We do not practice medicine but can help you find the best medical care available in the area and assist you in making an appointment. We have connections to excellent physicians and other care providers. Our understanding of their specialties and available technologies will be important in ensuring that you receive the best possible care.
We organize and supervise home health services with a well-trained team of nurses, home health providers, respiratory therapists, and other professionals. Our knowledgeable staff can locate and procure home health equipment such as beds, oxygen, toilet facilities, etc. A care team can be arranged for within 12 to 24 hours. Costs for services are reasonable, based on fair labor practices.
We help you prepare for health emergencies, and ensure that family and household help know what to do in an emergency situation. When you need urgent care or hospitalization in Mexico, we can:
• Meet you at the care facility
• Help with the admission process
• Remain at your bedside at key times
• Assist with discharge planning
• Provide post-operative medication advice
We can research your diagnosis and treatment, to ensure fairness and accuracy of billing by medical providers and hospitals. We can help you decide what medical insurance best fits your needs.
We provide health and medical education on the management of acute events, chronic conditions, and wellness care.
We help you determine if you can safely receive care locally or need to seek care elsewhere.
We help with meetings with your health care provider, reviewing your medical history so that your health concerns can be communicated fully and clearly.
We help with advance directives and end of life decisions. As a designated patient advocate for legal advanced directives, we can assist in communication with concerned family members, friends, and community. Click here to find out more…
Our excellent bilingual assistants can translate documents for use by clinicians on both sides of the border.
Often it is confusing for family members when one is injured or ill in Mexico. We are experienced at helping loved ones make appropriate and helpful decisions.
Understanding your medication is vital to your overall health. We help you recognize and avoid potential side effects and drug interactions while simplifying your medication schedule.
A very popular doctor and excellent colleague, Dr. Emilio is a core part of our team. He most recently was appointed the Director of Joya Hospital. As a certified and highly experienced Emergency and Critical Care Physician, he is committed to ensuring that an ER physician is available at all times at Joya Hospital because, as everyone knows, in an emergency. TIME IS LIFE.
Emergency Medicine is one of the most challenging medical specialties because it requires broad knowledge as well as the ability to manage acute medical crisis. These range from stroke, to cardiac arrest, gastrointestinal bleeding, complex trauma such as accidents, gunshots, stab wounds, fractures, head injuries, hypertension, complications related to diabetes, respiratory failure, coma and shock among many others. To adequately prepare for this challenge the training and skills of an ER physician are much broader and deeper than for other specialty physicians.
The Be Well Team has worked closely with him for six years now and has developed a deep respect for his medical knowledge, his ability to recruit the finest specialists, and his commitment to the oversight of each and every Be Well patient.
We consult him or a specialist referred by him on all our patients when they are sick or injured. We have not had a single case in these many years of a complaint about his treatment of our patients nor the courtesy he shows everyone from fellow physicians to the other Be Well Staff and most especially his patients. If you get to know him very well you will find he has a great sense of humor and endless energy for being a fine physician.
Mobile Phone : +52 (322) 109 1414
As the founder of Be Well San Miguel, I use my knowledge and experience as an international health worker to ensure that the needs of each one of our clients is met with utmost professionalism, compassion, and confidentiality.
I am a graduate of the Stanford University Physician Assistant program and hold a Master’s degree in Public Health from the University of California at Berkeley. I have lived and worked in many countries including the United States, the Netherlands, Mexico, Guatemala, Cuba, Nicaragua, Zambia and Mozambique.
I moved to San Miguel in March of 2014 and am delighted to call this community my home. Previously, I practiced medicine in a busy inner city clinic for nine years while teaching medicine at Stanford. I also did post graduate work in nutrition at the Tropical Institute in Amsterdam. I am fluent in Spanish and have practiced medicine in the United States, Mexico and Guatemala.
Now, after nearly 10 years working in the San Miguel community as a patient advocate, my mission continues to be giving clients a voice, to understand their needs and provide valuable information to help them make informed decisions.
I have a particular interest in geriatrics and helping people choose the highest quality of living even when that may mean shortening our span of years but vastly improving our experiences moment by moment.
Phone : +52 (415) 115-7815
Email : deborah@bewellsanmiguel.com
Be Well staff make every attempt to be available 24/7. When not available, we have clinical backup provided by MDs and nursing staff with a one bilingual staff member at all times. Please be assured that urgent circumstance will be attended to as quickly as possible. From its inception, our advocacy service has never failed to respond immediately to a patient in crisis.
