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. 1d ago

    The Bad Business Decisions That Built a 1,500-Patient Direct Primary Care Practice with Dr. Charles Opperman - Part 2

    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

  2. 3d ago

    The Bad Business Decisions That Built a 1,500-Patient Direct Primary Care Practice with Dr. Charles Opperman - Part 1

    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/simplicityhealthdpcFB: 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

  3. Sep 29

    From Starting a DPC Practice From Scratch to Taking Over an Existing One: Dr. Amber Price's Unconventional Journey - Part 2

    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 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/dpc-life-podcast YouTube: https://youtube.com/@thedpclifepodcast

  4. Sep 22

    From Starting a DPC Practice From Scratch to Taking Over an Existing One: Dr. Amber Price's Unconventional Journey

    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 Starting a DPC during residency and using the fourth year of a PACE program to build the foundation Growing a home-based pediatric practice organically through mom groups, doulas, midwives, and chiropractors Why Amber never paid for marketing and never turned down a meeting (and how one prenatal lactation consult turned into twin newborn patients) The unexpected partnership with a neurosurgeon that made a full cross-country practice acquisition possible 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: dpclife.com/club Connect with Anne:⁠ https://www.linkedin.com/in/anne-gonzalez-dpc/⁠

  5. Sep 15

    How to Explain Direct Primary Care to Someone Who Has Never Heard of It with Dr. Michelle Mark

    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 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 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 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 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 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 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: 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: dpclife.com/club Connect with Anne:⁠ https://www.linkedin.com/in/anne-gonzalez-dpc/

  6. Sep 8

    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: https://dpclife.com/post/episode-52-claire-russell 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/ Follow the show and join the DPC Life Community: dpclife.com/club

  7. 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

  8. 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

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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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