Mobile clinic connects local doctor with patients amid pandemic

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Staying up to date on medical exams is even more important amid a pandemic, but some doctors warn not everyone is following through.

To help, one Louisville doctor started a mobile clinic to provide closer one-on-one care and save patients the hassle of finding a ride to the doctor.

Dr. Jesse Jenkins opened MobileMD, LLC in September 2020 after leaving Baptist Health. Instead of bringing patients to a traditional brick-and-mortar office, he brings the clinic to them with a duffle bag and pickup truck.

"Over time, you just kind of feel like the ability to connect with patients and spend the amount of time that they need just becomes harder and harder," Jenkins said. "I just kind of started thinking about how there's got to be a better way to do this, to provide the care my patients need."

Jenkins said he does not bill insurance for his care but instead charges a monthly or yearly membership.

One of his patients is 86-year-old Marilynn Maxwell in La Grange.

"Anybody would rather have a doctor come to the house, because you're more comfortable," Maxwell said. "He makes it so I know what to do."

Maxwell's daughter-in-law, Claudia Daniels, said Marilynn was a patient of Jenkins before he left Baptist Health and said they quickly called him after he opened is own practice.

Claudia Daniels sits with mother-in-law Marilynn Maxwell

"We were really excited to think not only is she getting medical care, but she's also getting that interaction she's been missing for the last nine months," Daniels said.

Daniels said home visits are also nice because it allows Jenkins to see Maxwell's living situation and can provide tips for how to make things more accessible for her as she gets older.

Maxwell said she especially looks forward to her visits because she considers Jenkins a friend.

"I feel like the care is better because he can come and stay for a while," Daniels said. "It's not just the physical care. It's the emotional care that's needed."

"2020 was crazy, and it just felt like the perfect opportunity to do something like this," Jenkins said. "I don't feel like I have a job. I feel like I'm just going around visiting and chatting with friends, and I just happen to be a doctor that can help them out at the same time."

After checking Maxwell's vitals during a visit Thursday, Jenkins helped her put on her coat and held her arm as they took a walk outside to a lake by her house.

Dr. Jenkins walks with patient Marilynn Maxwell

"It has been an amazing experience," Jenkins said. "My fiance Mimi and I would have long conversations about this and she would say, 'This is what people need. This is what they deserve as far as primary care is concerned.' And she was right."

Jenkins has 150 patients and only does house calls.

Daniels said her family sees the lack of an office as a bonus, because it's easier to reach her mother-in-law's doctor with any questions or concerns.

"It's so much easier than when he was in another practice," Daniels said. "This is a phone call or a text away, and you get an immediate response, and it's conversational, not just clinical. I don't feel like we're missing anything. I feel like we're gaining something."

Yearly and monthly memberships include physical exams, routine blood work (CBC, CMP, Thyroid studies, Hemoglobin a1C, lipid panel) and visits including in-person house calls, text messaging, video, email and phone calls. Blood tests that are not included, imaging, referrals to specialists, or hospital care are run through the patient’s insurance

“I went to school to become a doctor to help others but found myself worrying more about meeting quotas and benchmarks than actual care of the patient,” Jenkins said. “With my practice, I’m able to strictly focus on my patients and their needs. As a result, I hope I am able to assist in a healthier Kentuckiana community.”