Our Care Model

We are a Direct Primary Care practice, which means your care is centered on a continuous, personal partnership with your physician, Dr. Ujwal Patel. Every member is under his direct care, and he is supported by a dedicated team to ensure seamless coordination of your health needs.

Communication & Access

  • Direct access to Dr. Patel via phone, text, or email during and after business hours for urgent needs.

  • Timely responses: Urgent calls are returned within one hour; routine messages by the end of the same business day.

  • 24/7 availability for urgent medical concerns.

  • Preferred communication: We accommodate language and communication preferences whenever possible. Professional translation can be arranged when requested in advance.

Appointments & Scheduling

  • Same-day and next-day appointments are prioritized based on medical need.

  • Flexible scheduling via phone, text, or patient portal.

  • In-person and telehealth visits available to best meet your needs.

Clinical Coordination

Your care is personally managed by Dr. Patel and his team. We coordinate referrals, labs, imaging, and specialist communication on your behalf, using a secure electronic health record system to track and remind you of upcoming health maintenance needs.

Prescriptions & Medications

  • Medications are prescribed based on clinical need and ongoing partnership.

  • Prescription guidance and education materials are available in multiple languages.

  • Members also have access to wholesale medication pricing through our in-clinic dispensary.

Uninsured & Out-of-Network Patients

As a Direct Primary Care practice, we do not bill insurance for our membership services. For patients without insurance or with out-of-network plans, we provide transparent pricing upfront and can offer guidance toward affordable labs, imaging, and specialist care.

Our commitment is to provide you with consistent, personal, and unhurried care—free from administrative barriers and focused entirely on your health.

Insurance and Payment Policies

As a Direct Primary Care (DPC) practice, we operate on a simple membership model designed to remove the administrative burden of insurance billing for your everyday primary care. Our goal is clarity, not complexity.

Membership Model

  • Your monthly membership fee covers all in-office visits, chronic care management, preventive services, care coordination, and direct access to Dr. Patel via phone, text, or email.

  • We do not bill insurance for membership services, and there are no copays, deductibles, or surprise bills for the care covered under your plan.

Insurance for Outside Care

  • We recommend that members maintain a health insurance plan (or healthshare) to cover specialist care, hospitalizations, emergencies, and advanced diagnostics.

  • We will happily provide a superbill for membership fees upon request, which you may submit to your insurance or HSA/FSA for possible reimbursement (subject to your plan’s rules).

Labs, Imaging & Specialist Referrals

  • While your membership covers the clinical time to order and review outside services, the facility or lab fees for bloodwork, imaging, or specialist visits are billed separately by those third parties.

  • We work with local partners to offer wholesale/cash-priced labs and imaging, and will help you find the most affordable options.

  • Any bills from outside providers are strictly between you and that facility.

Transparency & Simplicity

  • No hidden fees. No visit charges. No balance billing for DPC-covered services.

  • Membership details, pricing, and included services are provided upfront in your membership agreement.

  • We are available to answer any questions about how DPC works alongside your existing insurance.

Visit & Appointment Policies

We value your time and ours, and we’ve designed our policies to protect the unhurried, personalized care you deserve. In a small, relationship-based practice, every appointment matters.

Appointment Cancellations & No-Shows

  • We kindly request at least 24 hours’ notice if you need to cancel or reschedule an appointment. This allows us to offer the time to another patient in need.

  • Late cancellations (less than 24 hours’ notice) and no-shows may be subject to a courtesy fee to help cover the reserved clinical time.

  • We understand that life happens—please communicate with us if an emergency arises.

Running Late?

  • If you are running more than 15 minutes late, please call or text us. We’ll do our best to accommodate you, but to protect the time of patients scheduled after you, we may need to reschedule.

  • There is no fee for lateness when you give us advance notice.

For Your Appointment

  • Fasting Labs: If you’re having cholesterol or glucose testing, please fast for 8–12 hours before your blood draw unless otherwise instructed.

  • Vitals & Health Review: To provide continuous, high-quality care, we record your vital signs and review your health at each visit as part of our preventive and proactive approach.

  • What We Don’t Do: For your safety and specialization of care, we do not administer allergy shots in our office.

Prescription & Medication Policy

As part of your membership, we manage your medications with attention to safety, effectiveness, and ongoing partnership. Our goal is to ensure you have timely access to the medications you need, with clear communication and coordinated care.

Refill Requests

  • Please allow 24–48 hours for routine prescription refills.

  • Requests can be sent via text, email, or patient portal for your convenience.

  • Refills are reviewed in the context of your ongoing care plan and may require a visit if you are due for follow-up.

Controlled Substances

  • Medications classified as controlled substances require special oversight for patient safety.

  • Refills for these medications will be handled during regular office hours and may require an in-office visit or wellness check, in accordance with clinical guidelines.

  • We do not prescribe or refill controlled substances on nights, weekends, or holidays except in rare, clinically urgent situations.

Staying Up-to-Date

  • Patients on long-term medications are generally seen at least once per year to ensure the treatment plan remains safe and effective for your health.

  • Your active medication list is always accessible through your patient portal and is reviewed and updated at every visit.

