DPC Life: Direct Primary Care Podcast

Anne Gonzalez, MD
  • 5.0 (7)
  • Medicine
  • Updated Weekly

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.

  1. 2d ago

    DPC Series Ep. 4: Resident to DPC Owner - Clinic Update, Marketing Strategy, and What She Did Not Expect

    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 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 How subletting unused exam rooms to aligned practitioners like dieticians, therapists, and physical therapists keeps the lights on while the panel grows What Atlas MD offers new physicians before they see a single patient, including free access, legal support, and lease review help 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. 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: clinicbytheseadpc.com Instagram: @clinicbytheseadpc Full show notes and transcript: dpclife.com/episodes/52-claire-rusell Follow the show and join the DPC Life Community: 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/

  2. Sep 1

    Growing a DPC Practice Without Social Media: How Dr. Lina Feaster Attracts Patients

    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 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. What are the marketing strategies she used to get new patients? How she structures patient communication boundaries from day one so Direct Primary Care does not become another source of burnout. Why your email list is more valuable than any social media account, and how to build it. 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: 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 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

  3. Aug 25

    No Plan, No Patients, New Town: Dr. Nicole Newingham's DPC Launch Story

    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 Quitting employed medicine with no plan and using the space to figure out what you actually want Why analysis paralysis is the biggest enemy of your first social media post How to explain DPC in a town where a lot of people don't even know what primary care is The give-give-give-ask ratio for staying in front of your referral partners without feeling salesy 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

  4. Aug 18

    Dr. Erik Petersen on How Automations Can Save Your DPC Practice

    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 Two full-time ER docs turning their frustration into a multi-state DPC The Vacation Medicine funnel: how $100 virtual urgent visits convert 25% into DPC members A hallway conversation in a Missouri ER that turned into a second DPC location The 30-touchpoint rule and why patients paying monthly expect more than a prescription 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

  5. Aug 11

    DPC Marketing Fix: Pick One Patient, Not Everyone

    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 Leaving urgent care to go all-in on DPC while digging into savings and doing the honest math Why "flexible" can also read as "confusing" and how narrowing down actually brings more patients Home visits, medically fragile children, and finding a niche that is not oversaturated Meta ads vs boosting posts: the one that works and the one that just spends your money 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.

  6. Aug 4

    SEO Grew Her DPC in a Month: Dr. Lok's Asheville Playbook

    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 Going straight from residency into DPC out of a wilderness survival school in Maine Six weeks with zero patients, a hurricane that flooded the clinic, and a life-threatening car accident right before grand opening How networking through BNI, chambers, and integrative colleagues brought Catherine back from the brink Rupa Health, LabCorp GPO pricing, and why some DPCs are paying 20 times more for the exact same lab 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.

  7. Jul 28

    Shoved Into DPC: Her Corporate System Closed While Fully Booked

    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 How a hospital system shutdown pushed Michelle into DPC (and freed her from her non-compete) 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: https://bot.harmonyopsfordpc.com/earlypp-page

  8. Jul 21

    A DPC Hiring Lesson: How Do You Hire the Right Doctor for Your DPC Practice?

    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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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.

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