My DPC Story

Hosted by Maryal Concepcion, MD

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Aug 2026

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As the Direct Primary Care and Direct Care models grow, many physicians are providing care to patients in different ways. This podcast is to introduce you to some of those folks and to hear their stories. Go ahead, get a little inspired. Heck, jump in and join the movement! Visit us online at mydpcstory.com and JOIN our PATREON where you can find our EXCLUSIVE PODCAST FEED of extended interview content including updates on former guests!

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August 16, 2026Episode 2791 hr 14 min

DPC and HSAs: The $150 Rule and How to Opt Out of Medicare | Dr. Phil Eskew

Direct Primary Care no longer disqualifies patients from HSA eligibility. As of January 1, 2026, DPC membership fees are a qualified HSA expense at or below $150 per month for one person and $300 for a family. Above $150 you are not in violation. You are in the same gray zone DPC lived in for a decade, and the tax position belongs to the patient and their accountant, not to you. Dr. Phil Eskew (DO, JD, MBA) of DPC Frontier joins Dr. Maryal Concepcion to break down what changed and what it means for your practice, then walks through the Medicare opt-out calendar most physicians discover too late. KEY NUMBERS AND DATES $150/month per person, $300 family. Effective January 1, 2026. Opt-outs take effect only on January 1, April 1, July 1, October 1. Affidavit must be filed at least 30 days before the effective date. File by roughly December 1, 2026 to be opted out January 1, 2027. 90-day reversal window, but you must refund every membership dollar collected. QUESTIONS ANSWERED Can patients use an HSA to pay for direct primary care? Yes, as of January 2026. Both old IRS objections were fixed: whether the fee is a medical expense, and whether membership disqualifies HSA contributions. Should I put "HSA eligible" on my website? No. Write "We accept HSA cards." Promising eligibility in your marketing or agreement takes on a tax position on your patient's behalf. How do I get under $150 without losing revenue? Enrollment fees are not compensation for care. Blood draws, injections, EKGs, and dispensed medications can price separately. What does the rule exclude? Prescription drugs other than vaccines, and lab services not typically done in an ambulatory primary care setting. If I opt out, can I still order labs and referrals? Yes. Opting out is not disenrollment. You stay credentialed and Medicare pays for labs, imaging, referrals, DME, and prescriptions you order. Where can I still work while opted out? VA, Indian Health Service, corrections, and hospice administrative work. Precepting usually requires participation. TRICARE requires Medicare participation. Medicaid uses ORP/OPR status, prohibited in Kentucky and Colorado. Does opt-out apply to Medicare Advantage? Yes. Opt-out applies to all Medicare programs nationwide. You cannot opt out selectively. MENTIONED DPC Frontier · McCarran-Ferguson Act (1945) · ACA primary care carve-out · bronze and catastrophic plans as HSA-compatible · capacity vs. competency · durable power of attorney · prior authorization escalation strategy HAVE A QUESTION? WE ANSWER THEM ON AIR. Leave a voicemail at mydpcstory.com/contact with your name, state, and question. NEXT EPISODE: ILLINOIS , timed to the Illinois DPC Summit, October 2 and 3, NIU Naperville. Subscribe to the My DPC Story newsletter at mydpcstory.com to know when it drops. Educational only. Not legal or tax advice. Dr. Eskew is not your attorney. Stand With Dr. Nyasha Spears and the Future of Patient-Centered Healthcare. Get the MEDICARE & MEDICARE ADVANTAGE OPEN ENROLLMENT SURVIVAL GUIDE at mydpcstory.com/shop ! Get your copy of the Physician Owner's Planner today at mydpcstory.com/library Start using the done-for-you patient emails, scripts etc. in our 2027 Edition of the MEDICARE & MEDICARE ADVANTAGE OPEN ENROLLMENT SURVIVAL GUIDE at mydpcstory.com/shop ! Support the show GET your FREE MONTHLY BUSINESS TOOL DOWNLOAD Become A My DPC Story PATREON MEMBER ! SPONSOR THE POD My DPC Story VOICEMAIL ! DPC SWAG! FACEBOOK * INSTAGRAM * LinkedIn * TWITTER * TIKTOK * YouTube

August 9, 2026Episode 2781 hr 7 min

How to Grow DPC With Employers Without Losing Autonomy | Dr. Kyle Rickner, Primary Health Partners