Our Annual Membership Plan includes the following benefits and services:
• A detailed initial intake, including complex medical and social issues, review of relevant laboratory and various imaging and other medical reports. This process can take up to three or more hours of time.
• Review of current medications and supplements for poly pharmacy and toxic interactions.
• Review of recent medical records from US, Canada or elsewhere, if available, to determine best care options, if any, in Mexico.
• Referrals to appropriate specialists or alternative care practitioners and help with appointments if needed.
• We work with you to develop an emergency plan tailored to your specific circumstances and a sample form with critical information for first responders, for you to post prominently.
• A 10% discount on general hospital services at Joya Hospital (exclusive of physician charges)
• Half hour free use of technical services from our non-medical advocate.
• Review of medical insurance status
• Review of standard health screening actions with recommendations tailored to client
• Review of Mexican documents to see if adequate in case of an emergency (i.e. wills, POA, living wills (Medical Directives))
• Entering your personal information into our files electronically shared by Deborah Bickel and Dr. Emilio Ramirez
• Rapid response to referral needs or advice. Appointments with one of our team members or urgent referrals can nearly always be scheduled within 24 to 48 hours.
Be Well is reluctantly raising prices for memberships as of March 1, 2023. The rate of inflation forced us to re-evaluate our current prices. The new annual membership will rise 8000 pesos or USD equivalent yearly. Renewing is 7000 pesos. Quarterly memberships are 4000 pesos or USD equivalent. Couple rate is 12000 pesos. As usual those on a fixed income are welcome to discuss fee reduction.
Membership services are provided upon payment. Membership services are provided upon payment. We prefer cash payment in pesos, but accept payment through PayPal with a 10% extra fee to cover exchange rate and processing. PayPal email is deborah@bewellsanmiguel.com.
If you are unable to keep an appointment for reasons other than illness, and are unable to give 24 hours advance notice, we reserve the right to charge for your missed appointment. We expect fee-for-services payment at the time of service. There will be a 10% surcharge if payment is delayed beyond 5 days.
Additional Services
The following services are not included with membership. We charge 1500 pesos an hour or fraction for members, 1700 pesos or USD equivalent for non-members for:
* Assistance with documentation necessary for creating a medical directive legal in Mexico.
* Accompanying you to medical appointments and taking notes as needed.
* Consultations on particular medical problems, including plans and referrals.
* Translation in person for medical care or of Spanish-language documents
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* Communication with family members.
* Assistance with medical billing issues
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* Help with decisions regarding insurance and management of care between the US and Mexico.
Home Nursing Care and Support
We are able to quickly make you as safe and comfortable as possible receiving appropriate home health care at a reasonable cost. We set up and supervise a properly equipped high quality care team, arrange for home visits from physicians whose work we know well, and in general advocate for the health care you need. Whether you need long-term or temporary home care, we have the staff, equipment, and skills to help you!
Deborah Bickel and Dr. Emilio Ramirez have decades of combined clinical experience and medical training that are put to use on your behalf. We don’t just provide information, we help you understand your important health and wellness options.
In the event of an illness or injury, finding an English-speaking physician may not be enough. While many physicians in the area do speak English, few are completely fluent and even fewer have an English speaking staff. We bring to our practice both fluency in Spanish, English and a professional understanding of both US and Mexican medical services, which can dramatically improve the quality of care you receive in Mexico.
It is important to note that medical practices can vary greatly from one country to another, and at times the medical culture of Mexico will be quite different than in the US or Canada. An example of this is that private practice physicians in Mexico are not required to keep patient records beyond the patient’s name and day of the visit. Having a fluent and medically capable advocate at such times will be critical to your continuity of care and your peace of mind. As with any visit to a physician or other health practitioner the right outcome will depend upon clear communication and understanding between patient and practitioner.
A short phone call will help us identify what your needs may be and is usually followed by an hour-long appointment to orient you to medicine, health and well-being in San Miguel de Allende.
Would you like to receive free health and wellness tips from dedicated professionals? Latest updates on virus outbreaks? Information that could be vital to your wellbeing? Then join our mailing list below. We will never share or sell your information. Note: you will receive a confirmation email that you must click before you are added to our list.
As members of your health care team, we are committed to the highest standards of professionalism and confidentiality. You may be absolutely confident that no personal information will ever be shared without your explicit permission.
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