Have you ever made an appointment with a physician, only to wait weeks or months to speak with your doctor for less than ten minutes? Ashvin Vijayakumar, M.D., founder and physician at Fishtown Medicine, aims to eliminate obstacles to primary care visits by offering his patients unlimited access to his care.
“Whether it’s a text message, a quick chat, phone call, video, or me getting on my bike and going out to see patients at a home visit or a worksite visit, we meet people where they are,” says Dr. Ash.
Dr. Ash’s mission is to provide tailored, convenient care with an emphasis on preventive medicine. His approach incorporates tools from holistic health, stressing diet and fitness. He says that his model of care, and offering his patients so much access, gives him insights that he would not be able to get if he only saw patients in an office.
“A lot of folks don’t feel heard in a traditional urgent care or office setting — no fault of the doctors. The insurance system is set up in a way where there’s about five minutes or seven minutes at a time for this conversation,” says Dr. Ash. Instead, he spends 30 to 90 minutes consulting with each patient.
“This conversation is about making sure that they’re able to fully embrace and understand their ownership of their health, and I serve as a guide in that process,” says Dr. Ash.
Fishtown Medicine offers two options for care. Patients can consult Dr. Ash as needed — with immediate access to care via text, voice and video chats, plus up to 90-minute consults with unlimited follow-ups for up to two weeks — or choose the preventive care membership, which adds on comprehensive reviews of health history and data to create a plan for behavioral changes to offset potential long-term health issues. The former is a good fit for folks seeking immediate, same-day care and those who want to be seen one to three times a year, Dr. Ash says.
“I always keep the door open to preventive labs and genetic testing. We walk through what’s appropriate for them based on their offering of a complete and thorough history,” says Dr. Ash.
For $250 a month, the preventive care membership comes with unlimited messaging and consultations. By offering this level of access, Dr. Ash says he can provide care that is more convenient for individuals with nontraditional work schedules.
“I have a recent case of a bartender who messaged me after her shift and was going through a few symptoms, and I happened to be up because my son couldn’t go to sleep that night. After I tucked him back in, I got on a phone call with her and was able to just listen to what was going on for her,” Dr. Ash says.
Whether it’s a text message, a quick chat, phone call, video, or me getting on my bike and going out to see patients at a home visit or a worksite visit, we meet people where they are.”
— Dr. Ash
Fishtown Medicine’s model prevents patients from having to deal with the “shuffle of having to take time off work” and introduce themselves and their entire medical history to a new physician.
Dr. Ash also completes a full chart review every three months to update his patients’ care plans as needed. He even reviews supplements his patients are taking and integrates health data from wearables like Apple Watches and WHOOP fitness trackers.
“All of these tools come into play: how this is influencing your today, your energy level, your libido, your clarity of thought, your strength, your cognitive function,” Dr. Ash says.
This type of preventive care is targeted at enhancing longevity and “healthspan.” Instead of just extending one’s lifespan, healthspan refers to the idea of minimizing the risk of disease and extending one’s years of health and wellness as long as possible.
Dr. Ash looks at health across three domains: emotional, cognitive and physical. By incorporating tools from functional health, integrative and holistic medicine, and through a deep analysis of hereditary, family and genetic risk, he says he can catch chronic conditions like diabetes and heart disease “decades in advance.”
“All of that allows us to understand where you are today and where you possibly could be,” Dr. Ash says. “And then: what are the things that we need to do to shift 1% or 2% today, that change [the] entire trajectory of your life?”
Dr. Ash serves clients in Fishtown, Northern Liberties, South Kensington, as well as Old City, Queen Village, and as far as Fitler Square, Fairmount and Manayunk. He can often be found riding his e-bike to home visits. He says that riding his bike isn’t just about his own fitness and enjoying the ride; it also brings him closer to his patients and neighbors in Fishtown and beyond.
“I live in a city. I’m very intentional about being in and a part of my neighborhood, so for me, this is the right way to get around.”
Fishtown Medicine is located at 2418 East York Street; 267-360-7927; fishtownmedicine.com.
