Direct Family Medicine: Let's Get it Done in Ohio

Direct Family Medicine or Direct Primary Care such as Health Access Rhode Island, Qliance, Medlion, Forrest Direct Pay, and Physician Care Direct (see links at bottom of page) and others have shown America how to "bend the cost curve" and get health care to people at the "front lines".  Ohio doesn't yet have a similar network of linked practices, but does have one or two practices in NE Ohio modeled after Health Access Rhode Island and a few individual Concierge Practices such as MDVIP in SW and Central Ohio.

The "trickling in" of these practices is a sign of innovation and concern.  What is happening to the practice of Family Medicine as it is owned by larger and larger corporations such as hospitals?  What model of practice can best serve patients while surviving financially?  How can we continue to feel the joy in Family Medicine?  Who will provide Family Medicine services for the poor and underserved? Who will provide Family Medicine services to the rich and powerful and everyone else who needs it in Ohio?

Family Physicians understand Family Medicine more than sometimes confusing terms like Primary Care which is less than our usual scope of practice.  We can do a service to our patients and the systems in which we practice if we refer to our specialty by its rightful name of Family Medicine and avoid the narrower term (managed care term) Primary Care.

It's time for more independent practices to band together to establish Direct Family Medicine Networks that are sustainable through the transformation of healthcare into the next era.  How might this happen?

Define the Dream for Direct Family Medicine in Ohio

Identify and Inspire a Burning Desire to Accomplish it

Believe We Can Do it

We know the situation and understand the need for more Family Medicine service delivery along with a different business model for sustainable Family Medicine practices.

How many independent practices care to connect to move ahead with network development?

Let's expect to communicate via social media and in person to get it done (the development work for the network and the support for individual practice transition to offer a Direct Family Medicine pathway for patients).

 http://www.healthaccessri.com/index.html      http://www.qliance.com/    http://www.medlion.com/

 https://forrestdirectpay.com/    http://physiciancaredirect.com/