Podcast
DPC Life: Direct Primary Care Podcast
DPC Life is a podcast for Direct Primary Care physicians building and sustaining an independent practice. Real conversations about the actual work: leaving insurance-based medicine, setting membership pricing, growing a patient panel, and what the first two years of practice ownership look like. Coaching calls and conversations with DPC docs a few steps further along. Whether you are pre-launch, in year one, or established and stuck, you will find peers who have sat where you are sitting. New episodes weekly, free anywhere you get podcasts.
- Episodes
- 69
- Releases
- Twice a week
- Typical length
- 34 min
- On air since
- 2025
- Latest episode
- 12 hours ago
Episodes
69 episodes, newest first
-
21 min
Do You Need an MBA to Start a Direct Primary Care Practice? A Physician Founder Explains What Actually Helps You Build a Business - Part 1
Episode 59
Show notes
What if the work that grows your practice fastest is the work you do before you ever run an ad? Dr. Therese Canares is a pediatric emergency physician at Johns Hopkins and the founder of CurieDX, software that predicts strep throat from a photo with about 95% accuracy. She also has an MBA, and she is refreshingly blunt about how little of what she needed came from it.
Her first invention was a device that could detect ear infections from a picture of the eardrum.
The science worked. The business did not, because the parts cost $5,000 and the rule of thumb meant selling it for $50,000. She says finding that out early was the win, and it pushed her toward a phone-based approach instead.
In this conversation with Dr. Anne Gonzalez, she walks through the skill she thinks most physicians starting a practice are missing: customer discovery. The questions to ask, the ones not to, how to tell a painkiller from a vitamin, why paid ads before messaging is a money sink, and how to build a network and find mentors without paying for them.
IN THIS EPISODE
•
What is customer discovery, and what questions should you actually ask?
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How do you tell whether you're building a painkiller or just a vitamin?
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Do you need an MBA to start a practice or a business?
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How do you network when you've only ever worked in clinical medicine?
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What's the difference between a mentor, a coach, and a consultant, and which should you pay for?
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Why is running paid ads early riskier than just talking to people?
•
How do you find the market segments of patients who will actually pay?
If you're a physician planning a practice, trying to nail your messaging, or wondering what to do before you spend a dollar on advertising, this conversation is one you'll want to hear.
About Dr. Therese Canares
Dr. Therese Canares is a pediatric emergency medicine physician who spent about 12 years at Johns Hopkins. She is the founder of CurieDX, named for Marie Curie, which builds computer vision software that helps clinicians and parents screen for conditions from a photo.
•
Website: https://curiedx.com
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Email: tcanares@curiedx.com
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Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/doctortlc/
•
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drtheresemd/
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LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/therese-canares-md/
Full show notes and transcript: dpclife.com/episode/59-therese-canares
Direct Primary Care resources: https://dpclife.com/start
ENJOY THIS EPISODE?
•
Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. It genuinely helps other Direct Primary Care physicians find the show.
•
Share with any physician who is about to open a practice or start spending money on ads.
•
Subscribe so you do not miss the next episode.
Is your DPC practice reaching its full potential?
Take the free, 2-minute Quick Practice Audit from Harmony Ops to identify opportunities to improve your practice systems, patient acquisition, and growth.
Take the Quick Practice Audit here: https://24-7-bot.harmonyopsfordpc.com/audit
Connect with DPC Life
•
Website: https://dpclife.com
•
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dpclife/
•
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dpclife
•
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/dpc-life-podcast
•
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@thedpclifepodcast
Connect with Anne: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anne-gonzalez-dpc/
Follow the show and join the DPC Life Community: https://dpclife.com
-
27 min
How to Grow a Direct Primary Care Practice at Six Months: What to Do When You Are Getting Only One or Two New Patients a Month - Part 2
Episode 58
Show notes
In Part 2 of our conversation with Dr. Ruth Solomon, we walks her through the marketing side: naming and describing her ideal patient in real detail, keeping one core message instead of a scattered feed, batch filming content, finding local podcasts, and the case for hosting one of her own.
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How do you describe your ideal patient so she recognizes herself?
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Why is it okay to say the same thing over and over on social media?
•
How do you record content that sounds natural instead of memorized?
•
Why should a new practice consider starting its own local podcast?
🎧 Haven't listened to Part 1 yet?
Listen to Part 1 here:
📖 Want the full conversation?
Full show notes and transcript: https://dpclife.com/post/58-ruth-solomon
🎁 Free Direct Primary Care Resources
Explore free resources for physicians getting started with Direct Primary Care:
Join the DPC Life Community: https://dpclife.com/club
Is your DPC practice reaching its full potential?
Take the free, 2-minute Quick Practice Audit from Harmony Ops to identify opportunities to improve your practice systems, patient acquisition, and growth.
Take the Quick Practice Audit here: https://24-7-bot.harmonyopsfordpc.com/audit
💬 Enjoy This Episode?
•
Follow the DPC Life Podcast on your favorite podcast platform.
•
Leave a review or comment. It helps other Direct Primary Care physicians discover the show.
•
Share this episode with a physician who may find Dr. Solomon's story helpful.
Connect with DPC Life
•
Website: https://dpclife.com
•
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dpclife/
•
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dpclife
•
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/dpc-life-podcast
•
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@thedpclifepodcast
Connect with Anne: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anne-gonzalez-dpc/
Follow the show and join the DPC Life Community: https://dpclife.com
-
34 min
How to Grow a Direct Primary Care Practice at Six Months: What to Do When You Are Getting Only One or Two New Patients a Month - Part 1
Episode 54
Show notes
What do you do when you're six months into a Direct Primary Care practice, doing all the right things, and the patients still aren't coming fast enough? Dr. Ruth Solomon opened April MD Direct Primary Care in Babylon, New York after more than a decade in the traditional system, an hour-and-a-half commute to the Bronx, and the kind of burnout that had her dreading work every morning.
She found Direct Primary Care while researching ways to leave clinical medicine altogether. Now she is six months in, charging a flat $149 a month, adding one or two patients a month, and doing the groundwork: social media, networking events, pop-ups at gyms and Pilates studios, a library program, and a podcast appearance. The return has not matched the effort yet, and she is honest about how personally that lands.
So Dr. Anne Gonzalez turned this one into a working session. They dig into why comparison to other practices is misleading, how to define an ideal patient specifically enough that she actually recognizes herself, how to follow up with a referral network, and how to make social media sound like a real person instead of a script.
