More Than Telehealth

I’d like to share a story about how Voyage Direct Primary Care (VDPC) delivers exceptional care and helps families navigate the healthcare system in a smooth, affordable way.

A couple of months ago, a self-employed family signed up with VDPC for family medical care and engaged with a health-share for catastrophic coverage. It was an affordable way for them to navigate healthcare, and they were excited about the easy access to a family physician without copays or deductibles.

A couple of days ago, that family’s father contacted me about abdominal pain. It had started 3 days earlier and gotten progressively worse. “This morning was pretty bad,” he texted. I called him directly, asked a variety of questions over the phone, and decided to evaluate him for appendicitis.

I asked that he meet me at my office for further evaluation. At the office, we had a nice visit; I learned that he is a programer working on software to better humanity. 🙂 I also met his wife and learned some details about their family of six children.

My physical exam led to a definite diagnosis of early appendicitis. I called the local hospital and was transferred to the on-call surgeon to whom I gave a brief report of my exam findings and my patient’s clinical picture.

The surgeon explained that under ordinary circumstances, he would accept the patient and schedule him for immediate surgery. The current COVID-19 crisis, however, led the hospital to require further testing to confirm the diagnosis before allowing him to perform the needed surgery.

I placed an order for labs that would be required prior to a CT scan with contrast; checking his kidney function, electrolytes, and liver (Comprehensive Metabolic Panel) and his white and red blood cells (Complete Blood Count) would cost him $10. Then I coordinated a CT scan at a local imaging center where I had pre-negotiated rates for approximately 1/3 the price of a CT scan at the hospital.

Because I had asked the imaging center to perform the CT scan as soon as possible and give me an immediate read on the images, the radiologist called within an hour to confirm my diagnosis. The scan showed an inflamed appendix and signs of infection. I immediately called the surgeon and coordinated a time for surgery that afternoon.

After the surgery, I called and spoke to my patient’s wife. She was in the post-operation recovery room accompanying her husband. She told me that the surgery had gone well and emphasized how much she appreciated the call and everything I had done for them that day.

Voyage Direct Primary Care is more than Telehealth. It’s more than super affordable labs, imaging and other diagnostic tests. It’s about truly caring for people and helping them smoothly navigate the healthcare system.