Tell us a little about your background.
I was born in Oklahoma and lived in Kentucky before moving to Huntsville, Alabama in 1992. Following the move, I graduated from Johns Hopkins University and returned to Birmingham for medical school in 1998, completing my MD in 2002. I did two years of internal medicine residency training at the University of Michigan and then finished my final year at UAB.
I’ve lived in central Alabama for over 25 years now and have been a practicing board-certified internal medicine physician – both inpatient and outpatient – in the Birmingham area since 2005. I have three children, all teenagers, born and raised here, and don’t see myself moving any time soon.
What do you enjoy about primary care medicine?
The patients are why I come to work every day. I’m fortunate to care for adults from all walks of life. The relationships I’ve built over the past 20 years with my patients and their families are invaluable to me.
I also appreciate the variety and challenge – I’m constantly learning, seeing new diagnoses, and helping people navigate some of the most difficult (and rewarding) moments of their lives.
Why don’t you take Medicare or insurance?
At my previous practice, I did accept Medicare and commercial insurance. But over time, reimbursements failed to keep up with the actual time, work, and staffing required to provide high-quality care. Meanwhile, the administrative burden just to get paid exploded, while the amount of time I got to spend with my patients shrunk. As a result, many primary care physicians my age or older have left medicine, cut hours back significantly, or thought seriously about it.
I’m in my late 40s and want to continue practicing for 20 more years. That meant building something sustainable and decidedly anti-corporate, where I can give my patients the time, attention, and service they deserve, at a fair price.
At Brightmark Health, I work for you, not an insurance company. That means quicker turnaround for phone calls, test results, prior authorizations, referrals, and scheduling. I have the best medical team in town:
- Reva Kelly, my medical assistant since 2005 (she came out of retirement to work with me again)
- Shayna Gurley RN, FNP-C, my office manager and nurse practitioner
The nominal membership fee buys you more than just time with your doctor, it buys peace of mind and a healthcare experience that puts you first.
Whether you’re on the standard membership (which charges an additional hourly rate for visits) or the premium membership (a single price which includes all visits in a month), you’ll have my undivided attention, without me needing to click boxes to make insurance happy or rush out the door. You set the pace for your visit.
Can I still use my insurance if I’m seeing you as a patient?
Absolutely. About 99% of my patients have commercial insurance or Medicare.
While my office doesn’t bill insurance for in-house services (like visits, EKGs, injections, or IV fluids), our lab partner (Southeast Clinical Labs) and our main radiology vendor accept most major insurance carriers and Medicare/Medicare Advantage plans.
We also know the cash prices for labs and imaging, and sometimes it’s cheaper not to use your insurance, especially with high-deductible plans. It pays to ask!
For standard members – you can pay for in-house services with cash, credit card, and HSA cards. (HSA cards cannot be used for any membership fees).
What can I expect as a patient at Brightmark Health?
- Convenient location – very close to the I-65/Montgomery Highway intersection at the Hoover/Vestavia border with ample free parking.
- Real people answer the phone – no phone trees, no endless voicemails.
- Direct access to Dr. Wu – every patient gets Dr. Wu’s email address. No clunky patient portal to log into.
- Messages answered quickly, often within minutes, not 3-4 days later.
- Same-day or next-day appointments, based on your schedule.
- Minimal (if any) waiting room time.
- Unrushed visits – we’ll take the time you need to discuss your health concerns.
- Clear, upfront pricing. Once you pay your bill, you’re done.
- Fast, efficient care. Need a referral? We’ll handle it that day. Refills? A phone call or email usually gets it done, no unnecessary visits. Prior authorizations? We act on them as soon as we get them. We try really hard not to waste your time.
- Rapid results. As soon as we get your labs or imaging results, we review and contact you promptly.
- Home visits are available to premium members within a 10-mile radius for an additional fee.
- If you’re completely homebound, call us – we offer a special membership plan just for you.
- Telemedicine visits are also available, again, just ask!
How much are office visits under the standard membership?
Under the standard membership, Dr. Wu’s rate for office visits is $300 per hour, billed based on the actual time spent discussing your health concerns.
We schedule visits in 20-minute intervals, but only charge for the time you use. Here are some examples:
- 10-minute visit: $50
- 16-minute visit: $80
- 20-minute visit: $100
If a visit runs longer, it’s simply prorated at the same hourly rate.
Medicare patients typically receive a 20% discount on the hourly rate.
This structure ensures you’re only paying for what you need – no surprises!
Do I need to be a member to see Dr. Wu?
You don’t have to be a member to schedule a visit. Dr. Wu is happy to see “one-off” patients for specific concerns.
However, please note:
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These visits are billed at a higher hourly rate than member visits.
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Follow-up related to the issue is limited, and ongoing care is not included.
- Availability is not guaranteed, but we currently have daily openings for non-members.
If you’re looking for more comprehensive, continuous care, or want direct access and priority scheduling, the membership options may be a better fit.
Have more questions about Dr. Wu or Brightmark Health?
Give us a call at (205) 900-0888 – we’re happy to help and would love to hear from you.