IN THIS EPISODE
•
Why is it misleading to compare your patient numbers to other Direct Primary Care practices?
•
How do you set your membership price when there are almost no Direct Primary Care practices near you?
•
What do you say to someone who says "but I already have health insurance"?
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How do you define your ideal patient specifically enough for your marketing to work?
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How do you build and follow up with a referral network as a new practice?
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Why does in-person networking convert better than social media?
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How do you make social media sound like you instead of a script?
If you're a physician in your first year of Direct Primary Care and wondering whether slow growth means something is wrong with you, this conversation is one you'll want to hear.
About Dr. Ruth Solomon
Dr. Ruth Solomon is a family medicine physician and the founder of April MD Direct Primary Care in Babylon, New York. She finished residency over 10 years ago, trained in Pennsylvania, and spent her career practicing in the Bronx before burnout and the pandemic pushed her to look for another way to practice. She opened her Direct Primary Care practice six months ago with a flat $149 per month membership, 30-minute appointments, and a focus on education and trust. Most of her patients are uninsured and could not afford a marketplace plan.
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Website: https://aprilmd.com/
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Email: info@aprilmd.com
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Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aprilmdli/
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Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aprilmdli
•
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/aprilmdli/
Full show notes and transcript: https://dpclife.com/post/58-ruth-solomon
Follow the show and join the DPC Life Community: https://dpclife.com
Direct Primary Care resources: https://dpclife.com/start
ENJOY THIS EPISODE?
•
Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. It genuinely helps other Direct Primary Care physicians find the show.
•
Share with any physician who is working on their messaging or thinking about a practice without a brick and mortar office.
•
Subscribe so you do not miss the next episode.
Is your DPC practice reaching its full potential?
Take the free, 2-minute Quick Practice Audit from Harmony Ops to identify opportunities to improve your practice systems, patient acquisition, and growth.
Take the Quick Practice Audit here: https://24-7-bot.harmonyopsfordpc.com/audit
Connect with DPC Life
•
Website: https://dpclife.com
•
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dpclife/
•
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dpclife
•
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/dpc-life-podcast
•
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@thedpclifepodcast
Connect with Anne: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anne-gonzalez-dpc/
Follow the show and join the DPC Life Community: https://dpclife.com
-
24 min
Why Hiring a Marketing Company First Was the Wrong Move and What to Do Instead When You Launch Your Practice - Part 2
Episode 57
Show notes
In Part 2 of our conversation with Dr. Janeeka Benoit, we get into the marketing side: why the copy she paid for did not sound like her, how she nurtures leads from her free body composition quiz, what she does with every business card she collects, and how a business coach helped her work through the mind drama that was holding her back.
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Why should you write your own messaging instead of outsourcing it?
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How do you nurture leads who are not ready to join yet?
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What system should you use to follow up after networking events?
•
How do you get past the thoughts telling you you're not good enough?
🎧 Haven't listened to Part 1 yet?
Listen to Part 1 here:
📖 Want the full conversation?
Full show notes and transcript: https://dpclife.com/post/57-janeeka-benoit
🎁 Free Direct Primary Care Resources
Explore free resources for physicians getting started with Direct Primary Care:
Join the DPC Life Community: https://dpclife.com/club
Is your DPC practice reaching its full potential?
Take the free, 2-minute Quick Practice Audit from Harmony Ops to identify opportunities to improve your practice systems, patient acquisition, and growth.
Take the Quick Practice Audit here: https://24-7-bot.harmonyopsfordpc.com/audit
💬 Enjoy This Episode?
•
Follow the DPC Life Podcast on your favorite podcast platform.
•
Leave a review or comment. It helps other Direct Primary Care physicians discover the show.
•
Share this episode with a physician who may find Dr. Benoit's story helpful.
Connect with DPC Life
•
Website: https://dpclife.com
•
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dpclife/
•
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dpclife
•
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/dpc-life-podcast
•
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@thedpclifepodcast
Connect with Anne: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anne-gonzalez-dpc/
Follow the show and join the DPC Life Community: https://dpclife.com
-
27 min
Why Hiring a Marketing Company First Was the Wrong Move and What to Do Instead When You Launch Your Practice - Part 1
Episode 56
Show notes
What happens when you stop taking the lower rate and start setting your own? Dr. Janeeka Benoit is an internal medicine and sports medicine board, based in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, and running a fully telehealth practice called Invessel. She got there by way of locums work, three months at a time away from home, with rates that kept dropping no matter how hard she negotiated.
Her fiance asked the obvious question: why not start your own practice? She already did telehealth, so she built hers without a brick and mortar. Today she is licensed in 12 states, though most of her patients come from her own community, and she works with high-achieving women navigating midlife and metabolic health.
In this conversation with Dr. Anne Gonzalez, she gets specific about the parts most physicians skip: how to network without a clinic, how to ask for referrals even when you think the answer is no, why she scrapped the copy she paid a marketing company to write, and the mind drama that nearly kept her from launching at all.
IN THIS EPISODE
•
How do you start a telehealth practice without a brick and mortar office?
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How do you find patients locally when your practice is fully virtual?
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How do you ask for referrals, and who should you be asking?
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Why did hiring a marketing company not work, and what did she do instead?
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How do you handle imposter syndrome when you are starting a practice?
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What do you actually do with the business cards you collect at networking events?
If you're a physician thinking about telehealth, figuring out your messaging, or stuck on who you are to be doing this at all, this conversation is one you'll want to hear.
About Dr. Janeeka Benoit
Dr. Janeeka Benoit is an internal medicine physician and fellowship-trained sports medicine physician in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, and the founder of Invessel, a fully telehealth practice focused on metabolic health for high-achieving women in midlife. The name stands for invest in vessel, meaning your mind, body, and spirit. She graduated in 2021, worked as a locums physician in primary care, sports medicine, and hospitalist medicine, and is licensed in 12 states. She is currently pursuing obesity medicine certification and also does sports medicine telehealth.
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Website: https://invesselhealth.com/
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Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drjaneekabenoit_do
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FB: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100071327050707
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TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@drjaneekabenoit_do
Full show notes and transcript: https://dpclife.com/post/57-janeeka-benoit
Follow the show and join the DPC Life Community: https://dpclife.com
Direct Primary Care resources: https://dpclife.com/start
ENJOY THIS EPISODE?
•
Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. It genuinely helps other Direct Primary Care physicians find the show.
•
Share with any physician who is working on their messaging or thinking about a practice without a brick and mortar office.