In-Clinic Medication Dispensing

  • Members have access to select generic medications at wholesale pricing through our in-office dispensary for added convenience and savings.

  • If you prefer to use an outside pharmacy, we are happy to send your prescriptions electronically to the pharmacy of your choice.

Medical Records Policies

Your health information belongs to you. As part of our commitment to transparent, coordinated care, we make it simple and secure for you to access your medical records and share them when needed.

Accessing Your Records

  • You may view and download portions of your health information at any time through your secure patient portal.

  • For full records or specific documentation, we can provide digital copies upon request. A signed release form is required to send records to other parties, with exceptions made for continuity of care.

Sharing Your Health Information

  • We securely share records with specialists, hospitals, or other providers involved in your care—at no cost to you—to support seamless, coordinated treatment.

  • Records are transmitted through encrypted electronic systems or by secure fax when needed for urgent care coordination.

Privacy & Security

  • Our electronic health record system is HIPAA-compliant and accessible only to authorized clinical staff on a need-to-know basis.

  • All incoming documents (labs, consultant notes, imaging reports) are promptly reviewed and filed in your personal chart.

  • We do not charge fees for records sent to support your ongoing medical care.

Practice Technology & Secure Communication

We use simple, secure technology to make your care more convenient, connected, and personal—all while protecting your privacy.

Secure Messaging & Portal Access

  • All private communication about your health takes place through our secure patient portal, which requires a unique login and bank-level encryption.

  • Please do not use regular email for sensitive health matters. The portal is the safest way to message us, request refills, view results, and manage appointments.

Your Online Health Hub

  • Patient Portal: Schedule visits, view labs, request refills, and message your care team—all in one secure place.

  • Mobile App: Use the free Healow app (available for iOS and Android) for portal access on the go. It can also connect with certain health trackers to help you monitor and share wellness data easily.

Our Website & Resources

  • Our website is designed to be a helpful resource for members, with health tips, practice updates, and a curated list of community and educational resources—including multilingual materials.

  • For your security and privacy, we do not conduct medical conversations or share protected health information through public social media channels.

Labs & Results

  • Lab results from Quest, LabCorp, and other partners are posted to your portal promptly after review by Dr. Patel.

Referral & Care Coordination

As your primary care partner, we coordinate specialist care and ensure seamless communication across your healthcare team. Your membership includes dedicated support in managing referrals and consolidating your health information.

Requesting a Referral

  • Please allow up to 2 business days for routine referral requests, which we will process and transmit securely to the specialist of your choice (when applicable) or based on clinical recommendation.

  • For urgent needs, we prioritize same-day coordination and follow up to ensure timely care.

Our Role as Your Health Hub

  • We serve as the central record for your health history. To provide the best continuity of care, we request that all outside providers (specialists, labs, hospitals) send consultation notes, test results, and updates to our office via secure fax or electronic transmission.

  • We track referrals and follow up as needed to “close the loop” and keep your care plan coordinated and current.

Working With Specialists

  • If you have a preferred specialist, we are happy to collaborate with them.

  • We will provide the specialist with relevant records and background to support your visit and will integrate their recommendations into your ongoing care plan.

  • For uninsured or self-pay members, we can often help identify cash-friendly or discounted specialty care options.

General Practice Policies

We are committed to providing care that is safe, transparent, and respectful of your privacy and autonomy. Below are the foundational policies that guide our practice.

Privacy & Your Health Information

  • We strictly adhere to HIPAA and employ bank-level security in our electronic health record system and patient portal.

  • Your health data is confidential and is never shared without your written consent, except where required by law or for direct continuity of care.

  • In the event of a security incident, we will notify affected patients promptly and in accordance with state and federal regulations.

Care Coordination & Health Information Exchange

  • To ensure seamless care, we participate in secure health information exchanges (when available in your region) that notify us if you are hospitalized or visit an emergency department.

  • You may opt out of this exchange at any time by contacting the exchange directly or notifying our office in writing.

  • We encourage you to maintain a personal health record and will provide you with visit summaries to help you stay informed and organized.

Vaccines & Medications

  • We offer routine vaccines in-office for member convenience, often at wholesale cost. Availability may vary.

  • If we do not carry a particular vaccine, you may obtain it from a pharmacy, and we can administer it during a scheduled visit.

  • We do not keep samples of controlled substances on-site.

Your Choice & Continuity of Care

  • You are always free to choose your provider, both within and outside our practice.

  • Should you ever decide to leave the practice, we will provide a smooth transition of your records to your new provider upon written request.

Dismissal from the Practice

  • We reserve the right to dismiss patients in rare cases of significant policy violation, abuse of the care relationship, or non-payment of membership fees after reasonable attempts to resolve the issue.

  • Dismissal will be communicated in writing, and you will be given reasonable time to secure a new provider. Outstanding fees remain the responsibility of the patient.

Students & Training

  • We occasionally host trainees (medical students, pre-health interns) as part of our commitment to mentoring the next generation of healthcare professionals.

  • All trainees adhere strictly to our privacy policies and clinical standards and are introduced to you beforehand. You may always decline their presence during your visit.