Direct Primary Care in Tempe, AZ — Virtual Visits With Your Doctor

Managing your health should not require rearranging your entire schedule every time you need medical advice. A recurring prescription question, a new symptom, or an ongoing health concern may require attention even when you have limited time for a traditional office visit.

Saguaro Direct Care makes suitable primary care services available through a virtual-first membership model for eligible adults in Tempe, Arizona. Instead of focusing only on individual appointments, we emphasize direct access to a physician, continued communication, and care informed by your medical history. Our practice was founded by Dr. Zane Ahmed, DO, a board-certified internal medicine physician. We provide virtual consultations for appropriate everyday medical concerns, preventive guidance, medication management, and chronic condition follow-up. For residents in Downtown Tempe, South Tempe, and surrounding East Valley neighborhoods, this model can reduce the need for routine travel while maintaining a relationship with a physician.

Call (928) 813-3685 to explore virtual primary care membership and appointment options in Tempe.

Everyday Healthcare Without the Routine Commute

Not every primary care question requires an in-person clinic visit. Some concerns can be discussed through telehealth, while others require testing, hands-on examination, or urgent medical attention.

Our published services include:

Virtual sick visits:

Assessment of common symptoms suitable for telehealth.

Prescription reviews:

Discussion of ongoing medications, side effects, and appropriate refills.

Chronic condition follow-up:

Monitoring of selected long-term health concerns.

Preventive consultations:

Review of medical history and health risks.

Laboratory orders:

Testing recommendations when medically appropriate.

Specialist coordination:

Referrals for concerns requiring additional expertise.

Lifestyle guidance:

Individualized conversations about nutrition, sleep, movement, and health goals.

Direct messaging:

Secure communication with your physician through Spruce.

We focus on making healthcare more accessible without compromising clinical judgment. For the full service overview, visit our Direct Primary Care Program.

What Types of Primary Care Concerns Can Be Addressed Online?

Virtual primary care is useful when a medical concern can be evaluated safely through history, discussion, available measurements, or test results.

Cold, Flu, Allergy, and Sinus Symptoms

A physician may review symptom patterns, duration, medical history, and warning signs. Some patients can receive guidance through telehealth. Others require examination or testing.

Headaches, Fatigue, and Digestive Concerns

Headaches, fatigue, and digestive symptoms have many possible causes. We discuss relevant symptoms, medications, and medical history to determine appropriate next steps.

Skin and Urinary Concerns

Selected skin or urinary symptoms may be discussed during a virtual visit. However, diagnosis or treatment may require photographs, laboratory tests, a physical examination, or referral.

Ongoing Medication Questions

Patients may need to discuss medication tolerance, refill requirements, or whether their treatment plan should be reviewed. Prescription decisions are based on clinical assessment.

Chronic Health Conditions

Conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, high cholesterol, thyroid disorders, and asthma may require continued attention. Virtual follow-up can help review symptoms, readings, test results, and medication response.

Choosing Between a Virtual Visit and an In-Person Appointment

A good healthcare plan should recognize when remote care is useful and when local medical services are necessary.

Your concern	Virtual care may help with	In-person care may be needed for
Routine medication review	Discussing treatment response and side effects	Required examinations or monitoring
Blood pressure concerns	Reviewing home readings and medication questions	Physical examination or concerning symptoms
Diabetes follow-up	Discussing glucose records and laboratory results	Foot/eye examinations and testing
Cold or allergy symptoms	Initial discussion and symptom guidance	Severe symptoms or diagnostic testing
Persistent fatigue	Reviewing possible contributing factors	Examination or laboratory evaluation
Skin or urinary symptoms	Selected assessments and guidance	Physical examination or specimen testing

Some symptoms require emergency care instead of telehealth. Contact emergency services for serious or life-threatening problems.

How the Direct Primary Care Membership Helps You Stay Connected

A DPC membership is an alternative way to pay for specified routine primary care services. At Saguaro, the published model emphasizes direct physician access without traditional insurance billing for included membership care.

Connect Through Spruce

Members may communicate with the physician through secure text, phone, or video according to the practice's policies.