•
Subscribe so you do not miss the next episode.
Is your DPC practice reaching its full potential?
Take the free, 2-minute Quick Practice Audit from Harmony Ops to identify opportunities to improve your practice systems, patient acquisition, and growth.
Take the Quick Practice Audit here: https://24-7-bot.harmonyopsfordpc.com/audit
Connect with DPC Life
•
Website: https://dpclife.com
•
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dpclife/
•
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dpclife
•
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/dpc-life-podcast
•
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@thedpclifepodcast
Connect with Anne: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anne-gonzalez-dpc/
Follow the show and join the DPC Life Community: https://dpclife.com
-
24 min
How to Launch a Telehealth Direct Primary Care Practice While Still Working in the ER: What Dr. Christina Long Learned in Year One - Part 2
Episode 56
Show notes
In Part 2 of our conversation with Dr. Christina Long, we get into the operations behind a cash-based telehealth practice: the EHR that was not built for compound pharmacies, the rules on shipping and administering compounded medications, how she prices her annual membership, and what she would tell a physician starting telehealth today.
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Why do most EHRs struggle with compound pharmacy prescribing?
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What are the rules for 503A and 503B compounded medications?
•
How do you price a concierge membership when online competitors charge $100 a month?
•
What are the first steps to starting your own telehealth practice?
🎧 Haven't listened to Part 1 yet?
Listen to Part 1 here:
📖 Want the full conversation?
Read the full show notes and transcript here:
https://dpclife.com/post/episode56-christina-long-telehealth
Follow the show and join the DPC Life Community: http://dpclife.com
Direct Primary Care resources: https://dpclife.com/start
Practice Audit: https://24-7-bot.harmonyopsfordpc.com/audit
🚀 Pre-launch or in your first year of Direct Primary Care?
The Early Practice Plan is the Harmony Ops program I built for physicians who are still figuring out the systems, the messaging, and the day-to-day of running a new practice. You get operations, patient flow, CRM, and the marketing foundation that carries you through year one. $99 per 28 days for your first three billing cycles, then $349/cycle.
New to Direct Primary Care or just getting started? Check out the Early Practice Plan.
👉 https://bot.harmonyopsfordpc.com/earlypp-page
Connect with DPC Life
•
Website:https://dpclife.com
•
Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/dpclife/
•
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/dpclife
•
LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/dpc-life-podcast
•
YouTube:https://youtube.com/@thedpclifepodcast
Connect with Anne:https://www.linkedin.com/in/anne-gonzalez-dpc/
Follow the show and join the DPC Life Community:https://dpclife.com/club
-
24 min
How to Launch a Telehealth Direct Primary Care Practice While Still Working in the ER: What Dr. Christina Long Learned in Year One - Part 1
Episode 56
Show notes
What does it actually cost to start a telehealth practice, and what do the Facebook groups forget to tell you? Dr. Christina Long is an emergency medicine physician in Utah who opened The Bougie Bee in January after years of academic medicine in Chicago and a side gig with a telemedicine company that paid her $5 or $6 per patient. She calls that old setup an online pill mill, and she built her own practice to get away from it.
She is licensed in 25 states, runs the whole practice herself out of a home office with a pink mini fridge, and hit her first-year goal of 30 patients within months. Along the way she bombed a Texas law exam, got banned by Meta for using the word tirzepatide, got banned from Google Ads for the word telemedicine, and found out she needed a $3,300 certification she had never heard of.
IN THIS EPISODE
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How do you start a telehealth practice as a physician with no roadmap?
•
How many state medical licenses do you actually need, and what do they cost?
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What is the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact, and which states are hardest?
•
How do you find patients for a cash-based practice without paid advertising?
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Why did Meta and Google ban her ads, and what is LegitScript certification?
•
What should you look out for before you sign with a telemedicine company?
If you're a physician thinking about telehealth, a cash-based practice, or anything outside the traditional clinic model, this conversation is one you'll want to hear.
About Dr. Christina Long
Dr. Christina Long is an emergency medicine physician in Utah and the founder of The Bougie Bee, a concierge telehealth practice she opened in January.
•
Website: https://www.thebougiebeemd.com/
•
Instagram: @thebougiebeemd
•
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheBougieBeeMD/
Full show notes and transcript: https://dpclife.com/post/episode56-christina-long-telehealth
Follow the show and join the DPC Life Community: http://dpclife.com
Direct Primary Care resources: https://dpclife.com/start
Practice Audit: https://24-7-bot.harmonyopsfordpc.com/audit
ENJOY THIS EPISODE?
•
Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. It genuinely helps other Direct Primary Care physicians find the show.
•
Share with any physician who is curious about telehealth or building a practice outside the traditional clinic model.
•
Subscribe so you do not miss the next episode.
🚀 Pre-launch or in your first year of Direct Primary Care?
The Early Practice Plan is the Harmony Ops program I built for physicians who are still figuring out the systems, the messaging, and the day-to-day of running a new practice. You get operations, patient flow, CRM, and the marketing foundation that carries you through year one. $99 per 28 days for your first three billing cycles, then $349/cycle.
New to Direct Primary Care or just getting started? Check out the Early Practice Plan.
👉 https://bot.harmonyopsfordpc.com/earlypp-page
Connect with DPC Life
•
Website: https://dpclife.com
•
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dpclife/
•
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dpclife
•
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/dpc-life-podcast
•
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@thedpclifepodcast
Connect with Anne: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anne-gonzalez-dpc/
Follow the show and join the DPC Life Community: https://dpclife.com/club
-
30 min
The Bad Business Decisions That Built a 1,500-Patient Direct Primary Care Practice with Dr. Charles Opperman - Part 2
Episode 54
Show notes
In Part 2 of our conversation with Dr. Charles Opperman, we cover how his gold tier visit fee works, how he helps patients choose the right membership tier, and how he sets boundaries around 24/7 cell phone access.
•
How do you help patients choose between Direct Primary Care membership tiers?
•
Should you let patients sign up at a meet and greet?
•
How do you set boundaries with 24/7 access in Direct Primary Care?
🎧 Haven't listened to Part 1 yet? Listen to Part 1 here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2pdzl9zUYifDlKO9eR7M3Q?si=vMn78_f3RcWDCgg1_35drg
📖 Want the full conversation? Read the full show notes and transcript here:
https://dpclife.com/post/episode55-charles-opperman
🎁 Free Direct Primary Care Resources
Explore free resources for physicians getting started with Direct Primary Care: https://dpclife.com/startPractice Audit: https://24-7-bot.harmonyopsfordpc.com/audit
🚀 Join the DPC Life Community
Want more support, resources, and conversations for physicians building their Direct Primary Care practice?
