orlich, you can schedule an appointment with her, here.
Opinion in the Detroit News Regarding Open Enrollment
Opinion in the Detroit News from Paul Thomas, MD of Plum Health DPC
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.
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. Here’s the link to the article.
Paul Thomas, MD of Plum Health DPC and Geoffrey Ginter of Wayne State University School of Medicine discuss open enrollment with an Opinion piece in the Detroit News. Click here to see the full opinion.
Opinion in the Detroit News Regarding Open Enrollment
It’s November in America, which means three things: Thanksgiving, football and open enrollment for medical insurance.
The open enrollment period is the span when health insurance companies allow anyone to purchase insurance plans, and typically runs from early November to mid-December. Those who do not enroll in health insurance during the open enrollment period are typically unable to obtain insurance until the following year unless they have extenuating circumstances that qualify them to apply outside the open enrollment period.
Why is purchasing medical insurance limited to a specific period, when buying policies for auto and homeowner’s insurance are not subject to the same restrictions? The answer essentially comes down to who purchases the policies and when. For example, with car insurance there is no specific group that would file claims at such a significant rate that the cost of paying out claims would exceed the money paid to the insurance company in the form of premiums.
With health insurance, there are distinct populations, specifically individuals who are older or have serious medical conditions, who account for a disproportionate amount of health care spending due to increased medical expenses. This means that, theoretically, the sustainability of the health insurance industry hinges on having young, healthy people paying more in premiums than they take out in expenses.
Without regulations in place, most people would only sign up for medical insurance when they became very ill, which could potentially bankrupt the insurance companies. Insurance providers previously avoided this by denying insurance to individuals with pre-existing conditions. This practice was banned with the passage of the Affordable Care Act, so insurance companies began holding open enrollment periods as a means of keeping the insurance industry more profitable.
With an open enrollment period, everyone — young or old, healthy or sick — purchases their insurance for the year without knowing whether or not they will use that coverage. This ensures that the insurance companies have enough healthy people to sustain payments for those who are older and sicker.
If all this sounds confusing, it’s because it is. While insurance can provide essential coverage for people with catastrophic medical expenses like hospitalizations, it can unnecessarily complicate care for people who are generally healthy and only require outpatient office visits. Many people who are unaware of open enrollment deadlines may miss out on enrolling in insurance for the year, which can lead to exorbitant expenses when trying to pay out-of-pocket at a typical fee-for-service medical office.
My practice uses a direct primary care model, which forgoes the concept of paying by the visit in favor of an affordable, subscription-based system. For a fixed monthly rate, my patients have access to high-quality primary care without having to worry about deductibles and copays.
While most of my patients do carry insurance for emergencies, my practice allows them to have direct access to me without an insurance company acting as the middleman for their primary care needs.
The membership model also eliminates the need for an open enrollment period, so anyone seeking care can join at any time. This allows us to fill the gap for people who miss the open enrollment window and do not qualify for special enrollment who would otherwise have difficulty accessing affordable medical care.
Paul Thomas is a physician with Plum Health DPC. Geoffrey Ginter is a third year medical student at Wayne State University School of Medicine.
Parking Logistics at the Plum Health DPC Office in Detroit
Plum Pack,
We've been in our space for the last year and we have enjoyed free parking on the strip of Michigan Avenue immediately in front of our office.
There were pros and cons to this free parking situation. The obvious pro is that parking had been free. The con is that several people who live in the apartments above us kept their cars on the street, and that sometimes made it difficult for our patients to find a good/close parking spot.
As of today, the area in front of our office will be metered as Zone 206 via the City of Detroit Parking App. This means that if you drive down to our office, you'll likely find ample parking options in front of our office. It also means that there will be a cost to park in front of the office at $1.00/hour.
If you do not want to pay for parking, you can still enjoy free parking on Cochrane street and Trumbull street, the streets perpendicular to Michigan Ave on either side of our office building.
If you park in front of our office on Michigan Ave, please use the Park Detroit App, which is easy to find and download via the App Store. The app can store your license plate info and credit card info for future visits to our office or other locations in Detroit where metered parking is required.
Please let us know if we can help in any way, and thank you all for your continued support of our practice,
- Drs. Paul Thomas, MD and Raquel Orlich, DO at Plum Health DPC
How To Prepare for the Holidays During the Coronavirus Pandemic
As winter approaches with COVID cases surging, taking steps to keep yourself and your loved ones both physically and mentally healthy is of paramount importance.
Get a Flu Shot
First and foremost, those who are able should receive the annual influenza vaccine as soon as possible. The CDC defines flu season as the period from December to January, meaning the peak for influenza cases this year is rapidly approaching.
