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1. Teach them how easily germs are passed around. Like with many things in life, children often think of germs as “out of sight, out of mind.” They do not always realize that just because it isn’t visible doesn’t mean it isn’t there! A great way to demonstrate this is to get some cornstarch (representing germs from the stomach virus) and apply a small amount to a child’s hand. Have them turn and shake someone else’s hand, and work your way down the line. When it reaches the end of the line, explain that your family has now officially passed on the stomach virus that started with just one person! You can also have the children grab door handles, light switches, etc. to see how much of the germs pass on to inanimate objects that they touch all the time!

2. Show them the importance of washing their hands. After they’ve been playing outside, give them a slice of white bread and have them touch it all over before they wash their hands. Seal this piece in a bag and label it “Not washed.” Have the children apply Germ-x or another hand sanitizer and do the same with another slice of bread (touch, seal and label). Finally, have them wash their hands with soap and water and do the same to a third slice of bread. In a few days time, mold will begin to grow on the bread, and they can visually see what the bread with no washing did! They may feel differently about dirty hands from here on out!

3. Grow your own cultures! This is a fun way to teach your children about what kind of microscopic yuck is lurking around everyday objects. Using cotton swabs, go around and swab items. Get creative! Use vending machine buttons, toilet seats, fridge handles, the bottom of a shoe, etc. Place these swabs in a petri dish and see what develops! Before anything starts to grow, let the kids pick which they think will be the worst. Here are the complete steps!

These are great ways to teach about germs and have some science fun! Who knows? This may drastically cut back on the number of sick days your family uses this year!

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Don’t believe us? Here’s a real-life DPC success story from our team:

“One of my super sporty mothers called me worried. Three days prior she was playing kickball and slid into 3rd base (nice!). She had scraped up her leg and ankle pretty badly. She’s had scrapes like this before but this one worried her because it was getting hot, painful and swollen. She texted me a picture but from the story alone I knew this was cellulitis. It’s a bacteria infection of the tissue below the skin. I sent out an antibiotic to one of the 24-hr pharmacies. She was so grateful that she didn’t have to go to the ER. We agreed that over the next few days, she would text if her symptoms get worse.”

Visit our website and discover the Voyage DPC difference.

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Can you relate?

More and more, we’re hearing stories of patients who are frustrated and fed up with this exact scenario. We know you want and need the peace of mind that you and your loved ones will have access to quality medical care. But does it really have to feel like you’re breaking the bank every time you need to see your primary care doctor? You already shell out thousands per year to just carry medical insurance in the event that, heaven forbid, you experience a major medical crisis. Is it really reasonable to also have to pay thousands more to be seen for your everyday medical needs by a medical office that may make you wait weeks to come in, will typically only allow you to address one major issue during your visit, and has time constraints to get you in and out as quickly as possible (among other things)?

Our blood pressure is rising just thinking about that, so we imagine yours probably is too. It’s frustrating, to say the least. However, it doesn’t have to be this way. Consider this patient scenario to illustrate how Direct Primary Care can be a cost-saving supplement to your traditional insurance and your traditional medical experience.

A membership that’s worth the cost (and still saves you money!)

Since joining Voyage Direct Primary Care I’ve experience immediate benefits of membership. For less than 20% of what I pay for insurance I have been able to get my kids in when I need to without additional copays or deductibles. Our doctor spends so much time with us and my kids. We truly love him!

 

Last week my youngest daughter slipped off the monkey-bars (why do they even make those?!). She landed on her wrist and I could tell there was something seriously wrong. My mind immediately went to my insurance plan and how much additional out of pocket this would cost me to take her to the emergency room or urgent care. Then I remembered the direct doc line at Voyage. I called my doctor and we discussed what happened. He ordered an xray for $60 (which would have been $200 with my insurance deductible) at a local imaging center and saw my daughter later that day. Upon reviewing the xrays, he told us her arm was broken but did not need surgery. He applied a splint to stabilize her arm until the swelling went down so he could apply a cast the next week.

After this visit, I was curious about how much “out of pocket” I saved by avoiding copays and deductibles, so I pulled up my insurance plan. I estimated my savings to be between $800-1200. That’s about half of our annual membership! Thanks Voyage DPC for helping my family navigate the healthcare system in a more pain-free and affordable way. Membership for us is totally worth it!

While you will still need to carry health insurance to cover major medical incidents, with Voyage Direct Primary Care you get to experience both a decrease in your overall cost of care and an increase in the quality of care and access to your physician. It’s designed to be a win-win that results in beautiful healthcare without the headache.

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Voyage DPC isn’t a replacement for coverage of catastrophic events. However, most insurance health plans these days have a high deductible, meaning out-of-pocket healthcare costs for everyday needs add up fast. A visit to the urgent care, lab tests, or trip to the E.R. could EACH cost more than an employee’s entire annual DPC investment. Regular access to a doctor who can address 80-90% of your employee’s health needs at an affordable rate is just one of the beauties of DPC. Ready to get learn more and get started? Give us a call for a custom quote. 385-498-7506.

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