Join the DPC Life Community: https://dpclife.com/club
ENJOY THIS EPISODE?
•
Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. It genuinely helps other Direct Primary Care physicians find the show.
•
Share with any physician who is rethinking how to price their Direct Primary Care memberships.
•
Subscribe so you do not miss the next episode.
🚀 Pre-launch or in your first year of Direct Primary Care?
The Early Practice Plan is the Harmony Ops program I built for physicians who are still figuring out the systems, the messaging, and the day-to-day of running a new practice. You get operations, patient flow, CRM, and the marketing foundation that carries you through year one. $99 per 28 days for your first three billing cycles, then $349/cycle.
New to Direct Primary Care or just getting started? Check out the Early Practice Plan. 👉 https://bot.harmonyopsfordpc.com/earlypp-page
Connect with DPC Life
•
Website:https://dpclife.com
•
Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/dpclife/
•
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/dpclife
•
LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/dpc-life-podcast
•
YouTube:https://youtube.com/@thedpclifepodcast
Connect with Anne:https://www.linkedin.com/in/anne-gonzalez-dpc/
Follow the show and join the DPC Life Community:https://dpclife.com/club
-
23 min
The Bad Business Decisions That Built a 1,500-Patient Direct Primary Care Practice with Dr. Charles Opperman - Part 1
Episode 55
Show notes
Is age-based pricing really the only way to run a Direct Primary Care practice? Dr. Charles Opperman, internist and founder of Simplicity Health in Ohio, didn't think so. He planned his Direct Primary Care practice during COVID while his hospital system made him sit in an empty office from 8:00 to 5:00, and he built it on memberships priced by access instead of age.
Six years later, Simplicity Health has 1,500 patients and four physicians, even after an online post about his tiered model drew comments saying it was "certain to fail." His approach charges more for cell phone access and a concierge tier, not for being older, so an 80-year-old who never texts isn't paying more than a 30-year-old who does.
After his DPC Summit talk on running a thriving practice while making "bad business decisions," Dr. Anne Gonzalez sat down with him to answer the questions other physicians sent in about his tiers, his concierge option, how he pays and recruits physicians, and the mistakes he'd avoid if he started over.
IN THIS EPISODE
•
What is tiered Direct Primary Care pricing, and how is it different from age-based pricing?
•
How do you decide what to charge for cell phone access?
•
Why add a concierge tier to a Direct Primary Care practice?
•
How do you keep track of multiple membership tiers?
•
What pricing mistakes should new Direct Primary Care practices avoid?
•
How do you recruit physicians to a growing Direct Primary Care practice?
•
Should a Direct Primary Care practice use the word "concierge" in its marketing?
If you're a physician launching or growing a Direct Primary Care practice and figuring out how to price your memberships, this conversation is one you'll want to hear.
About Dr. Charles Opperman
Dr. Charles Opperman is an internal medicine physician and the owner and founder of Simplicity Health Direct Primary Care in Ohio, which he opened in 2020.
• Email: drcharlesopperman@gmail.com
• Website: https://www.simplicityhealthdpc.com/
• IG: https://www.instagram.com/simplicityhealthdpc
• FB: https://www.facebook.com/SimplicityHealthDPC/Full show notes and transcript: dpclife.com/episode/55-charles-opperman
Follow the show and join the DPC Life Community: https://dpclife.com/club
Direct Primary Care resources: https://dpclife.com/startPractice Audit: https://24-7-bot.harmonyopsfordpc.com/audit
ENJOY THIS EPISODE?
•
Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. It genuinely helps other Direct Primary Care physicians find the show.
•
Share with any physician who is rethinking how to price their Direct Primary Care memberships.
•
Subscribe so you do not miss the next episode.
🚀 Pre-launch or in your first year of Direct Primary Care?
The Early Practice Plan is the Harmony Ops program I built for physicians who are still figuring out the systems, the messaging, and the day-to-day of running a new practice. You get operations, patient flow, CRM, and the marketing foundation that carries you through year one. $99 per 28 days for your first three billing cycles, then $349/cycle.
New to Direct Primary Care or just getting started? Check out the Early Practice Plan. 👉 https://bot.harmonyopsfordpc.com/earlypp-page
Connect with DPC Life
•
Website: https://dpclife.com
•
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dpclife/
•
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dpclife
•
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/dpc-life-podcast
•
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@thedpclifepodcast
Connect with Anne: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anne-gonzalez-dpc/
Follow the show and join the DPC Life Community: https://dpclife.com/club
-
30 min
From Starting a DPC Practice From Scratch to Taking Over an Existing One: Dr. Amber Price's Unconventional Journey - Part 2
Episode 54
Show notes
In Part 2 of our conversation with Dr. Amber Price, we continue the discussion about rebuilding a Direct Primary Care practice, the lessons learned along the way, and what physicians can take away from her experience.
🎧 Haven’t listened to Part 1 yet?
Listen to Part 1 here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1h1K1TDTggSeOXjosAI3um?si=8fdfd4fc78ba4ae4
📖 Want the full conversation? Read the full show notes and transcript here: https://dpclife.com/post/episode54-amber-price-rebuilding-a-dpc-practice
🎁 Free Direct Primary Care Resources
Explore free resources for physicians getting started with Direct Primary Care: DPC Life: Free Tools & Support for Every Stage of Your Practice
🚀 Join the DPC Life Community
Want more support, resources, and conversations for physicians building their Direct Primary Care practice?
Join the DPC Life Community: https://dpclife.com/club
💬 Enjoy This Episode?
•
Follow the DPC Life Podcast on your favorite podcast platform.
•
Leave a review or comment—it helps other Direct Primary Care physicians discover the show.
•
Share this episode with a physician who may find Dr. Amber's story helpful.
🔗 Connect with DPC Life
Website:https://dpclife.com
Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/dpclife/
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/dpclife
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26 min
From Starting a DPC Practice From Scratch to Taking Over an Existing One: Dr. Amber Price's Unconventional Journey
Episode 54
Show notes
What happens when you build the Direct Primary Care practice you always wanted and then life forces you to start over?
Dr. Amber Price, a pediatrician, began building her Direct Primary Care practice before she even finished residency. What started as an idea she sketched out during a two-week vacation eventually became a thriving pediatric practice built slowly, organically, and almost entirely through community connections.