While the flu shot will not specifically protect you from COVID, the vaccination confers a host of benefits, including reduced likelihood of hospitalization or exacerbation of chronic diseases such as COPD, diabetes, or heart disease. Reducing hospitalizations can relieve some of the burden on our already-strained hospital system as we contend with the rising number of patients with COVID.
For context, influenza caused 38,000,000 symptomatic illnesses, 18,000,000 medical visits, 400,000 hospitalizations, and 22,000 deaths in the United States during the 2019 to 2020 flu season. If everyone got a flu shot prior to this season, we could see a dramatic reduction in these numbers.
Winter Holiday Planning
Another consideration is planning for the winter holidays and the gatherings that tend to accompany them. As the cold weather drives more people inside and impairs the ability to gather outdoors, we expect to see the number of COVID cases increase markedly.
This is obviously a touchy subject; this has been a stressful year, and most of us want nothing more than to spend time with our friends and families. A strong social support network lowers stress, promotes good mental health, and can even lower your blood pressure.
While these benefits from social support systems are certainly desirable, steps should be taken to ensure everyone can enjoy the festivities without increasing the risk of getting sick. The current statewide restrictions limit indoor gatherings to a maximum of 10 people and no more than two households, so it is important to plan accordingly.
To maximize safety, anyone you invite should be practicing safe habits, including wearing a face covering like a mask, maintaining physical distancing at 6 to 10 feet at all times, and washing their hands regularly, prior to coming to the event to reduce the likelihood of catching COVID from community spread.
If there is any doubt as to whether someone may have acquired coronavirus before coming to your house, there are many sites where free testing is available, including the City of Detroit testing site at the Joseph Walker Williams Community Center on Rosa Parks Boulevard and most commercial drug stores like Walgreens and CVS.
If you test positive or test negative and have symptoms highly suspicious for COVID, including fever, dry cough, and loss of taste or smell, the safest course of action is to stay home and self-quarantine for 10 days. The worst case scenario would be to spread coronavirus from yourself to an older, sicker, or more vulnerable member of your family who could die from COVID or suffer significant physical impairments from the virus.
At the gathering, try to maintain physical distance as much as possible, wash your hands frequently, avoid sharing utensils, and consider shortening the duration of the event, as longer time spent indoors is associated with a greater risk of spreading the virus.
How a Healthy Lifestyle Can Help
Finally, try to maintain your regular healthy lifestyle habits, even during the winter months. If you typically exercise outside, dress in layers and ensure you are well-hydrated. Do your best to get eight hours of sleep each night, and practice healthy eating as much as possible.
There is always the temptation to overeat during the holidays, so conscientious eating and portion control can help reduce excess calorie intake and still allow you to enjoy your favorite holiday dishes.
The changes in weather and lack of sunlight can also trigger or worsen depression in some individuals, so it is important to communicate with your primary care physician about any depressive symptoms you may be experiencing. In general, it is good practice to keep in touch with your primary care physician, as they are best equipped to manage your healthcare concerns.
For those without a Primary Care Physician, my practice, Plum Health DPC, is currently accepting new patients. We offer subscription-based care and affordable testing and medications, including flu shots and COVID antibody testing. Anyone interested in signing up or seeking additional information can visit our website, here.
Thanks for reading and watching,
-Dr. Paul Thomas with Plum Health DPC, written with Geoffrey Ginter, Third Year Medical Student at Wayne State University School of Medicine
Dr. Paul Thomas Talks Health and Wellness with Strategic Community Partners
The Coronavirus Pandemic has been a trying time for our personal health and wellness. It has disrupted our typical routines, strained our relationships, and limited our ability to volunteer. The Coronavirus pandemic has also been a burden for our personal finances, as we’ve put off taking care of important projects at our homes and for our families.
This week, I was able to sit on a wonderful panel with three other people in the health and wellness space to discuss these challenges and see how we can address them going forward.
Thanks for reading and watching, and have a wonderful day,
-Dr. Paul Thomas with Plum Health DPC
Healthy Food, Nutrients, Cognition, and Emotions in Detroit
Healthy Foods and Nutrients that can help with Cognition and Emotion
Today I’m talking about health food and nutrients and how they can impact your emotions and cognition. I love gardening and pulling tomatoes, peas, peppers, eggplants, cucumbers, and squash fresh from the vine. We have a relatively small garden, three raised beds, but they churn out a good amount of food each year. Tomatoes usually do the best, but we had a surprisingly robust batch of peppers this year.
We use the tomatoes in dishes like salads and ratatouille and the peppers can season many different dishes. Here’s some photos:
Without further ado, let’s get into some healthy foods that can help with your brain health and emotional health.
