HEALTH CARE BRIEFS
Information on New Braunfels health services
2023 HEALTH CARE EDITION
Texas Suicide Prevention Symposium set to be in New Braunfels for 2023 convention
Direct patient care changing world of health care locally
WHAT IS DIRECT PRIMARY CARE?
BY AMIRA VAN LEEUWEN
[see] your doctor directly,” Reid said. Kay said health care costs have continued to skyrocket, noting the price of the same procedure varies. He said as the cost goes up, the quality of care has gone down, but direct primary care doctors work to nd high-quality care at a low cost. “Whenever you see that, you know the free mar- ket’s not at play,” he said. “[At Christus] Santa Rosa and Resolute [Baptist hospitals], if everyone knew what the cost of a hip surgery or gallbladder surgery and what the quality of care is ... our care would go up, and our prices would go down.” Another di erence between direct primary care and conventional care is price transparency. Reid said his biggest challenge is nding subspecialty care for his patients. “A lot of my patients don’t have insurance,” Reid said. “Getting my patients specialty care at reasonable prices, nding them just a visit to the OB GYN, and then calling a di erent practice and trying to gure out what something will cost, no one really knows.” Some direct primary care physicians, such as Dr. Travis Simmons, who works at DirectMed, believe it will be the future of primary care in the U.S. “It restores the relationship between doctors and their patients that is so critical to healing and it’s
Direct primary care is an alternative model of health care that focuses on improving access to health care with an a ordable membership fee. Although the membership fee varies from clinic to clinic, it typically covers a variety of basic primary care needs, such as: • Same-day appointments • Annual exams • Sports physicals • Prescription management • ADHD and ADD management • In uenza, COVID-19 and strep testing
Although direct primary care may be an unfa- miliar concept to many, several doctors in the New Braunfels area are trying to change that. Dr. Thomas Kay, a board-certi ed family med- icine physician, opened the rst direct primary care practice in the New Braunfels area in 2016. He began with one patient and now has over 500. “It’s just back to the doctor and the patient, which is how it used to be before health care insurance,” Kay said. Direct primary care is an alternative model to improving access to health care with an a ordable membership fee. It gives patients the opportunity to speak directly with their doctors as often and whenever they need. The membership fee can vary based on age or if multiple people in a family are included in the plan. These plans also depend on what the physician is capable of doing in-house. VIP Clinic owner Dr. Robert Reid said people’s relationship with their doctor does not have to go through the “bureaucratic series of middle men and administrators.” “When you come to my [practice] or really any of the other ve or six docs in town, they’re all phenomenal people; you’re going to get heard and
BY SIERRA MARTIN
on this important event. ... The New Braunfels community has been so supportive, and we’re grateful for the support we are receiving.” The statewide organization supports and administers the symposium as well as the Texas Suicide Prevention Council, which is a network of more than 140 statewide partners that work together to improve suicide prevention outcomes for Texas. On the rst day of the symposium, sessions will be presented by the South Southwest Mental Health Technology Transfer Center and focus on schools, youth and higher education. Day two will feature sessions presented by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission on general infrastructure issues statewide and locally. The event’s nal day will be presented by Endeavors and include sessions focused on service members, veterans and families. The McKenna Foundation, Mental Advocacy Partners Comal and the Suicide Prevention Council of Comal County are among the local organizations sponsoring the event.
The Texas Suicide Prevention Symposium 2023 will take place in New Braunfels this summer from June 13-15 at the New Braunfels Civic and Convention Center. The symposium is one of the largest gatherings of mental health community partners, providers and stakeholders nationally, attracting a variety of experts. This event provides vital technical assistance to Texas communities on suicide prevention. Stakeholders invested in mental health and suicide prevention are encouraged to attend. “We really work hard to make this widely avail- able,” said Lisa Sullivan, executive director of the Texas Suicide Prevention Collaborative. “There is great work happening across our state—this is an opportunity to bring everyone together, hear from over 40 national state and local experts, and showcase over 40 exhibitors. We know the hard work of suicide prevention happens in our communities, and this event is designed to bring the resources to them. We are really excited to have the opportunity to work with New Braunfels
Participants at this year's Texas Suicide Prevention Symposium will gather in New Braunfels in June.
COURTESY TEXAS SUICIDE PREVENTION COLLABORATIVE
• Simple in-o ce procedures • Most routine labs, X-rays • No co-pay • Longer appointment slots • No surprise bills
The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline provides 24/7 free and con dential support to those in need. More information on the prevention and crisis resources available can be found at www.988lifeline.org.
ASK FOR HELP
SOURCE: VIP CLINIC COMMUNITY IMPACT
being lost in the typical primary care o ce,” Sim- mons said. “You don’t know which doctor you’re going to see when you call in for an appointment or if you’ll see the doctor at all ... you don’t feel like you’re heard or listened to ... and direct primary care xes that.”
Call 988 to connect with a certi ed crisis center. Over 23 million calls have been received from people looking for support. Texas’ call volume has increased 87% since 2016.
SOURCE: THE NATIONAL SUICIDE PREVENTION LIFELINE COMMUNITY IMPACT
CREEKSIDE TOWN CENTER 263 Creekside Crossing (830) 608-1969
NEW BRAUNFELS 1671 IH-35 S (830) 629-0434
LIVE OAK 14623 IH-35 N (210) 651-1911
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