Discuss Concerns as They Arise

Patients can communicate about appropriate non-emergency questions and determine whether a visit is needed.

Keep Track of Your Treatment

Your physician can consider previous symptoms, medications, test results, and follow-up recommendations.

Understand Your Healthcare Costs

The practice publishes a monthly fee while identifying outside services that may involve separate charges.

Continue With a Familiar Physician

An ongoing doctor-patient relationship can support more informed decisions as your medical needs change.

Learn how membership care differs from conventional billing in our article, Direct Primary Care vs. Traditional Primary Care.

When Might Membership-Based Primary Care Make Sense?

A virtual-first DPC membership may appeal to adults who want direct communication and recurring primary care support.

Consider the following situations:

Patient situation	Potential benefit of Saguaro's care model
You frequently have medication questions	Direct access to a physician for appropriate reviews
You monitor blood pressure or blood sugar	Virtual discussion of readings and treatment plans
You have a busy work schedule	Less routine travel for eligible consultations
You want preventive guidance	Ongoing discussion of risks and health goals
You prefer transparent payment arrangements	Published membership fees and clearly identified exclusions
You need occasional specialist referrals	Physician guidance and referral coordination

A virtual-only model will not suit everyone. Patients who frequently require in-person examinations or procedures should consider how they will access those services.

Your Primary Care Physician: Dr. Zane Ahmed, DO

Behind Saguaro's virtual-care model is Dr. Zane Ahmed, DO, a physician who founded the practice to improve the relationship between patients and their doctor.

Dr. Ahmed is board-certified in Internal Medicine. He earned his Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree from Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine and completed his Internal Medicine residency at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix. His experience includes hospital medicine at Havasu Regional Medical Center and medical leadership in palliative and hospice care. Before practicing medicine, he earned a bachelor's degree in Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics from UCLA. At Saguaro Direct Care, we emphasize the same principles reflected in his stated philosophy: individual attention, evidence-based decisions, and direct communication. Read his full background on our Our Team page.

A Simpler Way to Manage Primary Care Appointments

1. Explore the Membership

2. Share Your Medical Information

3. Connect With Your Physician

4. Stay in Touch

What Does the Primary Care Membership Cost?

The published Saguaro Direct Care membership is $109 per month.

The membership includes specified virtual primary care services and direct physician communication.

Membership benefits include:

Virtual visits for suitable primary care concerns

Secure physician messaging

Preventive care and lifestyle guidance

Chronic disease monitoring

Medication management and eligible prescription refills

Appropriate specialist referrals

Access to discounted laboratory and imaging options

Services that may require separate payment:

Laboratory testing and imaging

Prescription medications

Specialist consultations

Emergency and hospital services

In-person examinations and procedures

A general one-time telemedicine visit is also advertised at $200. Ask the practice which concerns are eligible and whether additional enrollment fees apply.

Visit our Membership Pricing Page.

Can You Use Health Insurance With Direct Primary Care?

Direct primary care is a healthcare membership, not an insurance policy. Patients with eligible commercial insurance may retain it for medical expenses not included in the membership. This can be useful for hospital visits, emergency services, specialist appointments, imaging, prescriptions, or other services. Saguaro's existing patient agreement also has specific restrictions concerning Medicare and AHCCCS/Medicaid patients. Ask the practice to confirm eligibility before enrolling.

For additional information, read our Direct Primary Care vs. Traditional Primary Care Guide.

Virtual Primary Care for Tempe and the East Valley

Tempe sits near Phoenix, Mesa, Scottsdale, and Chandler. Many residents travel between these cities for work, education, and family responsibilities. For suitable concerns, virtual primary care can reduce routine commuting and make follow-up easier.

Our Arizona telehealth model may serve eligible adults in:

Downtown Tempe and the Tempe Town Lake area

North Tempe

South Tempe and neighborhoods near Baseline Road

Nearby Mesa and Chandler communities

Adjacent Scottsdale and Phoenix neighborhoods

These are potential virtual service areas, not Saguaro clinic locations. The practice's advertised home doctor visits are limited to Lake Havasu City and should not be assumed available in Tempe.