But her journey didn't follow a straight path.
After building her practice, major changes in her personal and professional life led her away from what she had created. Years later, an unexpected opportunity and one joking question to a neurosurgeon opened the door to something she never expected: taking over an existing pediatric practice and becoming its operating physician.
So what happens when a Direct Primary Care physician takes over an existing practice? Can you successfully transition to another doctor's patients? What should you consider when buying or acquiring a practice? And how can relationships and unexpected collaborations create opportunities you never saw coming?
IN THIS EPISODE
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Starting a DPC during residency and using the fourth year of a PACE program to build the foundation
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Growing a home-based pediatric practice organically through mom groups, doulas, midwives, and chiropractors
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Why Amber never paid for marketing and never turned down a meeting (and how one prenatal lactation consult turned into twin newborn patients)
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The unexpected partnership with a neurosurgeon that made a full cross-country practice acquisition possible
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The nonprofit and wellness community vision she's rebuilding under the same roof as a midwife and a compounding pharmacy
If you're a physician considering launching a Direct Primary Care practice or wondering what the next chapter of your practice could look like this conversation is one you'll want to hear.
Full show notes and transcript: dpclife.com/episodes/ep54-amber-price-rebuilding-a-dpc-practice
Follow the show and join the DPC Life Community: https://dpclife.com/club
DPC resources: https://dpclife.com/start
ENJOY THIS EPISODE?
•
Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. It genuinely helps other Direct Primary Care physicians find the show.
•
Share with any physician who is pre-launch, pre-launch and shy, or still trying to figure out how to talk about Direct Primary Care in a way that makes people stop and listen.
•
Subscribe so you do not miss the next episode.
🚀 Pre-launch or in your first year of DPC?
The Early Practice Plan is the Harmony Ops program I built for physicians who are still figuring out the systems, the messaging, and the day-to-day of running a new practice. You get operations, patient flow, CRM, and the marketing foundation that carries you through year one. $99 per 28 days for your first three billing cycles, then $349/cycle.
New to DPC or just getting started? Check out the Early Practice Plan. 👉https://bot.harmonyopsfordpc.com/earlypp-page
Connect with DPC Life
Website:https://dpclife.com
Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/dpclife/
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/dpclife
LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/dpc-life-podcast
YouTube:https://youtube.com/@thedpclifepodcast
Follow the show and join the DPC Life Community:http://dpclife.com/club
Connect with Anne: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anne-gonzalez-dpc/
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24 min
How to Explain Direct Primary Care to Someone Who Has Never Heard of It with Dr. Michelle Mark
Episode 54
Show notes
She is leaving a fee-for-service job in the fall and has not yet figured out what to call her practice, what her elevator pitch is, or who her ideal patient is.
Dr. Michelle Mark is a family medicine physician in Henderson, Nevada who is opening her own Direct Primary Care practice in fall 2026. This is a coaching call focused on the foundational work that most pre-launch Direct Primary Care physicians skip entirely: understanding your patients' pain points, building a short and compelling way to explain Direct Primary Care to someone who has never heard of it, and identifying your ideal patient so your message actually reaches the right people. Note: due to a recording issue, the first half of this conversation was lost. Dr. Anne Gonzalez recaps the key points and the second half of the coaching session picks up from there.
If you are a physician who is pre-launch and still searching for the right words to describe Direct Primary Care, this episode gives you a clear framework you can start using today.
WHAT YOU WILL DISCOVER IN THIS EPISODE
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The three questions every pre-launch Direct Primary Care physician must answer before opening: why Direct Primary Care, what pain points do your patients face, and what makes your practice different from every other option available to them
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How to build a two-step Direct Primary Care elevator pitch that hooks people by starting with the frustration they already feel, not with a list of medical features
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Why telling patients about same-day appointments and longer visits is not enough, and how to reframe your message around what patients actually receive instead of what you can do
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How to explain Direct Primary Care to someone who has never heard of it using the gym membership and Netflix analogies that make the model immediately understandable
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Why hearing no when you talk about Direct Primary Care is a sign your marketing is working, and how to stop taking rejection personally when you are building a new practice
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How to practice your Direct Primary Care explanation until it becomes muscle memory, so it does not drain your social battery as a shy or introverted physician
Listen now if you are a physician who is pre-launch, still figuring out your Direct Primary Care message, or anyone who has ever frozen when someone asked what Direct Primary Care is and how it is different from regular insurance-based medicine.
Full show notes and transcript: https://dpclife.com/post/episode-53-michelle-mark
Follow the show and join the DPC Life Community: http://dpclife.com
DPC resources: https://dpclife.com/start
ENJOY THIS EPISODE?
•
Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. It genuinely helps other Direct Primary Care physicians find the show.
•
Share with any physician who is pre-launch, pre-launch and shy, or still trying to figure out how to talk about Direct Primary Care in a way that makes people stop and listen.
•
Subscribe so you do not miss the next episode.
🚀 Pre-launch or in your first year of DPC?
The Early Practice Plan is the Harmony Ops program I built for physicians who are still figuring out the systems, the messaging, and the day-to-day of running a new practice. You get operations, patient flow, CRM, and the marketing foundation that carries you through year one. $99 per 28 days for your first three billing cycles, then $349/cycle.
New to DPC or just getting started? Check out the Early Practice Plan. 👉https://bot.harmonyopsfordpc.com/earlypp-page
Connect with DPC Life
Website:https://dpclife.com
Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/dpclife/
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/dpclife
LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/dpc-life-podcast
YouTube:https://youtube.com/@thedpclifepodcast
Follow the show and join the DPC Life Community:http://dpclife.com/club
Connect with Anne: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anne-gonzalez-dpc/
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38 min
DPC Series Ep. 4: Resident to DPC Owner - Clinic Update, Marketing Strategy, and What She Did Not Expect
Episode 52
Show notes
She finished residency on a Friday. By Monday she had moved out of her house, put everything in a storage unit, and had no job lined up. But she still chose to go all in on Direct Primary Care.
Dr. Claire Russell is back for a check-in as part of our Resident to DPC Series, where we follow her journey every couple of months. This time, she has found a location for Clinic by the Sea, and it is not a medical plaza near the hospital. It is an old bank building on the main street of Morehead City. She talks about negotiating with a church landlord, subletting extra exam rooms to cover expenses while her panel grows, and the one thing that caught her completely off guard about this whole process. It was not the contractors or the lease. It was the fear of being right on the edge of everything she has ever wanted.
