Direct Primary Care

, ,

Direct Primary Care Master Class is on August 20th and 21st!

, ,

Get Ready - We're Hosting a DPC Master Class 💯

We're so excited to host the Direct Primary Care Master Class at our office on August 20th and 21st, 2021!

We're going to teach you everything you need to know to get up and running with your DPC practice 🚀🚀🚀 from writing a business plan, to attracting patients, to SEO, to leasing and building out a new office. 

We're STOKED and hope you can join us for this one-of-a-kind event 🙌🙌

- Drs. Paul Thomas MD and Raquel Orlich DO 

The Direct Primary Care Master Class 2021 is happening on August 20th and 21st, 2021 in Detroit Michigan.

The Direct Primary Care Master Class 2021 is happening on August 20th and 21st, 2021 in Detroit Michigan.

,

Paul Thomas MD at the AAFP National Conference 2021

,

Dr. Paul Thomas Speaks at the AAFP National Conference 2021

Dr. Paul Thomas of Plum Health DPC is speaking at the AAFP National Conference today, Saturday July 31st, 2021. The topic is Direct Primary Care as you’ve already guessed, and how it works to make health care more affordable and accessible in the United States.

2021.07.31 Paul Thomas MD speaking at the AAFP National Conference.jpg
,

Best Label Printer for your Direct Primary Care Practice

,

Which is the Best Label Printer for your Direct Primary Care Practice?

We get all sorts of random questions about our practice, like this one!

Good day Dr Thomas,

I am finally about to start seeing patients at my direct primary care practice and I am wondering what software/template you use to print your prescription bottle label?

Sincerely,

A soon-to-be DPC doctor

Our answer: We love using the Dymo Printer, that you can purchase on Amazon.

The Dymo printer LabwlWriter 450 Twin Turbo works well because you can print labels for your medication bottles and you can print labels for your lab work.

Best of luck in your DPC practice!

-Dr. Paul Thomas with Startup DPC and Plum Health DPC

, , ,

Which Domain Name is Best for My Direct Primary Care Practice?

, , ,

Which Domain name is Best for my Direct Primary Care Practice?

I just presented at the DPC Summit and I got a great question!

My name is ______, and I just graduated from my residency program in [the wester United States]. I attended the DPC Summit this weekend to gather information in prep to open my own clinic (from scratch) end of this year.

Thank you so much for your great tips and general advice on marketing/branding. I am in the process of finalizing my clinic name and was planning on using Direct Primary Care with a shortened URL using DPC (vs Family Med or Family Practice).

However, several attendees advised (in the comments section) being careful about using DPC in the URL, something about having to say "delta papa charlie" when they spell out the name?

I see that you use DPC in your URL and social media handles, so could you provide any quick advice about this?

Thank you for sharing your knowledge!

Here’s my response:

_____, Great question! I would prefer to NOT have “DPC” in my domain name as it can be difficult to say over the phone and confusing for prospective patients. Ultimately, people want a great doctor and an understandable service, and the “DPC” part can be confusing initially.

If you can pick a name and get a domain without the “DPC”, that would be ideal. BUT sometimes all the good domains are taken, as in our case.

Plum Health dot com was taken, but Plum Health DPC dot com was available, so I bought that domain.

One day I'll work up the chutzpah to buy the domain "PlumHealth.com" as that would be the ideal domain name for our business - it is simple and easy to relate over the phone to a prospective patient. It’s also easier to type as fewer characters lead to fewer mistakes.

If you can buy the domain name related to the name you want, WITHOUT the DPC, that's the best case scenario. Sometimes, people buy domains and just sit on them, waiting to make a buck, and that’s frustrating.

You can peruse what’s available by searching on SquareSpace.com or Wix.com or by searching Go Daddy dot com. Here’s the search result for Plum Health on Go Daddy currently.

I hope this helps!

- Paul

,

Another Amazing Review for the Startup DPC Book

,

Another Five Star Review for the Startup DPC Book

We love our readers! Thank you to Akilah De Aza for your recent review of our Startup DPC book! We appreciate you!!!

Akilah De Aza

5.0 out of 5 stars Must read if considering opening your own DPC practice.

Reviewed in the United States on July 10, 2021

Verified Purchase

I have not yet started my DPC practice, so I do not know what, if anything, this book might be missing. That said, I feel extremely comfortable following the directions in this book to maximize my chances of having a successful practice. Dr. Thomas wrote this book in a very approachable, easy to read manner that allows the reader to feel comfortable with what they don’t know. He has made sure to be respectful to everyone in all respects in this book. He has referenced other books for additional information. He has outlined exact dollar amount for expected costs. He has shared specific details about how he obtained money to start his own practice, some thing that was very helpful to me, and quite generous and forthcoming of him. 6 stars for this book! I could not be more grateful. I’m not even done reading it yet.
This is a must read for anyone considering starting a DPC practice and I even want for my family members to read the book so that they understand why I feel so confidently about something so brand new to me. Dr. Thomas and this book are Godsends.