Dr. Kyle Rickner heard about Direct Primary Care in a side room at the AAFP National Conference in October 2014 and committed to it 50 minutes later. Today Primary Health Partners cares for employee lives in 30 states, and it started with a patient named Jason who owned a 22 person company and handed Dr. Rickner a check covering every employee for a full year, six weeks after opening. In this episode, Dr. Rickner talks with Dr. Maryal Concepcion about what it takes to build a DPC practice that serves employers without giving up autonomy. He opened with 198 members on day one after a 15 month runway, a $1,000 equipment haul from a shuttered nursing program, and a lot of honest conversations with patients he wanted to bring with him. He also gets direct about the mistakes he sees. Enrollment is not engagement. A 375 employee contract can gut a 600 patient panel overnight if that company sells or closes. And overpromising to an employer poisons the well for the next DPC doctor who walks through that door. What you will hear: Why commitment and enthusiasm persuade patients faster than any marketing budget The three pillars Primary Health Partners built on before opening the doors How to identify a good employer partner, and when to say no Utilization differences between retail members and employee members, and why adoption rates range from 10% to 92% How he built a 28 doctor affiliate network in three weeks using DPC Mapper What he thinks about private equity and venture capital money entering DPC, and the two non-negotiables that protect your practice Why passive customer acquisition channels may be how DPC reaches the next tens of thousands of patients Lessons on autonomy from practicing inside the Army health system Find resources and your next step at mydpcstory.com , including the free startup checklist and the Physician Owner's Planner built for the business side of practice ownership. Leave a voice message at mydpcstory.com/contact and your question could be featured on a future episode. Follow My DPC Story on socials @mydpcstory. Stand With Dr. Nyasha Spears and the Future of Patient-Centered Healthcare. Get the MEDICARE & MEDICARE ADVANTAGE OPEN ENROLLMENT SURVIVAL GUIDE at mydpcstory.com/shop ! Get your copy of the Physician Owner's Planner today at mydpcstory.com/library Start using the done-for-you patient emails, scripts etc. in our 2027 Edition of the MEDICARE & MEDICARE ADVANTAGE OPEN ENROLLMENT SURVIVAL GUIDE at mydpcstory.com/shop ! Support the show GET your FREE MONTHLY BUSINESS TOOL DOWNLOAD Become A My DPC Story PATREON MEMBER ! SPONSOR THE POD My DPC Story VOICEMAIL ! DPC SWAG! FACEBOOK * INSTAGRAM * LinkedIn * TWITTER * TIKTOK * YouTube

August 2, 2026Episode 27753 min

130 Patients in 6 Weeks: Dr. Nyasha Spears on Her Non-Compete Appeal and Opening Amity Creek Direct Primary Care in Duluth, MN

Two months after opening Amity Creek Primary Care in Duluth, Minnesota, Dr. Nyasha Spears returns to My DPC Story with the real numbers, the real costs, and the parts of a Direct Primary Care startup nobody puts on a slide. She and her DPC partner Dr. Kristin Lusian hit 130 patients six weeks in, with no advertising beyond a website and word of mouth. As of June they are covering overhead, rent, and debt payback, though they are not paying themselves yet. Meanwhile the non-compete case that made the opening possible is still moving. Her former employer appealed the temporary injunction and filed a motion to stay, so Dr. Spears is funding an appellate defense while building a brand new practice from scratch. In this episode: What a non-compete fight really costs, and what physicians considering the legal path should prepare for financially and emotionally Why keeping membership prices low was a boundary decision, not only a pricing decision How she handles patients wanting care her practice does not offer, and when "no" beats "yes, with limits" The justice and equity case for DPC, and why she is focused on patients who fall through the safety nets rather than on replacing Medicare and Medicaid Boring wins worth celebrating: custom patient ringtones so calls stop landing in personal voicemail, decoding hospital lab orders with CPT and ICD codes, and 12 successful blood draws in five weeks Two-physician cross coverage, planning the first vacation, and the schedule she rebuilt once her husband started working three days away Keeping skills sharp with journal club, procedures, and actually reading again Why she says the more DPC the better, even in her own city Maryal also shares how Big Trees MD partnered with Calaveras County Health so uninsured patients get same-day help, including one patient who went from panicking about medication access to picking up a prescription within eight hours. If you are weighing a non-compete, pricing your memberships, or wondering whether patients will actually come, this conversation is the honest version. Resources mentioned: Amity Creek Primary Care: amitycreekclinic.com Advocacy with the DPC Coalition: dpcare.org Big Trees MD: bigtreesmd.com Find your starting point at mydpcstory.com , from the free startup checklist to the Physician Owner's Planner built for the business side of your practice. Leave Maryal a voice message at mydpcstory.com/contact . Your question or win could be featured on a future episode. Follow @mydpcstory and please leave a five star review on Apple Podcasts so more physicians find these stories. Stand With Dr. Nyasha Spears and the Future of Patient-Centered Healthcare. Get the MEDICARE & MEDICARE ADVANTAGE OPEN ENROLLMENT SURVIVAL GUIDE at mydpcstory.com/shop ! Get your copy of the Physician Owner's Planner today at mydpcstory.com/library Start using the done-for-you patient emails, scripts etc. in our 2027 Edition of the MEDICARE & MEDICARE ADVANTAGE OPEN ENROLLMENT SURVIVAL GUIDE at mydpcstory.com/shop ! Support the show GET your FREE MONTHLY BUSINESS TOOL DOWNLOAD Become A My DPC Story PATREON MEMBER ! SPONSOR THE POD My DPC Story VOICEMAIL ! DPC SWAG! FACEBOOK * INSTAGRAM * LinkedIn * TWITTER * TIKTOK * YouTube