If you are a physician who is almost there and wondering why almost feels harder than starting, this episode is for you.
WHAT YOU WILL DISCOVER IN THIS EPISODE
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Why she chose an old bank on Main Street over a medical plaza, and what that decision says about her long-term vision for Clinic by the Sea
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How subletting unused exam rooms to aligned practitioners like dieticians, therapists, and physical therapists keeps the lights on while the panel grows
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What Atlas MD offers new physicians before they see a single patient, including free access, legal support, and lease review help
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Why the hardest part of starting a DPC practice is not failing. It is being close enough to your dream that failing now would actually hurt.
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What happened when she stopped waiting to feel ready and just started saying yes to things.
Listen to this episode now if you are a physician who finished residency and is figuring out what comes next, or anyone who has been planning so long they forgot to start.
Catch the full story from the beginning: Episode 40 with Dr. Claire Russell
CONNECT WITH DR. RUSSELL
Website: http://clinicbytheseadpc.com
Instagram: @clinicbytheseadpc
Full show notes and transcript:https://dpclife.com/post/episode-52-claire-russell
Follow the show and join the DPC Life Community: http://dpclife.com
ENJOY THIS EPISODE?
•
Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. It genuinely helps other DPC docs find the show.
•
Share with any physician who is burned out, pre-launch, or wondering if there is another way to practice medicine
•
Subscribe so you don't miss the next episode.
🚀 Pre-launch or in your first year of DPC?
The Early Practice Plan is the Harmony Ops program I built for physicians who are still figuring out the systems, the messaging, and the day-to-day of running a new practice. You get operations, patient flow, CRM, and the marketing foundation that carries you through year one. $99 per 28 days for your first three billing cycles, then $349/cycle.
New to DPC or just getting started? Check out the Early Practice Plan. 👉https://bot.harmonyopsfordpc.com/earlypp-page
Connect with DPC Life
Website:https://dpclife.com
Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/dpclife/
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/dpclife
LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/dpc-life-podcast
YouTube:https://youtube.com/@thedpclifepodcast
Connect with Anne:https://www.linkedin.com/in/anne-gonzalez-dpc/
Follow the show and join the DPC Life Community:http://dpclife.com/club
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49 min
Growing a DPC Practice Without Social Media: How Dr. Lina Feaster Attracts Patients
Episode 51
Show notes
You have been in fee-for-service medicine for years. You are good at it. And it is quietly draining the life out of you…
Dr. Lina Feaster stayed in the system for over two decades before a single conversation with a former patient changed everything. She shares exactly how she converted her established solo practice to Direct Primary Care and what happened when she told her long-term patients, and the practical low-cost strategies she is using right now to grow in a small coastal town as a self-described introvert with zero social media experience.
Whether it is too late to make the switch, or whether Direct Primary Care can actually work for someone who has been doing this for 20-plus years, this will answer that question directly.
WHAT YOU WILL DISCOVER IN THIS EPISODE
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Why 12.5 percent of her 880-patient panel followed her into Direct Primary Care, higher than the 5 to 10 percent most physicians expect, and what she did differently.
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What are the marketing strategies she used to get new patients?
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How she structures patient communication boundaries from day one so Direct Primary Care does not become another source of burnout.
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Why your email list is more valuable than any social media account, and how to build it.
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You will have a realistic patient growth roadmap that does not require a big budget or a big personality. Her strategies are designed for introverts who want results without performing.
Listen to this episode now if you are a physician who went into medicine to actually practice it, and you are tired of a system that keeps getting in the way.
Full show notes and transcript: http://dpclife.com/post/episode-51-lina-feaster
CONNECT WITH DR. FEASTER
Email: drfeaster@revitalizehealthcare.org
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/revitalize_healthcare/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DoctorLinaFeaster
Are you a new DPC physician drowning in admin work before you even hit 50 patients?
The Harmony Ops Early Practice Plan was built for doctors who have opened their practice within the past six months or are opening very soon.
The goal is simple. Get your systems set up before things get busy, so when the patients do come, everything runs smoothly in the background while you focus on what you actually went into medicine for.
👉 Go to Harmony Ops for DPC to learn more about the Early Practice Plan.
ENJOY THIS EPISODE?
•
Leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify
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Share with any physician who has spent years in fee-for-service and is wondering whether it is too late to make the switch
•
Subscribe so you do not miss Dr. Feaster's six-month follow-up as Revitalize Healthcare keeps growing
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37 min
No Plan, No Patients, New Town: Dr. Nicole Newingham's DPC Launch Story
Episode 50
Show notes
Today I'm coaching Dr. Nicole Newingham, a family physician in Newtown, PA who is four weeks out from the soft launch of Neu Lifestyle Medicine. Nicole did something a lot of us think about but few actually do. She quit her employed job with no plan, took four weeks off, sat with herself long enough to figure out what she actually wanted, and then decided DPC was the way back to the medicine she loves. We talk about the sobbing-at-home moment that pushed her out, why analysis paralysis is the enemy of every pre-launch DPC doc, and the multi-prong marketing approach she needs to reach the patients who don't even know what primary care is yet. If you're pre-launch, burned out, or building from zero, this coaching call is for you.
IN THIS EPISODE
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Quitting employed medicine with no plan and using the space to figure out what you actually want
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Why analysis paralysis is the biggest enemy of your first social media post
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How to explain DPC in a town where a lot of people don't even know what primary care is
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The give-give-give-ask ratio for staying in front of your referral partners without feeling salesy
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Reels, carousels, B-roll, and Meta Business Suite: the beginner playbook for showing up online
Practice: Neu Lifestyle Medicine (soft launch July 2026)
Location: Newtown, PA · Serving Bucks County
Specialty: Family Medicine (DO)
CONNECT WITH DR. NEWINGHAM
Website: https://neulifestylemedicine.com/
Instagram: @drnicolenewingham
ENJOY THIS EPISODE?
•
Leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify
•
Share with any physician who is burned out, pre-launch, or wondering if there is another way to practice medicine
•
Subscribe so you don't miss the next coaching call with Nicole after Neu Lifestyle Medicine opens its doors
🚀 Pre-launch or in your first year of DPC?
The Early Practice Plan is the HarmonyOps program I built for physicians who are still figuring out the systems, the messaging, and the day-to-day of running a new practice. You get operations, patient flow, CRM, and the marketing foundation that carries you through year one. $99 per 28 days for your first three billing cycles, then $349.