,

Best Blood Pressure Cuff for my Direct Primary Care Practice

,

The best blood pressure cuff for your direct primary care practice

I get a lot of requests for the best blood pressure cuff for a direct primary care practice, so here it is! I love using the OMRON 907XL. It’s the best option out there. You can wall mount it. You can plug it in or use battery power. It comes with at least 4 different cuff sizes, and most importantly, it is extremely reliable and accurate.

As a family physician, I’m taking blood pressure readings every single appointment slot, so I’m using my Omron 907XL at least 5 to 10 times each day. The model that I have, I have been using for the last 4 years without an issue. I do have a manual cuff on hand just in case the Omron can’t get the job done, but I haven’t used it in years.

If you’re looking for a less expensive option for your patients to take home, consider the OMRON Silver BP Cuff. This one costs about $60 and is a good loaner to your patients who may want or need to get at-home blood pressure readings.

, ,

Direct Primary Care Master Class

, ,

Last month, we hosted an inspiring conference with doctors from across the country who want to start and grow their own Direct Primary Care practices!

It was amazing to work with them, and I cannot wait to see the impact that they make for the people they serve.

We're hosting another DPC Master Class on August 20th and 21st to help more doctors free themselves from insurance contracts and practice medicine on their own terms.

Join us! https://www.startupdpc.com/masterclass

#StartupDPC #DirectPrimaryCare #FamilyMedicine #DPCMasterClass #DPCConference #DirectPrimaryCareConference

, ,

15 Great Ways to Grow Your Direct Primary Care Practice

, ,

Here are 15 amazing ways to market your practice!

- join a small biz association in your community and make genuine connections

- dine at a restaurant and ask to meet the owner/manager (leave a nice review, too)

- ask your current patients "who do you know that could benefit from our services?"

- ask your current patients for reviews on Google and Yelp

- get great headshots of yourself at your office and in your community

- write an opinion piece for your local newspaper

- send out a press release to your local journalists

- bring cookies to your local specialist's office

- send out mass emails via MailChimp or Emma or a similar email marketing platform

- create fun and engaging content on your social media accounts and ask your current patients to share that content

- host a meet-and-greet at your office and supply bagels and coffee or wine and cheese, depending on your community

- host a meet-and-greet at a nearby bar, restaurant, or park and give everyone $5 or $10 off of their order (this is a great way to have a memorable event and a great way to invite new people into your practice)

- host a ribbon cutting at your office

- have a community walk with the doc

- sponsor your local 5K

..and on and on and on - you can do this! think creatively :)

if you need more ideas, you can find them here on my sales funnel course: https://startup-dpc.teachable.com/p/building-a-sales-funnel-for-your-direct-primary-care-practice/

Best of luck!

- Paul Thomas MD with Startup DPC

, ,

What Direct Primary Care Doctors Use for Casting and Splinting for Fractures and Sprains

, ,

Doctors who are starting their direct primary care practices often wonder what to use for casting and splinting. In this video, Dr. Paul Thomas shows the materials that are often used at Plum Health DPC, a direct primary care practice in Detroit Michigan.

For most sprains, we use a self-closure elastic bandage - these come in many different brands, like ACE Wrap or EZe-Band.

For casting, we use Scotchcast Plus (3 inch). Underneath the cast, we apply a padding material as well as a cotton stockinette that helps protect the patient’s arm.

, ,

What Dr. Jade Had to Say About our DPC Master Class

, ,

On May 14th and 15th, we hosted our DPC Master Class 2021 at our Plum Health Office in Detroit. We hosted students in-person from Las Vegas Nevada, Florida, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Spokane Washington; we also had students join us virtually for our live-streamed content.

We received a glowing review from Dr. Jade Norris who came to Detroit to learn how to start and grow her Direct Primary Care practice. She hopes to take back this knowledge to her hometown of Las Vegas, Nevada and to serve her community with affordable and accessible healthcare.

Here’s what Dr. Jade had to say:

✨ Mentorship is essential! Detroit was awesome!
⠀
✨ This weekend I visited Dr. Paul Thomas of @plumhealthdpc for his Direct Primary Care Masterclass!
⠀
✨ Dr. Paul has one of the most successful Direct Primary Care practices in the country and also started his practice straight from residency!
⠀
✨I learned so much this weekend and I’m so thankful for the mentorship! I can’t wait to bring quality, affordable and accessible healthcare to Las Vegas in 2022!
⠀
✨@nspireprimarycare is in the planning stages and I’m trusting God every step of the way!

The DPC Master Class is Returning August 20th and 21st

The DPC Master Class is returning August 20th and 21st! We’ll be hosting at our Detroit office and teaching doctors how to start and grow their DPC practices in a unique, in-person event! Join us by enrolling here.

HOW CAN I LEARN MORE ABOUT STARTING AN DIRECT PRIMARY CARE PRACTICE?

If you enjoyed reading this blog post and if you want to learn more about starting and growing your direct primary care practice, look no further than our book and our courses on how to start and grow your direct primary care practice. We at Startup DPC have begun compiling some of the best content available on this blog, in our book, and in our courses.

The best place to start is to take our Direct Primary Care Business Plan course, available here. From there, you can learn how to attract new patients to your direct primary care practice and how to find the perfect location or build out the practice of your dreams.

Thanks for reading and watching, and best of luck in your direct primary care journey!

-Dr. Paul Thomas with Startup DPC