Omega 3 Fatty Acids
Omega 3 fatty acids help to delay cognitive decline in the elderly and can help with mood disorders. Found in wild caught salmon, flax seeds, krill, kiwi, butternut, walnut
Vitamin D
Vitamin D can help preserve cognition in the elderly. Vitamin D can be found in fish liver, fatty fish, mushrooms, milk, soy milk, and some fortified foods like cereal grains. AND you can get more vitamin D by hanging out in the sunshine.
B Vitamins
B Vitamins like B6 and B12 has positive effects on memory performance in women of various ages. Vitamin B6 is found in a wide variety of foods, including: pork poultry, such as chicken or turkey, some fish, peanuts, soy beans, wheatgerm, oats, and bananas.
Vitamin C and E
Combinatoin of Vitamin C and E can help to delay cognitive decline in the elderly. Sources of Vitamin C include Citrus fruits, tomatoes and tomato juice, potatoes, red and green peppers, kiwifruit, broccoli, strawberries, Brussels sprouts, and cantaloupe.
Want to learn more and read some relevant research? Check out this article:
START UP TV Show Featuring Plum Health DPC Airing Sunday at 1:30 pm on PBS
START UP TV Show Featuring Plum Health DPC Airing Sunday at 1:30 pm on PBS
Sunday November 15th at 1:30 pm in the Detroit market and Sunday November 22nd nationally, Plum Health DPC will be featured on the START UP TV Show on PBS. They’re focusing on how we’re lowering the cost of healthcare in Detroit and beyond. If you didn’t know, the number one reason for bankruptcy in the US is medical debt. 🏥 💰This is wrong and it needs to be fixed. 🛠
As doctors 🥼 , we took an oath to “first do no harm”, and that oath needs to include financial harm. Join us as we work towards a more just and equitable health care delivery system. 💊 💉
Here’s what they had to say about us:
Dr. Paul Thomas knew what he wanted to do with his life since the age of 17. After completing medical school, residency and a short stint at an urgent care facility, he founded Plum Health. Plum Health offers direct primary care services based on a subscription model. Rather than charge patients for each visit, patients pay a set fee each month, gaining direct access to doctors as needed, including access to wholesale medications, imaging services and lab work. This is a story about disruption, and being the change that you wish to see.
Here’s the description of START UP TV Show from their website:
What does it really take to follow your dreams? Learn from the people who've done it.
Join host Gary Bredow as he travels across America interviewing small business owners to hear their personal stories and find out what it really takes to start a successful business from the ground up. Energetic, inspirational, and educational, START UP is a fast paced series that captures the heart and imagination of anyone who has ever dreamed of starting their own business.
The filming process for this episode took a lot of time, effort, and energy, so we’re grateful to the START UP TV Show team.
Thanks for reading and have a wonderful day,
-Dr. Paul Thomas with Plum Health DPC
Dr. Jamie Qualls uses an osteopathic manual medicine technique for one of our patients. Dr. Jamie Qualls is a board certified family medicine physician who practices out of our Plum Health DPC location in Farmington Hills. You can learn more about Dr. Jamie Qualls, here.
Dr. Raquel Orlich counts out medications, getting ready to dispense them from our in-house pharmacy at our Plum Health DPC location in Corktown, Detroit. Dr. Raquel Orlich is a board certified family physician taking care of patients in our Corktown Location. You can learn more about Dr. Raquel Orlich, here.
Exercise Your Right to Vote in Detroit and Michigan
I truly believe that exercising your right to vote is a very healthy activity.
If you haven't already voted absentee or by mail, please take the time today to vote.
Michigan has an excellent Voter Information Center, here: https://mvic.sos.state.mi.us/
Here are the big issues they tackle on the website:
Where are my clerk’s offices? https://mvic.sos.state.mi.us/Voter/Index/#yourclerk
Where are my ballot drop boxes? https://mvic.sos.state.mi.us/Voter/Index/#yourclerk
Where is my polling place? https://mvic.sos.state.mi.us/Voter/Index
How to Register to vote? https://youtu.be/x4nZKG7H35s?t=137
You can still register to vote on election day if you haven't yet.
If you lack access to transportation, our friends at The Detroit Bus Company are giving people free rides to the polls. If you need a ride to the polls, or if you want to volunteer to give a ride to the polls, head to this link: https://thedetroitbus.com/dbc-vote-rides/
If you are in Detroit and experience any intimidation, please call the NAACP Voter Intimidation Hotline: 313-644-2424
Thank you and have a wonderful day!
