Primary Health Partners
Primary Health Partners
A visit to Primary Health Partners Edmond feels like a trip back in time. Dr. Melinda Cail and nurse practitioner Michelle Merrell, blend 2018 technology with old-fashioned, patient focused care. For a monthly fee of $69, patients get unlimited visits and consultations. Patients can also access their health provider after hours or online. “It’s like bringing back the small-town doctor with the little black bag, but better,” says Cail.
Without insurance requirements and paperwork to tie them down, Cail and Merrell are able to devote more time to patient care. They are also freer to offer care that is more convenient to the patient. For example, if a patient is sick and unable to come to the office, he or she can schedule a phone or FaceTime visit instead.
Most people aren’t accustomed to paying a monthly fee for primary care, but this model can be very budget-friendly. There are no co-payments. Primary Health Partners also provides value by offering lab work and prescription medications on site, at cost, without any “middleman” markups. Patients are less likely to be referred to a specialist for problems that can be managed in-house and they often avoid costly ER or urgent care visits.
“I have a patient with asthma who, prior to joining PHP, waited for hours at urgent care and spent $250 during one episode,” says Merrell. “The next time it happened, he texted me. I met him at the office to give him a breathing treatment, and he was out of there in 20 minutes at no additional cost.
Cail stresses that a service like Primary Health Partners should not replace insurance. “We recommend people use insurance as it was intended, for major medical care, and rely on us for excellent primary care.
Cail and Merrell have a passion for helping patients with weight loss, stemming from their own struggles and successes. Cail has dropped 120 lbs and Merrell has shed 40 lbs. “Patients see that we practice what we preach,” Merrell says.
They are also strongly committed to disease prevention and management. “Many patients have several chronic conditions,” says Merrell. “With this model, we have time to talk with patients about all their concerns during a visit, and can work with them to develop healthy habits.”
Primary Health Partners began with an office in Yukon where there are currently three physicians. The Edmond office opened in September 2017. This Fall, the Edmond office will welcome Cail’s brother Dr. James Cail III.
Dr. Melinda Cail, Dr. James Cail, and Michelle Merrell APRN are all accepting new patients.
