New Medical Practice Prioritizes House Calls

In a nod to how smalltown doctors used to operate, residents in Deer Park will soon be able to have a health care professional visit their home instead of having to go to an office. Foundation Family Medicine, headed by Joseph Kreilkamp, PA-C, will begin seeing patients on Sept. 1, focusing on primary care and preventative care. His wife, Keleigh Kreilkamp, will be the practice administrator.

Joseph Kreilkamp said that when he’s out in the community, he’s often approached by friends and acquaintances looking for advice, whether it’s to see if something is serious enough to warrant a trip to the emergency room or whether their child has an ear infection. “We just saw the need for home visits, kind of how rural medicine used to be,” he said. He said he earned a bachelor’s degree in athletic training from Eastern Washington University with the intention to become an athletic trainer, but then realized he wanted to do something more.

He graduated from the MEDEX Northwest physician assistant program at the University of Washington in 2017. He has since worked for MultiCare Rockwood in Spokane. “They’ve been great to me, but I feel like health care is getting away from the provider-patient relationship,” he said. Kreilkamp said he wants to be able to spend more time getting to know his patients and their needs. “I’m hopeful that will be an asset to people,” he said. House calls offer convenience to people, Keleigh Kreilkamp said.

She recalled a recent time when she had to take her sick child to urgent care and then the emergency room, all while having her other children with her. She said having the house call option means people don’t have to drive into Spokane for something simple. “We’re hearing from so many people in our community,” she said. “We have so many people who need support.” Medical insurance doesn’t cover house calls, so Foundation Family Medicine will operate on a membership basis, Keleigh Kreilkamp said.

An individual membership plan is $99 a month, a plan covering two people is $179 a month, and a family plan including all children in the home up to age 25 is $279 a month. Each plan includes one house call per month. The plans also include access to telehealth visits and communication by text. Joseph Kreilkamp said he will be using a HIPAA-compliant texting system that people can use to ask questions about whether they need to be seen for certain issues or any other questions they may have. “We will have more available than your standard office,” he said. “The goal is to remove barriers to health care.” People who are not members can also request a one-time house call for $200.

Kreilkamp said he recommends that people who sign up for a membership plan retain their health insurance for things like medications, lab tests, imaging scans, or specialist visits. “We’re looking into possibly accepting insurance in the future,” he said. “You can use this alongside your insurance,” Keleigh Kreilkamp said. “It’s not a replacement, but it’s a beautiful addition.” Foundation Family Medicine will accept members in the Deer Park area, including the communities of Chattaroy, Riverside, Mead, Colbert, and Clayton. Joseph Kreilkamp said he plans to maintain his position with MultiCare and will see Foundation Family Medicine patients on Mondays and in the late afternoon and evenings on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays.

There will also be some availability on Saturdays. “As the community finds a need and a benefit to this, we hope to expand our hours,” he said. There will not be a physical office for Foundation Family Medicine, but the Kreilkamps said that is an option for the future as the practice grows. For more information, visit foundationfamilymed.com.