ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — In favor of skipping waiting rooms and insurance co-pays, two local pediatricians are taking modern medical care and providing it the old fashioned way.

Dr. Kelli Cross and Dr. Lyssa Louge opened Complete Wellness Pediatrics on July 1. The practice provides "direct primary care," a business model new to pediatrics.

After a one-time enrollment free, parents pay a monthly fee based on the age of their child. The monthly fee pays for all visits and procedures at the office, as well as the ability to reach the doctors virtually at any time of the day with questions and concerns.

Each doctor sees just a few patients in person each day, but spends hours answering phone calls and messages from parents. Cross and Louge both used to work at a traditional office with more than 1,000 patients each.

“These kids are our kids, so if there’s something going on we need to know about it and we want to help,” Louge said.

At the office, the doctors can give vaccinations, stitch up a wound and complete any of the exams and procedures you would see at a traditional pediatricians office. The subscription-style payment system keeps them from relying on insurance companies.

“I feel like doctors sort of just gave up their autonomy to insurance companies,” Cross said. “We’ve allowed them to dictate the process of how we’re paid and reimbursed with that model. They limit how much we are reimbursed and how much time we have with families.”

Both doctors feel the direct primary care method allows them to be highly involved with their patients. They will even make house calls for infants.

Complete Wellness Pediatrics is located at 5033 Central Ave. in St. Petersburg.