IMAGINE A place where a visit with your doctor costs nothing — a place where your care navigator guides you seamlessly through the complexities of your individualized health needs and where the focus is not just on treating your ailments but on nurturing your well-being as a whole. Within the walls of The Town Doctor, a revolution such as this is underway — one that grants equal control to both the patient and their physician through Direct Primary Care (DPC).
Jennifer Steves is a registered nurse, co-founder of The Town Doctor, and the wife of Dr. Robert Steves, who has been a board-certified family physician for 25 years. The Steves have been married for nearly 30 years and have seven children.
“Our many years in the health care industry had caused Robert and [me] to become [disillusioned] with the state of our primary care system. [We were concerned with] how patients were treated, the stress of mounting medical debt for things that shouldn’t cost as much as they were being billed, and frustration with the lack of independence when making shared decisions with patients,” said Jennifer.
“We knew things needed to change. They couldn’t be fixed from the inside. We knew we had to take a different direction. We had to boldly choose to step out and build something new — something better.”
As an increasing number of patients grappled with mounting medical debt and private practices became absorbed by larger health care corporations, the Steves’ desire for more genuine doctor-patient relationships grew significantly. In 2016, along with a core group of licensed professionals, they embarked on a mission to return to the old-fashioned principles that had inspired each of them to recite and uphold the Hippocratic oath. The Town Doctor ushers in a new era for health care, where simplicity intersects with compassion, and your well-being — rather than profit — takes center stage.
“In a time [when] health care costs are soaring, we are a place where appointments, support, and navigating the health care system get a whole lot easier. For about the cost of a daily coffee, The Town Doctor members receive quality care without the added costs and bureaucracy of insurance companies. Members have access to their doctor via phone, text, and email. They can save hundreds of dollars on medications, labs, and imaging. Our friendly, straightforward approach provides peace of mind as we take care of up to 80-90% of health care needs. Now you, your family, [and] your employees can have access to best-in-class primary and wellness care.”
For years, the traditional health care system has left many feeling lost in a maze of endless insurance paperwork, expensive copays, increasingly high deductibles, and rushed appointments. Along with the frustration of waiting hours, weeks, and months for an appointment with an in-network provider, this subscription method is unique.
“Instead of filling out paperwork, checking boxes, and filing claims, the doctor can spend time with you. It is freedom for patients, knowing there are no copays, their visits are $0, and we dispense their medicine right here in the office for pennies on the dollar. Our DPC model restores the independence for our doctors, allowing them to spend the time they need with their patients without feeling rushed. We’re the rebels of health care. We’re challenging the status quo, and it’s revolutionizing the way we take care of people.”
Members also receive discounts with a local fitness trainer and on aesthetics and nutritional supplements. With The Town Doctor, health care is so much more than bi-annual checkups — it’s a lifestyle. Besides primary care, they also offer micro-needling, IV hydration, aesthetics that promote healthier glowing skin, weight loss and health coaching, energy-infusing B-12 injections, laser hair removal, and so much more.
Monthly membership fees for individuals are $90 and $30 for children (under 17) with an adult member. As a full-spectrum lifestyle health center, The Town Doctor offers routine labs, blood pressure screening, specialty labs, routine physicals, well-woman exams, pediatric evaluations, diabetes management, nutritional therapy, and sutures. With same-day appointments available, you’ll bid “goodbye” to overpriced medical bills and long wait times in the emergency room or stops at urgent care clinics.
“When you choose a primary health care solution rooted in real connections with your doctor, you cultivate the goodness of health through everyday choices, more courage to take care of your body, and the freedom to abundantly live. Smart local business owners are providing our DPC model to their employees for a high-value health benefit that’s saving their employees money and providing a fixed cost for their business without copays, surprises, inflated bills, or mounting claims,” said Robert. GN
