Holistic Medicine By Dr. Jessica Davis
Creating A Medical “CSA” How does it work? Both CSAs and direct practices generally have a membership based system. Instead of a share of vegetables, you pay for a share of medical care. Membership is limited to a few hundred people. Instead of supporting the traditional, complicated agribusiness/insurance system where the corporate middlemen make the big profits, you pay the farmer/doctor directly for their services. Why would I join this type of practice? Think of the reasons you might join a CSA instead of just going to the grocery store. Here's some examples of the benefits you can get from joining a direct practice: • Health and Wellness. Membership payments allow me to shift the focus from acute sick care to prevention and proactive wellness care. It frees up my time so I can offer longer appointments, truly listen to your issues, and think through problems and solutions instead of reflexively ordering tests and medications. • Connection and Relationships. This is the ultimate foundation of my practice. If you are my patient, I work directly for you, not your insurance company. I want to have lasting, meaningful relationships with my Many of you reading this article are probably patients and their families. Often the most CSA members too. As this season draws to effective healing comes from that caring an end, think back over the past year. Why relationship, not a prescription, procedure or did you join? What keeps you coming back? referral. I'm a big fan of Community Supported Agriculture. I love the food, the sense of community, and the people and principles involved. A few years ago, I moved back to this area after finishing my medical training. I had a one year-old son, it was too late to start a garden, and I figured that joining a CSA would be a great way to get a regular supply of healthy veggies and meet some likeminded people at the same time. I researched www.localharvest.com and joined Denison Farm before we even made the move!
• Quality. By keeping the practice small, I can deliver better quality medical care and 'customer service'. I start with evidence based care and customize it to your personal needs. Studies are starting to show that direct primary care can reduce hospitalizations, emergency room visits, specialist referrals, and surgeries by significant amounts (often great than 50%). • Value. Direct primary care is surprisingly affordable, on par with a CSA membership! Get more for your money by paying directly for primary care and looking for a lower cost or 'catastrophic' insurance plan for those true emergencies • Sustainability. Times are changing, and healthcare is in the midst of a huge transformation. By bringing my practice back to the basics of relationship and quality care, and disconnecting from the dysfunctional insurance industry, I have created a practice that will not just survive the changes, but allow me and my patients to thrive! Want to join me? If you are interested in more information on Direct Primary Care and other sustainable health care solutions, please visit the Philosophy section of my website: www.jessicadavismd.com Jessica Davis, MD practices in Stillwater NY as “The New Mom's Family Doctor”. She is board certified in Family Medicine and Integrative Medicine, and also practices Medical Acupuncture. For more information call 877-664-6116 or visit www.jessicadavismd.com.
If you're like me (and most other CSA members), you are someone who appreciates healthy living, connection and relationship, sustainability, quality over quantity, getting a good value for your money, and supporting local independent businesses. When setting up my own independent medical practice, I chose to align with the values and principles I live by in the rest of my life, including those that drew me to join a CSA. Hippocrates said “Let thy food be thy medicine”. Great philosophy… why not take that a step further? There are so many interesting parallels between food, medicine, and the systems that deliver them. Here's how my style of direct practice is like a “medical CSA”. ecolocalliving.com 13