*Sponsored content by Brownstone Direct Primary Care (DPC).
By June Mathews
For The Tribune
The practice of medicine is a ministry for Dr. Ankrehah Trimble Johnson of Brownstone Total Family Healthcare. A board-certified family physician, “Doctor Kre”, as her patients call her, believes that connecting with people on a human level is the most effective way to address their health-related needs. And her formula for making those kinds of connections is relatively simple.
“We hug them when they come in the door, and we care for them as a family member would,” she said.
Born in Livingston, Alabama, and raised two counties away in Marion, Dr. Johnson learned early about serving and caring for others through her rural Black Belt upbringing. With a teacher mother and a teacher/Baptist pastor father, those tendencies came naturally.
Now that’s she’s grown with an established solo medical practice on the campus of St. Vincent’s East, Dr. Johnson’s focus as a physician is to serve her patients well and to see that they get the best care available at a cost that makes sense.
“We know medicine is changing, but we want to get it back to where it needs to be in terms of making sure people get the services they need despite rising costs,” said Dr. Johnson. “That’s why we’ve developed our new Brownstone Direct Primary Care (DPC) plan, coming early next year.”
Under the plan, members will pay a nominal monthly fee in return for unlimited office visits, same day or next day appointments, wholesale prices on medications and lab tests, and direct access to the doctor via text, email, telemedicine, and phone. No co-payments are involved, and long waits to see a physician are a thing of the past.
A menu of services that includes physicals, sick visits, management of chronic illness (high blood pressure, diabetes, etc.), skin laceration repair, mole/skin tag removal, and dietary counseling is offered under the plan. Basic testing is covering under Brownstone DPC, but expanded lab work is not; neither are ER visits nor surgical procedures and other specified services.
Medicare patients are also eligible for Brownstone DPC and should contact the office for more details.
“We’re very focused on prevention and wellness with this plan, and it’ll be great for people who have high-deductible insurance plans, or no insurance at all,” said Dr. Johnson. “Some employers may want to offer the plan as a benefit and in that case, we encourage them to call the office for details. We do, however, recommend – but don’t require – that our patients carry a major medical plan and health savings account to give financial help should hospitalization or referrals to specialists becomes necessary.”
To find out if Brownstone DPC is a suitable option, patients may call or text (205) 578-8373 or contact the office at (205) 202-5650 to schedule a free, no-obligation visit to discuss it in relation to their healthcare needs. The plan will be available beginning February 1, 2019.
Dr. Johnson earned her Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine from Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences in Kansas City, Mo. She completed her residency at St. Vincent’s East.
Outside her day-to-day practice, Dr. Johnson shares her medical expertise via her popular Facebook Live series, “Dr. Kre & Me” and serves as a public speaker and coach to working women on maintaining a physical, mental and emotional balance between their careers and personal lives.
For more information on Brownstone Total Family Healthcare, visit www.brownstonehealthcare.com. For more information on Dr. Johnson, visit www.doctorkre.com.