A Peek at Membership
Wow. I went through each of the surveys and carefully reflected on your responses. How enlightening! Also very sad. Our shared needs are pretty simple. I’m determined to figure out a solution that works for everyone!
Fact: Our current sick care model of health is a burden and a huge strain on our wallets. With rising insurance premiums, coinsurance, copayments, high deductibles, and less and less coverage, we have a lot to think about.
Wanna know what I crave more than anything? More QUALITY TIME with my patients. More space to think, reflect, and chat without the the constant pressure of a ticking clock. One of my pet peeves is running behind and making patients wait. I believe everyone’s time is valuable. Though I could go on and on regarding the many barriers within the insurance-based system, let’s switch gears and look at new possibilities together!
While reviewing the surveys, I realized that there are knowledge gaps that I can fill. These next few blogs will do just that. Once these clarifications are made, hopefully you’ll have a better sense of what works for you.
Today I will explain what a membership model will look like.
So, let’s dive into this together! Remember, this is just me dreaming out loud for you. I’m open to feedback and can add or subtract anything. I’m open to thoughts and suggestions. Feel free to share new, innovative ideas! We’re thinking outside the box, remember? Let’s put our heads together and come up with solutions to this broken model of sick care.
To start, I am determined to keep the monthly membership fee accessible and affordable. Creating a 100% virtual platform makes this possible. Considering the current pandemic, a virtual practice also keeps you safe.
Appointment times with me will be considerably longer allowing for improved personalized care. I’m thinking 60-90 minute initial visit, up to a 30-60 minute follow up depending on issues and specialty lab review. Based on the membership tier selected, you will have a set number of visits with me per year (roughly one every 6-12 weeks). I plan to have two to three separate tiers. For patients with more complex health issues, there will be a higher tier with more one-on-one time with me. Once we have worked together to get health issues reversed, you are invited to graduate to a lower tier, which means more cost-savings for you! That’s right, it pays to get healthier!
My goal is to work with you to identify and reverse active health issues, to get you healthy and vibrant, and to keep you that way. Over time, the goal is to need me less and less as I guide and educate.
No more scheduling nightmares or confusion! Implementing straightforward, independent scheduling is the goal. You will see all available appointment slots and choose the one that works for you. I plan to have flexible slots available outside of the 8am-5pm standard to accommodate everyone’s busy lives.
Building an intentional community and support system for my patients and other providers is important to me. One way to incorporate this is through the establishment of community partners. This includes establishments that support patient wellness. It can include acupuncture, chiropractic, naturopathic care, massage, lifestyle and nutritional coaching, physical therapy, yoga, reiki, tai chi, local farms, even restaurants and grocery stores. We must take it upon ourselves to build this intentional and collaborative community network!
Other bonuses include savings on supplements. Discounts on special workshops, holiday events, cooking demos, and family events. I plan to incorporate group visits at a discount to members.
A group series is typically held once a week for 4 to 12 weeks and will focus on a specific topic such as cardiometabolic disease (high cholesterol and/or blood sugars), autoimmunity, elimination food plan, prenatal and postpartum care, stress and resilience as examples. Group visits are powerful spaces for healing that carry you far beyond one-on-one visits with me. I’ll explain this in more detail in a separate post, so stay tuned.
Members will also have exclusive access to all online educational content. I’m also considering a secure online forum to further support you.
Other membership perks include access to a lending library of books and resources to support health and wellness.
For mental and emotional well-being, I hope to include free monthly outdoor group meditation sessions. Depending on the course of this pandemic, I’ll have to tread carefully and see what you feel comfortable with. If anything, we can meet virtually. I believe meditating in a group setting is powerful and transformative far beyond what your mind can comprehend. Periodically, I will invite special guests to bring insight and enhance our practice.
The goal is to keep membership fees low and affordable. The details are still being worked out, but will be provided soon.
The biggest value you’ll find is my personal support without traditional barriers. This will give you the confidence to achieve the very best in health! Navigating the medical world today is complicated. Having someone by your side that you know and trust can make all the difference.
I’ve tried my best to provide specialized functional & integrative medical care within a traditional insurance model. Yes, I painfully made it work for several years, but know in my heart that I can offer so much more for my patients.
This is just me dreaming out loud and sharing my vision with you. Still ironing out details and always open to your brilliant ideas. I hope to expand services as word spreads and opportunities present themselves.
I firmly believe that if you begin with a heart filled with the best intentions, you can never go wrong.
With much love,