New to DPC or just getting started? Check out the Early Practice Plan. 👉https://bot.harmonyopsfordpc.com/earlypp-page
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43 min
Dr. Erik Petersen on How Automations Can Save Your DPC Practice
Episode 49
Show notes
Today we're replaying my conversation with Dr. Erik Petersen, co-founder of First Call DPC in Panama City Beach, Florida. Erik is an emergency medicine physician (med-peds trained) who turned two decades of ER experience into a hybrid DPC that spans 25 states, includes a partner practice in Missouri, and runs a vacation medicine funnel that converts 25% of visitors back as members. We get to nerd out about automations, workflows, and the 30 touchpoints patients now expect from a modern practice. If you're an ER doc, a hospitalist, or a solo DPC owner wondering how to scale without burning out, this replay is packed with practical lessons you can use tomorrow.
IN THIS EPISODE
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Two full-time ER docs turning their frustration into a multi-state DPC
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The Vacation Medicine funnel: how $100 virtual urgent visits convert 25% into DPC members
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A hallway conversation in a Missouri ER that turned into a second DPC location
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The 30-touchpoint rule and why patients paying monthly expect more than a prescription
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Automation workflows that pre-qualify patients so you only see the ones who are truly ready
Practice: First Call DPC
Location: Panama City Beach, FL · Poplar Bluff, MO (second location)
Specialty: Emergency Medicine (Med-Peds trained)
Also Runs: Vacation Medicine · Virtual urgent care in 25 states
Licensed: 25 states
CONNECT WITH DR. PETERSEN
Practice Website: https://firstcalldpc.com/
Vacation Medicine: https://vacationmedicine.com
Skool Community: First Call DPC Skool Group
Instagram: @firstcalldpc
Facebook: First Call DPC
ENJOY THIS EPISODE?
•
Leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify
•
Share with any ER doc, hospitalist, or DPC owner who wants to scale without burning out
•
Subscribe so you don't miss the next episode on automation, systems, and DPC growth
🚀 Pre-launch or in your first year of DPC?
The Early Practice Plan is the HarmonyOps program I built for physicians who are still figuring out the systems, the messaging, and the day-to-day of running a new practice. You get operations, patient flow, CRM, and the marketing foundation that carries you through year one. $99 per 28 days for your first three billing cycles, then $349.
New to DPC or just getting started? Check out the Early Practice Plan. 👉https://bot.harmonyopsfordpc.com/earlypp-page
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47 min
DPC Marketing Fix: Pick One Patient, Not Everyone
Episode 48
Show notes
Today we're replaying my coaching conversation with Dr. Jo Ann Beltre, the founder of Wander Caare Pediatrics in Epping, NH. Dr. Jo Ann is a pediatric DPC doctor with more than 20 years of experience across pediatrics, urgent care, and travel medicine, and she just made the leap from urgent care into full-time DPC. We talk about her career path from a National Health Service Corps scholarship through the New Hampshire pediatric practice she grew up in, why she left for urgent care, and what pushed her into DPC. Then we get into the coaching: how flexibility can actually confuse potential patients, why targeted ads work and boosted posts do not, and how to turn your Chamber of Commerce contacts and networking emails into a real follow-up sequence. If you're a pediatrician or a solo DPC doc in a smaller community, this one is for you.
IN THIS EPISODE
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Leaving urgent care to go all-in on DPC while digging into savings and doing the honest math
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Why "flexible" can also read as "confusing" and how narrowing down actually brings more patients
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Home visits, medically fragile children, and finding a niche that is not oversaturated
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Meta ads vs boosting posts: the one that works and the one that just spends your money
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Turning Chamber of Commerce contacts and networking emails into an actual follow-up sequence
Practice: Wander CARE Pediatrics
Specialty: Pediatric DPC · Urgent Care · Travel Medicine
Opened: 2025 (mobile medicine + brick and mortar in Epping)
CONNECT WITH DR. BELTRE
Website: https://www.wandercarepediatrics.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wandercarenh/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wandercarenh
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jo-beltre-md/
ENJOY THIS EPISODE?
•
Leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify
•
Share with any pediatrician or urgent care doc thinking about DPC in a smaller community
•
Subscribe so you don't miss the next check-in with Dr. Jo as WanderCARE keeps growing
🚀 Just launched or launching soon?
The Launch with Guidance, Systems and Strategies plan is the 12-week program I built for physicians who are just getting started. You get asynchronous coaching with me (one question a week, video response back) plus everything the Harmony Ops CRM does behind the scenes: automated email sequences, a website chat widget, voice AI that answers "do you take my insurance" 24/7, social media posting, forms, and surveys.
$99 per 28 days for your first three billing cycles, then $349. Only 5 spots a month, so if this is your season, grab yours.
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40 min
SEO Grew Her DPC in a Month: Dr. Lok's Asheville Playbook
Episode 45
Show notes
Today we're replaying my conversation with Dr. Catherine Lok, the founder of now Well Woven Direct Primary Care. Catherine went straight from residency into DPC after eight weeks of soul searching in a wilderness survival school, and her first two years have been anything but a straight line. She had six weeks of zero patients when she first opened, then survived Hurricane Helene destroying her clinic and a life-threatening car accident right before her grand opening. What she has built out of all of that is one of the most inspiring practices in the DPC community. We talk about starting from scratch, networking, mutual aid, lab pricing, osteopathic manual therapy, and why women in DPC do things differently. If you're a resident, a med student, or a solo doc looking for a real community, this is the episode for you.
IN THIS EPISODE
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Going straight from residency into DPC out of a wilderness survival school in Maine
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Six weeks with zero patients, a hurricane that flooded the clinic, and a life-threatening car accident right before grand opening
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How networking through BNI, chambers, and integrative colleagues brought Catherine back from the brink
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Rupa Health, LabCorp GPO pricing, and why some DPCs are paying 20 times more for the exact same lab
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Starting the North Carolina DPC Women's Circle and why competition is the wrong mindset when 30% of NC patients don't have a primary care doctor
Practice: Well Woven Direct Primary Care (formerly RiverRock Clinic)
Location: Asheville, NC 28804
Specialty: Family Medicine (DO) · Osteopathic Manual Therapy · Integrative
Opened: December 2023
CONNECT WITH DR. LOK
New website: https://www.wellwovenmedical.com/
Facebook: Well Woven DPC
ENJOY THIS EPISODE?
•
Leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify
•
Share with any resident, med student, or new graduate thinking about DPC straight out of training
•
Subscribe so you don't miss the next check-in with Catherine and the growing NC DPC community
🚀 Just launched or launching soon?
