Alissa Hirscher's Journey with Our Lady of Hope Clinic: A Faith-Based Approach to Affordable Care

Alissa Hirscher and her family have been Direct Primary Care members at Our Lady of Hope Clinic for over 15 years. They already had great health insurance and a doctor, but they sought healthcare that aligned with their family’s Catholic values. This included a pro-life stance and a desire to support those who cannot afford healthcare.

“A benefactor family (Direct Primary Care Members) helps support the clinic by paying privately for the healthcare received here,” Alissa explains. “The money that we don’t use toward appointments or services goes to help the uninsured.” This is done through Our Lady of Hope Clinic's free care clinic, which sees patients who otherwise could not afford treatment.

When Conviction Became Clear

When Alissa first learned about the Direct Primary Care model at Our Lady of Hope, she felt an immediate connection. “I liked the idea of a pro-life Catholic model of healthcare, and I liked that idea for our community.”

However, she hesitated to join at first. Both Alissa and her husband work in healthcare, which provided them with excellent insurance. They debated whether paying for a monthly membership on top of that was worth it. Within a year, they decided it was time to join the clinic. “I felt really convicted by the Lord that we would become benefactors and not just support it in name only.”

What a Membership Actually Buys

The Hirscher family soon discovered that Our Lady of Hope Clinic’s direct primary care was different from typical models.

“We have a really personal relationship with Dr. Mike and the other providers here. We’re able to get quick appointments. We can bundle appointments so I can stack my kids together. One kid could be here for strep throat, while another could just be here for allergies.” Alissa can email and text Dr. Michael Kloess and the other providers and receive quick responses. “Sometimes we’re just texting photos of a weird thing going on, and then Dr. Mike can take care of it.”

For instance, when her children get a rash, she simply texts Dr. Mike a photo. He advises her on what cream to get or whether she should bring her child in. “It’s just a big time saver that we can do some of that virtually and not have to make a whole visit all the way into the clinic.”

Sports physicals at OLHC are another service that Alissa appreciates. The staff works hard to keep appointments from booking out more than a few weeks in advance. “Sometimes those sports physicals creep up on you pretty quick, and they are at least six months out in the traditional medical system that we’re also a part of. So I am grateful that we can get in here quickly.”

Any unused portion of the membership does not disappear. Alissa explains, “The money that we don’t use for our appointments and services allows the clinic to help the uninsured. At the end of the year, we get a summary: here’s how much of your benefactor money was used for your services, and here’s how much was donated to a nonprofit. That becomes our donation to a charitable organization.”

The Summer of Strep

When asked about a memorable story from her experience at the clinic, Alissa recalled a summer when strep throat kept cycling through her family.

After weeks of battling the illness, Alissa explained, “…it came down to Dr. Mike just recommending we test everybody. Someone’s carrying this, and people keep getting it. That someone doesn’t have symptoms, so we need to treat everybody. I appreciated looking holistically at the whole system and what was going wrong. Sure enough, we had to hold down one of our kids to get a swab, but she was the carrier. Once we treated her, then everybody got better.”

Trusting the Clinic with Her Daughters

As her daughters grow older, Alissa finds comfort in sending them to a clinic where the providers share her values. “I just have total trust in Dr. Mike and the other providers when they’re meeting with my kids…” Alissa shares.

By law, a teenage daughter can be alone with a clinician. In many offices, doctors might quietly offer options that go against a family’s values. “I appreciate that he’s never going to be offering birth control as an option to my daughter,” Alissa explains. “That’s not even on the table.”

Who Alissa Recommends the Clinic To

Alissa believes that as a person of faith, it’s important to support the clinic. “I want my actions to fit what I’m saying, and this really fulfills a social justice mission. We’re taking care of people right in our community who need healthcare, and as a benefactor, I’m getting great healthcare myself.”

She finds it essential to refer others to the clinic, whether they have insurance or not, particularly for fertility and women’s health care. “When families are struggling with fertility, that’s a big burden. The way that this clinic can help guide you through some really natural and almost simple means of achieving pregnancy protects you from very intense and invasive procedures…”

She also sends friends who are self-employed or families on high-deductible plans. She tells them that Direct Primary Care is the practical door to great healthcare. If you want an option for managing fertility that follows Church teaching, Our Lady of Hope Clinic is the best choice.

Treating the Whole Person

Alissa has found that sometimes the problem is not just one symptom. Sleep, stress, mood, and “life things” can all affect each other. At the clinic, she shares, “…I take all of the things that maybe someone is struggling with and dump them at Dr. Mike’s feet. He unravels it and creates a plan, and he’s so calm.” Because Dr. Mike looks at the whole problem, he often gets to the root of whatever is going on much quicker, rather than just finding a quick fix.

“I have total trust in him that he’s getting his wisdom from somewhere other than just medicine. I think that he is not only a doctor, but a healer. He’s taken really good care of our family.”

Could This Be What Your Family is Looking For?

Alissa doesn’t believe insurance is bad. Her point is that there is a better way. A membership at Our Lady of Hope Clinic provides the best quality of care, saves time, respects values, and offers an avenue to help provide care for those who cannot afford it.

If you are looking for Direct Primary Care in Middleton or a way to bring hope and healing to your local community, you can sign up for a membership at Our Lady of Hope Clinic today!

For more information on Direct Primary Care for your family, click here.

For more information on supporting the clinic’s free care, click here.

Or call (608) 819-8544. We would love to chat.