Good Neighbor Podcast: Milton & More
Bringing Together Local Businesses & Neighbors of Milton, Crabapple, and Hickory Flat
Good Neighbor Podcast: Milton & More
EP #146: Our Family Doc with Dr. Remmya Nair
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Have you ever wondered if there's a more personal, more accessible way to manage your health care? Join us as we sit with Dr. Remmya Nair, the trailblazing physician at Our Family Doc in Alpharetta, who's reshaping the primary healthcare landscape with the direct primary care model. With the warmth of a neighborhood friend and the expertise of a seasoned practitioner, Dr. Nair shares her inspiring transition from Brooklyn to building a practice that upholds the sanctity of patient care. We peel back the layers of direct primary care, revealing its advantages over traditional models—affordability, inclusivity, and a human touch that often gets lost in the bureaucracy of insurance-based systems.
In the heart of Alpharetta, Dr. Nair has crafted more than just a practice; it's a healthcare haven where same-day appointments aren't a myth and your doctor's number is no secret. This episode gives you a VIP tour of the very fabric that makes Our Family Doc a community cornerstone. Dr. Nair isn't just a healthcare provider; she's a neighbor invested in the well-being of her patients and the prosperity of local businesses. Connect with a doctor who's redefining what it means to be cared for, and uncover the personal touch in medicine that many thought was long forgotten.
Direct Primary Care Model Explained
Speaker 1This is the Good Neighbor Podcast, the place where local businesses and neighbors come together. Here's your host, Stacey Poehler.
Speaker 2Hey everybody, I'm excited to be talking to Dr Remya Nair. She is the founder and owner of Our Family Doc in Alpharetta. Welcome, dr Nair. Thank you so much. Yeah, why don't you start off by telling us about?
Speaker 3your practice? Sure, so I'm the founder and owner of Our Family Doc, which is a direct primary care practice. So this is a low monthly membership model. Patients pay on average $99 a month and in return they get access to a doctor that knows them and their health. All my patients have direct email and cell phone number of mine. They can reach me if there's any urgent type of issues. I get them in same day or next day. My appointments are an hour long and no wait time. We have a beautiful lobby but nobody sits there, because as soon as you walk through the door, we're able to get you right in onto the table and start examining you. So that's why it's called direct primary care, because it's a direct relationship between the patient and the physician.
Speaker 2Awesome, and why don't you tell us a little bit you know about your journey and maybe why you decided to go into medicine, and then you know why you decided to start this. You know particular type of practice.
Speaker 3Sure, I grew up in Brooklyn, new York. Since I was a little girl, I always knew I wanted to be a physician, and definitely a family physician, just because I loved the wide breadth of variety we can see. As a family doctor, I practiced in a typical hospital care setting or a hospital-employed position for several years, as well as in private practice, and I realized that, unfortunately, at the end of the day, when it's an insurance-driven model, they care more about profitability instead of patient care, and so I looked at alternative ways of providing evidence-based medicine but spending more time with our patients, and that's when I got introduced to direct primary care. My friends from residency said it's the best of both worlds. Both physicians and doctors absolutely love this model, and I've been working in this model for the last year and a half in Alfreda and I absolutely enjoy it.
Speaker 2Awesome, awesome. You know what might be some myths or misconceptions that people have about direct primary care.
Speaker 3Some people may think that it's very expensive, that it's concierge level care. However, it's about a fraction of the cost. There's concierge medicine practices near us that are about eight to ten times as expensive as our direct primary care model. Again, it's only $99 a month for unlimited office visits for the month. So I have patients that I see one week and the following week they we do a telemedicine visit and the following week we do an in-office visit. But I don't charge a co-pay per visit, it's just a. It encompasses that whole $99 per month.
Speaker 3So it's very affordable and it's a great model of care for patients that have high deductible insurance plans. Or, let's say, they're a business owner and they don't have health insurance, or their employees don't have health insurance and they'd like to provide some sort of benefits. Having a direct primary care is a great option because we do preventative care. I do acute care visits, so you don't have to go to an urgent care and get a surprise bill three months later and I do chronic medical management as well. So if you're struggling with high blood pressure, diabetes, depression, anxiety, I do all of that as a family doctor.
