Model of Care

Many patients today feel like their doctor is too busy for them. The average amount of time a doctor now spends with a patient at a typical visit has been reduced to just seven minutes. Rather than being able to focus on your medical concerns, providers of care now must spend an inordinate amount of time filing claims and carrying out complex billing and collections process. It is estimated that for each practicing physician, it now takes 4.5 administrative staff to handle the administration of claims and collections. Thus, not only has the quality of care gone down, costs have skyrocketed.

Under the Affordable Care Act, many people have insurance plans with high deductibles that they unable to meet its criteria. The high deductible plans will certainly help them with a low monthly premium; however, they have to pay out-of-pocket for most of their medical cares (unless they meet their deductibles). As a result, they most likely get inadequate care. They tend to skip care altogether. Furthermore, the current health care system under the Health Managment Organization (HMO) is so complex and complicated that most people have no clue how much they have to pay for a doctor office visit, until they get the bill. High quality and personal healthcare have now become inaccessible for many people.

St. Joseph Primary Care offers a new kind of health care that bridges the gap through Direct Primary Care (DPC). DPC allows direct interaction between doctor and patient, including fees and managed care. There are no third parties involved. Our Mission is to provide comprehensive, affordable, personal care to all our patients, regardless of income, employment, insurance, faith, or documentation status. Our services meet the needs of the uninsured, the underinsured (those with high-deductible plans), and people seeking a personal, lasting relationship with a physician who shares their values. We offer a Membership Care Program. Patients pay a set annual membership fee to join St. Joseph Primary Care.

Patients who support St. Joseph Primary Care with an annual fee receive high-quality, comprehensive, and personalized Christian health care from a physician at our practice. Their annual payments also help support our efforts to provide a charitable clinic for those without insurance or facing economic hardship. This self-sustaining social impact business model provides care that reflects our Christian ethics through both our physician-patient relationships and our direct efforts to serve those in need.