The Launch with Guidance, Systems and Strategies plan is the 12-week program I built for physicians who are just getting started. You get asynchronous coaching with me (one question a week, video response back) plus everything the Harmony Ops CRM does behind the scenes: automated email sequences, a website chat widget, voice AI that answers "do you take my insurance" 24/7, social media posting, forms, and surveys.
$99 per 28 days for your first three billing cycles, then $349. Only 5 spots a month, so if this is your season, grab yours.
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40 min
Shoved Into DPC: Her Corporate System Closed While Fully Booked
Episode 46
Show notes
Huge congratulations to Dr. Michelle Cooke, the 2026 DPC Physician of the Year. 💛 We are so proud, so inspired, and so grateful for the work she is doing at Sol Direct Primary Care in East Point, GA. This episode is a replay of our original conversation from last year, and it's a perfect look at the vision, courage, and community leadership that earned her this recognition.
Today we're replaying one of my favorite conversations from last year, and there could not be a better week to do it. Dr. Michelle Cooke of Sol Direct Primary Care in East Point, GA was just named the 2026 DPC Physician of the Year, and this episode is the exact conversation that showed me why. Michelle opened Sol DPC in May 2023 in a community that had just lost its hospital system. Instead of leaving, she doubled down and built the sacred space for Black women's health and wellness in southwest Atlanta. We get into her origin story, the moment she snapped in employed medicine, the boundaries work she teaches at the DPC Summit, and the reason niching down is the most powerful move a new DPC doc can make.
IN THIS EPISODE
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How a hospital system shutdown pushed Michelle into DPC (and freed her from her non-compete)
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Why boundaries in DPC are not about cutting off patients but about protecting the relationship
•
The niching down decision that transformed Sol DPC into the sacred space for Black women's wellness
•
Why speaking to everyone means speaking to no one (and how to find the population you were made to serve)
•
Building community: the Atlanta DPC Mixer and why physician-to-physician support is everything
Practice: Sol Direct Primary Care (Sol DPC)
Location: East Point, GA (Southwest Atlanta)
Specialty: Family Medicine · Menopause Society Certified Practitioner
Focus: Black women's health and wellness (all welcome)
Opened: May 2023
Recognition: 2026 DPC Physician of the Year
About Dr. Michelle Cooke: Michelle Cooke, MD is a board-certified family medicine physician, certified menopause practitioner, and founder of Sol Direct Primary Care in Atlanta. She is the author of What No One Told Us: The Black Woman's Guide to Menopause, written for the women who have been told their symptoms were stress, that they were too young, or handed a pamphlet when they deserved real answers. She also hosts Building DPC, a podcast documenting her first year in DPC.
📖 Get Michelle's book:https://a.co/d/03rUGvP5
CONNECT WITH DR. COOKE
Website: https://sol-dpc.org/
Podcast: Building DPC (on Spotify and all major platforms)
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-cooke-md/
Instagram: Michelle Cooke, MD (@drmichellecooke)
Facebook: Dr. Michelle Cooke
ENJOY THIS EPISODE?
•
Leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify
•
Share with any DPC physician thinking about niching down or working on their boundaries
•
Send Michelle a note of congratulations on being named the 2026 DPC Physician of the Year. She has earned every bit of it
🚀 Pre-launch or in your first year of DPC?
The Early Practice Plan is the HarmonyOps program I built for physicians who are still figuring out the systems, the messaging, and the day-to-day of running a new practice. You get help with your operations, your patient flow, your CRM, and the marketing foundation that carries you through year one.
Learn more and get started here:
-
36 min
A DPC Hiring Lesson: How Do You Hire the Right Doctor for Your DPC Practice?
Episode 45
Show notes
Huge congratulations to Dr. Wendy Molaska, who was recently honored with the inaugural DPC Physician of the Year Award at the DPC Summit. We could not be more proud of her leadership, her advocacy, and the DPC community she has helped shape. This episode is a replay of our original conversation, and it's a perfect look at the work that earned her this recognition.
Today's episode is a replay of one of my favorite conversations from last year, and I'm bringing it back for a reason. Dr. Wendy Molaska of Dedicated Family Care in Fitchburg, WI was just honored with the inaugural DPC Physician of the Year Award at the DPC Summit, and this conversation is exactly why. Wendy opened her practice in May 2021 out of a one-room micropractice, built a bilingual and trilingual team, and now serves one of the most diverse patient panels in DPC. She's also the past president of the Wisconsin Medical Society, testifies at the state legislature every year for DPC recognition, and somehow still runs a full-scope family medicine practice from womb to tomb.
IN THIS EPISODE
•
How Wendy went from a one-room micropractice to a full team (three exam rooms, a bilingual RN, a trilingual office assistant, and a new associate physician)
•
The hiring lesson she learned the hard way and why "hire slow, fire fast" isn't just a saying
•
Building the most diverse patient panel in DPC (40% uninsured, 40% Latino, 20% BIPOC, 15% LGBTQ+)
•
Chamber of Commerce networking that actually works, including the Latino, Black, and LGBTQ+ Chambers
•
Advocacy at the state level and how to talk to both Republicans and Democrats about DPC
Practice: Dedicated Family Care
Location: Fitchburg, WI (Madison area)
Specialty: Family Medicine
Recognition: Inaugural DPC Physician of the Year Award, DPC Summit
Leadership: Past President, Wisconsin Medical Society
CONNECT WITH DR. MOLASKA
If you want to follow Wendy's work or reach out about advocacy, hiring, or building a diverse DPC panel, here's where to find her.
Website: https://familydpc.com/
Email: drmolaska@familydpc.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendy-molaska-md-faafp-990041154/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dedicatedfamilycare
Instagram: @dedicatedfamilycare
ENJOY THIS EPISODE?
•
Leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify
•
Share with any DPC doc thinking about hiring, advocacy work, or building a more diverse patient panel
•
Send Wendy a note of congratulations on her DPC Physician of the Year Award. She has earned every bit of it
🚀 Pre-launch or in your first year of DPC? The Early Practice Plan is for you.
The Early Practice Plan is the HarmonyOps program I built for physicians who are still figuring out the systems, the messaging, and the day-to-day of running a new practice. You get help with your operations, your patient flow, your CRM, and the marketing foundation that carries you through year one. $99 per 28 days plus a one-time setup fee.
Learn more and get started here:https://bot.harmonyopsfordpc.com/earlypp-page
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