Page 30 - Layout 1

FEATURE

Happy Patient; Happy Doctor Model

By Uchenna L. Umeh, MD

Dear Doctor,
Since I quit my job so I could start speaking on youth depression telemedicine, home visits, vaccines and IVF right in the patient's
and suicide, I have discovered a side of me that loves to write, speak home! Such is the new way to practice medicine and I am proud to
and fight. That side lay dormant until the passion to save our youth announce that I am the first and only pediatrician in Texas and the
through creating awareness was ignited, after my 7-year-old patient US with this niche, in this model.
attempted suicide in May of 2018. So, what is DPC? Its primary emphasis is on affordable care. In
Over time, I have had to finally admit to myself that I miss seeing its purest form, no insurance or third-party payer is accepted. That
my patients. They are my "anti-kryptonite". However, I knew that I puts the first nail in the burnout coffin! No insurance means; I. Get.
didn’t want to go back to what I call "assembly line" medicine; the To. See. My. Patients. For. As. Long. As. I. Want. To! Yassss! Patients
kind that is run by CEOs with little knowledge of what it's like to keep their health insurance and might even get reimbursed. A flat
have boots in the mines; the kind that has enslaved doctors and monthly fee is paid in exchange for; longer times with patients, in-
caused burnout to become a household word and put profits before timate doctor-patient relationships, lower healthcare costs, unlimited
patients and providers; the kind that we did not sign up for in med- direct access to doctors virtually, improved work-life balance for
ical school and unfortunately drives 400 of us to early deaths each physicians (reducing burnout), reduced patient load, and reduced
year through suicide. administrative costs. The increased time with patients is a huge win
I decided that medicine that way was no longer for me. Neither for me. Fees vary depending on location and market competition;
Locums nor Hospitalist options fit. Then I discovered DPC Docs for me, it’s less than a #Starbucks coffee!
on Facebook. A 2K-strong community of doctors practicing med- It is a membership model, like Netflix. I also offer telemedicine, par-
icine on their own terms. Direct Primary Care, three life-changing ent coaching and a teen support group. My patients have my cell num-
words for those of us who look further and farther outside the box ber to call, text, or email me whenever they need to. They get as many
saying "enough already" to the big bosses. visits as they like each month! When was the last time you had that
I happily jumped in with two feet. You see, Direct Primary Care kind of access to your doctor? Let’s say my 14 year-old patient is ex-
is exactly what Dr. Universe ordered for me. A spin-off of periencing an emotional crisis at 2 pm and at school, they need to get
Concierge Medicine, DPC allows doctors to practice medicine the to me right away, and not have to wait until they get home, inform
old-fashioned way. I learned about DPC nearly 2 years ago through their parent who calls the next day to get an appointment for the next
a podcast featuring one of its pioneers, Dr. Josh Umbehr of Atlas week, take time off from work and school, wait for hours in the waiting
MD. I was intrigued by the model and got hooked. Yet it took me room, only for the doctor to spend all of 10 minutes with them. They
nearly 2 years to act on it, not because the process is hard, but be- then wait another 2-3 months to get an appointment with the psychi-
cause I needed the right mindset and stars to align. atrist who may or may not accept their insurance or charge them 2 or
Starting back into clinical practice had to be on my own terms. A 3 times my monthly fee for only one visit!
quick check with the Texas Medical Board confirmed that I could In conclusion, I believe I have found nirvana in medicine again.
attend to at-risk youth aged 8 years to 18 years, the population I You might also, if you try; think about it. You never know. These
speak and write about, that spun off my dream to open my own days I work smarter, not harder. I still have time for; blogging,
youth health center. speaking engagements, recording my podcast (Suicide Pages with
It took less than 6 weeks and less than $10,000 to set up. You Dr. Lulu) and finishing up my second book, a chronicle about Teen
see, I have a micro DPC practice model; a patient panel of <300, Life (buy my first book; a Parenting Guide, here). Once we conquer
no fancy equipment, or staff. I see only 6-8 patients a day for up that voice in our heads telling us we can't do it, the rest will fall in
to 1 hour per visit, for three days a week. My monthly overhead is place. Ultimately, Happy Patient: Happy Doctor is what we all seek,
a fraction of what I paid when I owned a traditional practice, my right? So, I ask again this time, dear doctor, will you DPC?
EHR is user-friendly, my stress level is low, my patients are happy, “We can't be afraid of change. You may feel very secure in the
and so am I. pond that you are in, but if you never venture out of it, you will
While this might not work for many, it works for me and my never know that there is such a thing as the sea or the ocean. Hold-
niche. Dr. Amber Price of Willow Pediatrics offers home visits and ing onto something that is good for you now, may be the very reason
only sees newborns. Dr. Sara Sultz of the DOC group does why you don't have something better.” — C. JoyBell C.

Uchenna L. Umeh, MD is a Board Certified Pediatrician, Teen Expert and National Keynote Speaker at "Ask Doctor Lulu", CEO at Teen Alive and is a
member of the Bexar County Medical Society.

30 San Antonio Medicine • November 2019