Our Vision
New River Family Wellness is part of a movement to revitalize healthcare in America. We strive to provide exceptional primary care at a more affordable price to the people of Ashe County and the High Country, regardless of whether they have health insurance. We do this with an innovative, membership-based model called Direct Primary Care (DPC) that gives our patients efficient, near-immediate access to their doctors, fairly priced medications and labs, and a breadth of in-office treatments and procedures. We seek to eliminate barriers to the doctor-patient relationship, promote community engagement, and deliver compassionate care that sets us apart from any other healthcare experience our patients have ever had.
Our Doctors
D. Landon Allen, MD, MPH, MBA, FAAFP
Dr. Allen is a lifetime native of North Carolina. He went to East Carolina University in Greenville for undergraduate, graduate, and medical school where he graduated summa cum laude and received multiple awards for leadership, academic achievements, and research. Following medical school, he went to family medicine residency in Hendersonville, NC where he was trained in rural, community-centered family medicine. He is board certified in Family Medicine and practices full-spectrum care seeing newborns to geriatric patients both in the office and the hospital. He does a variety of specialized office procedures including colposcopies, vasectomies, and circumcisions. He also does office-based prenatal care and DOT physicals. He has a passion for farmworker, community, and child health issues.
Caitlin M. Downing, MD
Dr. Downing grew up in a big family in the small town of Southbury, CT. She received her bachelor's degree from Colorado College where she graduated magna cum laude, then obtained her medical degree from the University of Connecticut where she received Professional Honors in Leadership and was awarded Most Outstanding Senior Woman for her academic achievements. Dr. Downing attended family medicine residency in Hendersonville, NC with a focus on rural and community primary care. It is her lifelong sense of connection to community that brings her to Ashe County. She has passion for caring for the whole family by integrating all aspects of health. In addition to primary care and women’s health, she also practices prenatal care and deliveries, hospital medicine, mental health, and several specialized office procedures.
Our Practice
Direct
We are tired of third parties in the exam room. Administrative agencies, insurance companies, government mandates, and even the pharmaceutical industry have created huge burdens to our healthcare system that cost time and money. They have changed the landscape of healthcare and are interfering with the relationships between doctors and their patients. We believe it's time for a revival of the hometown doc. Our most important quality metric is time with our patients. With our membership-based, direct primary care model, we eliminate the burdens and time constraints imposed by third party administrators. This keeps you in the driver’s seat of your own health and affords us time we need to really get to know you and your health concerns. Just take a look at all the other Benefits of a membership with us!
Affordable
If you are frustrated by the cost of healthcare, you’re not alone. Healthcare has become so expensive in America that it is preventing people from getting the medical services they need to stay well. At NRFW we seek to change that with free market economics and price transparency: Our memberships range from $1-$85 per month depending on age, and include nearly everything you need from your primary care doctor. We believe you deserve to know exactly how much your care will cost ahead of time and will always tell you the price up front of any services not included so that you can decide what's right for you. You’ll also have access to extremely discounted labs and medications (up to 97% lower than traditional practices) that we dispense right in our office. Oftentimes the prescription savings alone pay for the monthly membership fee, even for patients with traditional health insurance! We even offer some services to non-members for a flat fee. You’ll find a list of all of our services and their costs on our Benefits and Pricing pages.
Access
Tired of waiting weeks to get a rushed, 7-minute appointment with your doctor? We don't blame you. That’s why we’ve created a model that allows both doctors and patients to reclaim control over how healthcare is delivered. At NRFW, you see us in a timely manner and have all of your concerns addressed. Our appointments are scheduled for 30-60 minutes and are often available the same day. As a member, you’ll have unprecedented access to your doctor: You’ll be able to video-chat, text, call, and email us directly whenever you need to get in touch, even after hours. Additionally, if you’re hospitalized at Ashe Memorial Hospital, we can take care of you there too! We believe that this type of open communication is the foundation of a strong doctor-patient relationship, and we look forward to being there for our patients when they need us. Explore the other Benefits of a membership with us!