Featuring the Nation’s Leading Medical Leaders: Dr. Wayne Payne & Pamela Bryant — Driving Health Equity in Illinois
In Illinois, a new chapter in healthcare access is unfolding—led by Dr. Wayne Payne, Founder and Chief Medical Officer of MyOwnDoctor, and Pamela Bryant, Clinical Director of Virtual Physician Associates (VPA). Together, they are spearheading one of the most ambitious health-equity hiring initiatives in the state’s history, with plans to bring on 35 + full-time Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants over the next 60 days to serve the state’s most underserved populations.
A Mission Rooted in Equity and Access
At its core, this effort is about more than filling positions—it’s about bridging gaps.
Virtual Physician Associates serves as the care-delivery arm of MyOwnDoctor, supporting Illinois’ five major managed-care organizations (MCOs) through a statewide telehealth infrastructure. The practice specializes in annual wellness visits, closing HEDIS and care-gap measures, and expanding Medicaid population outreach to communities that have historically struggled to access consistent care.
“We’re 99 percent Medicaid,” Bryant explains. “Our focus is on outreach—connecting with the hard-to-reach, the people who fall through the cracks. We’re providing the same quality of care that any private-pay patient would receive.”
Scaling Statewide: From 12 to 45 + Providers
VPA’s current team of a dozen providers already faces waiting lists exceeding 100 patients eager for appointments. To meet demand, the organization is executing a rapid-scale plan—adding 35 + full-time advanced practitioners within 60 days, and expanding outreach staffing from a few dozen to nearly 200 community health specialists statewide by year-end.
These new providers will conduct virtual, face-to-face video visits directly from their home offices, with the option to work onsite at the organization’s Chicago telehealth center. The model ensures continuity, efficiency, and accessibility—all while allowing clinicians to maintain work-life balance.
Faith, Technology, and Community Outreach
Unlike many telehealth programs, VPA’s model intertwines faith-based community engagement with cutting-edge technology. Through partnerships with church congregations and community ministries, the organization reaches populations often missed by conventional systems. Each partner receives a custom-branded app powered by MyOwnDoctor, integrating not only health services but also streaming capabilities for faith content and live communication between members and care teams.
“It’s more than medicine,” Bryant says. “It’s ministry. We meet people where they already gather—with trust, compassion, and technology that empowers them.”
Closing the Gaps — One Visit at a Time
Through these telehealth assessments, Nurse Practitioners & Physician Assistants identify chronic-care needs, perform preventive screenings, and order missing labs such as A1C testing for diabetic patients. If behavioral-health needs arise, patients are referred seamlessly to in-house therapists or psychiatric specialists—creating an end-to-end continuum of care within the same ecosystem.
All providers are fully trained on VPA’s proprietary electronic-health-record (EHR) system, with equipment, onboarding, and platform training provided. The pay range tops out at $60 per hour for Nurse Practitioners & Physician Assistants, with full-time W-2 employment or an optional 1099 model for independent clinicians.
A Long-Term Vision for Health Equity
This initiative is not a short-term contract—it’s a multi-year movement. As Bryant notes, “We’re already expanding into other states like Texas and New Mexico. Our goal is to build sustainable, community-based healthcare that doesn’t depend on proximity but on presence.”
With MyOwnDoctor’s leadership under Dr. Wayne Payne and Pamela Bryant’s operational expertise at Virtual Physician Associates, Illinois is becoming a model for how telehealth, faith, and public-health partnerships can converge to achieve health equity at scale.
About MyOwnDoctor
MyOwnDoctor, founded by Dr. Wayne Payne, MD, MPH, is a national telehealth company committed to connecting patients, providers, and communities through accessible, affordable, and equitable care solutions.
About Virtual Physician Associates (VPA)
Virtual Physician Associates is the care-delivery arm of MyOwnDoctor, providing virtual and hybrid clinical services across multiple disciplines. VPA partners with MCOs, faith-based organizations, and community groups to close care gaps, improve outcomes, and champion health equity across Illinois and beyond.
