Family medicine physicians and East Bay Health co-founders Tracy Hu, M.D., and Naomi Breckon, M.D., explain how they optimize patients' health care.
AS A NONPROFIT, WHAT FREE HEALTH CARE SERVICES ARE PROVIDED BY EAST BAY HEALTH MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS?
“We offer free primary care services to people below the poverty line and who are uninsured. When people need health care the most, we're there for them. We offer a free community postpartum support group with therapists and a pediatrician to help new mothers, too. We also provide hands-on cooking lessons focusing on ‘food as medicine,’ helping with chronic health conditions to improve dietary needs.”
WHAT IS 'DIRECT PRIMARY CARE'? HOW DOES IT BENEFIT PATIENTS?
“DPC is a health care model where patients pay a flat monthly or annual fee directly to their primary care provider instead of going through insurance. This model allows 30 to 60-minute visits for in-depth discussions about health concerns instead of rushed 15-minute appointments. We offer same-day or next-day appointments; our patients have direct communication with us via phone, text, or email.”
HOW DO YOU PERSONALLY HANDLE PATIENT EDUCATION?
“We have long appointments with patients, often spending over an hour with them. I love using this time to teach my patients about their health conditions. Longer visits allow us to advise on preventative medicine, as well as treatment of active conditions. Another benefit is interpreting specialists' recommendations to patients. I often find patients are confused why they're taking certain medications or why they have a test scheduled. We have the time to allow patients to fully participate in their care.”
HOW IS FREE MEMBERSHIP DETERMINED AT THE CLINIC?
“Patients must be uninsured or demonstrate their income falls below specified thresholds based on family size.”
FOR WHAT REASONS WAS EAST BAY HEALTH LAUNCHED?
“We felt we couldn't provide the kind of high-quality primary care we wanted in the current health care system of seeing 20-30 patients a day. We want to spend more time with patients and actually get to know them, which not only helps us provide better care, but also feel more fulfilled as doctors."
WHAT MAKES EAST BAY HEALTH UNIQUE AMONG HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS?
“Our nonprofit mission is to make health care equitable. We're one of three clinics in Northern California, and maybe in the country, that provides concierge-level care for free to patients who are underinsured and low-income. We're also big believers of culinary medicine and the importance of lifestyle changes in preventing and reversing chronic diseases. Our clinic has a demonstration kitchen where patients learn about healthy cooking with seasoned chef Cindy Gershen of Sunrise Bistro.”
WHAT ADDITIONAL SERVICES DOES THE CLINIC OFFER?
“We have a pediatrician who is also a certified lactation consultant; she does comprehensive newborn care for the first month of life, which includes home visits. I'm a certified massage therapist and offer bodywork appointments for patients who have musculoskeletal issues and/or chronic pain. We also hold after-school classes for kids on topics such as healthy cooking, mindfulness, art, and music. Lastly, we offer free lectures on health topics, mindfulness classes, and support groups.”
WHAT ROLE DOES MENTAL HEALTH HAVE IN OVERALL WELL-BEING?
“Mental health is essential to overall well-being. One of our goals is to bring aboard a therapist who can see patients as part of their primary care membership. We're focusing on expanding our support groups that are free and open to all. We currently have a weekly postpartum support group held by our pediatrician and a licensed psychologist. We hope to start a support group for seniors. We'll be fundraising for these goals at our upcoming annual spring gala."