- Dr. Paul Thomas
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/
Detroit Doctor Discusses the Importance of Health Communication
Detroit doctor discusses health Communication and Health literacy
This week, we had a great interview with SHANKX Web Development about the importance of Health Communication. We believe that health communication is at the core of better health outcomes. When doctors and patients can communicate seamlessly, questions are asked and answered that leads to a better understanding of symptoms, diagnoses, and treatment options.
For us, health communication is super important, and it starts with developing trusting relationships with our patients. When we have trusting relationships and open lines of communication - text messages, emails, phone calls, video chats - we can truly help our patients understand their symptoms, our diagnoses, and the best way forward in terms of treatment and management.
Further, in communities like Detroit with lower levels of health literacy, excellent communication becomes even more important.
I got to meet Shankar Poncelet and Antrea Ferguson at a recent Direct Primary Care conference and we discussed this topic at that time, and they wanted to follow up with a deeper dive. We decided to engage in an Instagram Live discussion, which went well other than the poor sound quality on my end. I hope you enjoy the conversation!
recognizing national health literacy month
Here’s what they had to say: In light of National Health Literacy Month, we were joined by Dr. Paul Thomas MD of Plum Health, a Direct Primary Care Physician who runs a novel Direct Primary Care clinic in Detroit.
With three doctors and two locations of Plum Health already established, and a fourth doctor joining the Plum Health team in February 2021, Dr. Thomas shares how social media and the DPC model have been "primary" drivers of growth.
Literacy takes two distinct faces in our talk with Dr. Thomas:
Educating the patient community in Detroit about the alternatives available to them when it comes to accessing health care that TRULY serves their needs
Educating doctors and the broader medical community about how to harness the power of social media to not only build your personal brand but actually perform outreach in under-served communities and share the ways in which medical professionals can SERVE their patients
For more on Dr. Thomas's practice, Plum Health DPC, visit our website here.
If you’d like to sign up to be a patient of Plum Health DPC, you can enroll here.
If you're a medical professional looking to start your own successful DPC practice, be sure to check out Dr. Thomas's book, Startup DPC: How To Start And Grow Your Direct Primary Care Practice.
Plum Health DPC Featured in Start Up TV Show on PBS This Fall
Exciting news! We’re going to be on a TV 📺 show called @startuptvshow on @pbs this fall 🍁 🍁 Our episode airs November 8th at 1:30 pm 🙌🏼 🙌🏼
Here’s what they said:
“😱 🤯 What if we told you that there is a direct primary care physician 👨⚕️ in Detroit that does house calls and offers books 📚 about how to start your own practice?
Awesome, right? You will learn more about Plum Health and their desire to provide affordable and accessible health care 💉 💊 🥼 on this season of START UP, premiering October 18th!”
Tune in every Sunday, as the show will be featuring some amazing business in Detroit 💯
Filming this episode was a multi-day process at our office in Corktown Detroit. We got to work with a very talented film crew with an amazing creative vision. The crew put a ton of effort and energy into the filming process and we hope that energy will be reflected in the final product.
This is our first time being featured for an extended interview, so there was a lengthy sit-down interview process and a great deal of B-roll footage, from us performing physical exam maneuvers on our patients in our office, to us counting out meds, and even a scene of Dr. Paul Thomas on a bicycle!
The episode will air on November 8th at 1:30 pm Eastern Time, so mark your calendars!
If you’d like to become a member of Plum Health, you can sign up here:
Thanks for reading and setting your DVRs!
-Dr. Paul Thomas with Plum Health DPC
More about the Start Up TV Show
Crain’s Detroit Business did a nice write up on the show, and described it as follows:
"Start Up," in its eighth season, gives viewers a look inside the world of the American entrepreneur. This season, with the first episode set to air at 1:30 p.m. Oct. 18, will feature 13 entrepreneurs — 12 of them based in Michigan. The season, according to show creator Gary Bredow, will center on how small-business owners and entrepreneurs have adapted to and navigated their way through what has been a turbulent 2020. The show will air on more than 350 PBS stations nationwide.
Start up season 8 teaser trailer
The Start Up crew put together a fantastic teaser trailer for Season 8, and you can see that teaser here:
Dr. Paul Thomas Speaks with Wayne State Medical Students About Lowering the Cost of Health Care
This week, I was invited to speak with Wayne State University School of Medicine students who are interested in the Direct Primary Care model and who are interested in how the model makes health care more affordable and accessible.
During this session, I talked with the students about the current problems in the United States Health Care System, the challenges that doctors face when taking care of patients, and the solutions that the Direct Primary Care model offers.
The students asked some excellent questions during the question and answer session.
Thanks for watching,
- Dr. Paul Thomas with Plum Health DPC in Detroit, Michigan