Speaker 2And as a family doctor are you seeing patients of all ages and as a family doctor?
Speaker 3are you seeing patients of all ages? Yes, right now I'm seeing. I do. I am trained to take care of newborns all the way until you're 100 and above. Right now, we're taking care of two years old and above, just because we don't have vaccines in our office just yet.
Speaker 2So I'm taking care of two year olds and above. Got it, got it. Can you think of maybe a hardship or challenge that you've had to overcome, you know, to get this business off the ground and kind of talk us through how you got through that obstacle?
Speaker 3direct primary care. So it's a lot of education and going out and meeting the local businesses and telling folks that this model of care is available and it's affordable and accessible. So patients mistake it for concierge level care and they say right away that, oh no, there's no way I can afford this. Why would I? You know, it's going to be thousands of dollars. But they, when they realize that we provide wholesale prices on medications right in our office, where we dispense medicines right here, so you don't have to go to the pharmacy, and we also offer blood work for discounted rates as well, which is significantly cheaper than if you bill it through insurance because we don't market up 100, 200, 300% they realize that not only do you get a doctor that takes the time with you, but we also save some money as well with medications and lab costs as well. So it's been a steep learning curve with trying to educate the public, to let them know that this model of care is available for them.
Speaker 2What percentage of your patients have other health insurance? Are you finding that most are people who are using a catastrophic plan or people who have traditional health insurance? Are they finding this to be, you know, a better option for them as well?
Speaker 3Yeah, I would say 90% of my patients have great insurance. They have United or Anthem or whatever plan it may be, but they just have poor access to care. So they call to make an appointment at their doctor's office because have poor access to care. So they call to make an appointment at their doctor's office because they're not feeling well and they say the next appointment's now for another couple of weeks or a couple of months, or they say that you know your physician's not available. You'd have to see a PA or NP, and then they're frustrated with that. So I would say most of my patients have great insurance but they're just very frustrated with the current healthcare system itself.
Speaker 2Got it, got it. Are there any other providers in your practice?
Speaker 3No, it's a one physician shop. I have one medical assistant that works with me, so if you call the office, it's either her or myself that picks up the phone call and takes care of you.
Speaker 2Awesome, awesome. What do you like to do for fun when you're not working?
Speaker 3Well, I love to. I have two little boys, so I feel like a little bit of a chauffeur taking them to all of their sports related activities or whatever. But I also love to go out and eat. I'm a big foodie and I love trying out new restaurants in Atlanta. I'm classically trained in Indian classical dance and I'm also taking Bollywood lessons now, so I love continuing dancing, even as a full time working mom.
Speaker 2That's awesome. What else would you like our listeners to know about your practice?
Speaker 3What I'm trying to deliver is that old school medicine where you had a family doctor that really knew you and really took good care of you, but have the capabilities of technology as it is today, so having a doctor that's right at your fingertips. You know my today my patients text me saying they're not feeling well and I'm able to get them in within two hours and they love that it's technology driven, but they still have that old school fashioned doctor that they can reach out to when they're not feeling well.
Speaker 2I think you mentioned to you that you do some telehealth visits with your patients?
Speaker 3Yeah, absolutely. As long as it's appropriate, then I do do telemedicine visits. Of course, if the patient is having some, let's say, chest pain or abdominal pain, then I ask them to please come into the office so I can examine them properly. But yes, if it's appropriate for telemedicine, I'm more than happy to do that, whether it's video visit, phone call or text messaging.
Connecting With Dr. Nair in Alpharetta
Speaker 2Got it got it. Can you share with folks where they can find you, where your office is located and Square Suite A, alpharetta Georgia, 30009.
Speaker 3Our office number is 404-446-9979. And you can look me up on Instagram or Facebook. It's our underscore, family underscore, doc. Or just look up our family, doc Remya Nair MD. And I should show up Awesome.
Speaker 2Well, thank you so much for joining us today, dr Nair. Absolutely, it was my pleasure.
Speaker 1Thank you for listening to the Good Neighbor Podcast Milton and More. To nominate your favorite local businesses to be featured on the show, go to GNPMiltoncom. That's GNPMiltoncom, or call 470-664-4930.