Welcome Health of Evans, which began in 2019 as Evans Direct Primary Care, is not your grandmother’s doctor’s office. In fact, at first glance, one may say it’s quite unorthodox.
That’s because you won’t encounter a maze of bureaucracy and red tape often associated with traditional office visits and prescription medications. As Christian faith believers’ direct line of communication to God is through Jesus Christ, cutting out the ‘middleman,’ as in a priest or someone talking to God on another person’s behalf, the concept of direct primary care has a similar model.
For Davis Mellick PA-C, co-owner of Welcome Heath, it’s a mission.
“Our mission is to provide a medical home for the medically homeless through access, affordability, and exceptional primary care,” he said. “This business was certainly a leap of faith for us. God has truly blessed us in our growth over the past year as we have added two additional providers and we’ve been able to move to a larger location. The patient pays for the DPC (Direct Primary Care) practice directly. Insurance companies are not involved. The payment is done monthly, instead of paying for office visits.”
“Medically homeless” is a term for people who do not have a family physician. Mellick said the direct primary care medicine model keeps costs predictable and low; office visits, most of which are 30 minutes, are not required; patients can text staff and providers directly. Long wait times are eliminated. Same-day appointments are available on most days and patients can walk out with prescriptions in hand.
While this approach to healthcare is different on many levels, Mellick, who operates the business with two other doctors, said people are beginning to appreciate this level of care. The 36-year-old husband and father of three says he wanted to provide care without experiencing burnout as a professional, while also offering what he calls price transparency and better access to the public.
The Army brat says his first ministry is his home, then the workplace.
“As such, I feel that myself and our business should conduct itself in as Christ-like manner as possible, both on ethics, sharing my faith, sharing Christ’s love, and how we treat others,” he said.
Any business owner can attest that sometimes your faith will be tested.
“Hard times can be challenging but hard times aren’t necessarily bad,” Mellick said. “We really had to lean on our faith, especially during early Covid. This ultimately has strengthened our faith. We continuously are having new opportunities and growth options that I can only describe as a ‘God’ thing. Perfect timing and providence.”
Welcome Health of Evans is located at 418 Town Park Blvd, Suite 1A, Evans. For more information, visit welcomehealth.net, on social media, by calling 706-504-9321 or emailing info@welcomehealth.net.
