"This is the healthcare we used to have," some of Dr. Emily Chan's older patients have told her. Her reply: "Yep — and that's the way that it should be." On this Valley Business Today edition of The Valley Today, host Janet Michael sits down at the Front Royal-Warren County Chamber with Chamber President Niki Foster and Dr. Emily Chan, a board-certified family medicine physician who has opened an independent, membership-based primary care practice in Woodstock — the first in the Valley to partner with MDVIP, a national network of about 1,400 physicians using this model.

Dr. Chan walks through what membership medicine actually means: an annual $2,500 fee (payable in full, halves, or quarterly), a smaller patient panel that lets her spend real time with each person, insurance still accepted for routine visits, and once a year an executive-style physical — the first offered in the Valley — that tests eyes, hearing, lungs, heart, skin, body composition, visceral fat, and includes advanced inflammatory and cardiac blood work not usually covered by insurance. Plus after-hours access to her directly, same- or next-day appointments, and — a genuinely useful perk for snowbirds and travelers — the ability to be seen by any MDVIP-affiliated physician across the country at no additional cost. The conversation also gets into the harder parts: why she loves taking patients OFF medication, why she often becomes the only physician in a complex patient's care team who sees the whole picture, and why "too good to be true" is the misconception she hears most often. Niki closes out with Chamber events — Business After Hours at Play Favorites on July 21, no Coffee & Conversation in July (a first in 23 months), and yes — apparently it's already time to talk about the Christmas Parade.

ABOUT THE MEMBERSHIP MODEL AT A GLANCE

An annual $2,500 fee (payable in full, halved, or quarterly) covers:

• A smaller patient panel — so Dr. Chan can spend more time with each patient

• Same- or next-day appointments for members

• 24/7 direct access for after-hours emergencies

• One annual executive-style physical (the first offered in the Valley) — including advanced blood work and comprehensive testing not typically covered by insurance

• Access to MDVIP's nationwide network of ~1,400 physicians — if you travel, you can be seen by an MDVIP doctor anywhere in the country at no additional cost

• Insurance is still billed separately for routine visits, chronic care, and acute care

• Cash-pay options available for patients without insurance or who prefer not to use it

WHO IT'S FOR

• People who want a real relationship with a primary care doctor

• Anyone with complex health needs juggling multiple specialists — Dr. Chan consolidates every specialist report

• Healthy younger adults who want preventive care without traditional insurance

• Aging-in-place patients who want a physician actively planning for their long-term health

• Snowbirds and frequent travelers who value the nationwide MDVIP network

• Anyone who's ever felt rushed at a primary care visit

VISIT INFO — DR. EMILY CHAN, MD (MDVIP)

Located on Main Street in Woodstock, next door to the John Deere tractor dealer Hours: Monday–Friday, 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM Phone: (540) 459-1990 Complimentary meet-and-greets available — tour the office, meet the team, see the executive physical room, and decide if it's the right fit

UPCOMING FRONT ROYAL-WARREN COUNTY CHAMBER EVENTS

• Business After Hours — Tuesday, July 21, 2026 • 5:30-7:00 PM • Hosted by Play Favorites • Non-members are welcome. RSVP through the Chamber.

• Coffee & Conversation — Skipping July (first time in 23 months). Returns the first Friday of August.

• Christmas Market and Christmas Parade — applications now being accepted (yes, already)

LINKS & RESOURCES

• Dr. Emily Chan, MD: mdvip.com/emilychanmd

• Emily Chan MD on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn — search "Emily Chan MD" or "Dr. Emily Chan"

• MDVIP national network: mdvip.com

• Front Royal-Warren County Chamber of Commerce: frontroyalchamber.com