July 26, 2026Episode 27659 min

Live from DPC Summit New Orleans: Boundaries, Employers, and Succession Planning in Direct Primary Care | Dr. Angela Andrews & Dr. Nicholas Jones

Recorded LIVE on the floor at the AAFP Co-sponsored DPC Summit in New Orleans, Dr. Angela Andrews of Direct Primary Care of West Michigan and Dr. Nicholas Jones of Clear Health Direct Primary Care in Eugene, Oregon sit down with Dr. Maryal Concepcion for an honest roundtable on what changes between year one and year three of direct primary care practice ownership. Both opened in November 2023. Both came to New Orleans with a list. What they say out loud is what most physicians only think: the workflows you built on day one and never revisited, the boundaries you are usually the first to cross, and the succession question this movement has not solved yet. IN THIS EPISODE Physician owned regional DPC networks, and using them for call coverage, internal locums, and physician funded startup loans instead of banks Why you do not need a nonprofit to do nonprofit work Revisiting the workflows you built when you were solo, and what to automate, eliminate, or document Employers as the next phase of DPC growth, and the arrival of employed DPC positions Boundaries, moral injury, and why the physician is usually the first one to violate the boundary How to handle one star reviews and trolls without losing your weekend Succession planning, and what happens to patients when a DPC physician gets sick or closes Oregon's corporate practice of medicine law, the non compete ban, and what advocacy looks like when you own your practice Getting onto your state chapter committees, and why DPC needs representation at AAFP and state academies Spouses, kids, and the family roles that quietly keep practices running Choosing an EHR you will not have to leave in three years MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Dr. Emily Holt, Dr. Esther Khatibi, Dr. Julie Gunther, Dr. Timothy Blain, Dr. Phil Eskew, Dr. Jill Scherer, Dr. Clodagh Ryan, Dr. Neil Douglas, Dr. Hailey Miller, Dr. Amy Tressan, and Shaunna Sanders RESOURCES The Toolkit Magazine , including this year's Battle of the Support Stack and last year's Battle of the EHRs: toolkit.mydpcstory.com The Physician Owner's Planner Limited First Edition Bundle: mydpcstory.com/shop PHYSICIAN OWNER'S PLANNER BUNDLE Fifteen available. Each one includes the printed Physician Owner's Planner in a binder, the digital bundle with our Medicare and Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Guide, the yellow "Insurance is not healthcare" T-shirt, and a personal website review from Dr. Maryal Concepcion and Nathalia Hyland, head of marketing and strategy at My DPC Story. Limited shirt sizes remain. mydpcstory.com/shop Stand With Dr. Nyasha Spears and the Future of Patient-Centered Healthcare. Get the MEDICARE & MEDICARE ADVANTAGE OPEN ENROLLMENT SURVIVAL GUIDE at mydpcstory.com/shop ! Get your copy of the Physician Owner's Planner today at mydpcstory.com/library Start using the done-for-you patient emails, scripts etc. in our 2027 Edition of the MEDICARE & MEDICARE ADVANTAGE OPEN ENROLLMENT SURVIVAL GUIDE at mydpcstory.com/shop ! Support the show GET your FREE MONTHLY BUSINESS TOOL DOWNLOAD Become A My DPC Story PATREON MEMBER ! SPONSOR THE POD My DPC Story VOICEMAIL ! DPC SWAG! FACEBOOK * INSTAGRAM * LinkedIn * TWITTER * TIKTOK * YouTube

July 19, 2026Episode 27554 min

Hiring Early, Opening a DPC, Setting Boundaries, and Reaching 600 Patients: Dr. Reid Lancaster of Ethos Modern Medicine

From physician assistant to DPC physician, Dr. Reid Lancaster took the long road on purpose. In this episode of My DPC Story, he sits down with Dr. Maryal Concepcion to trace his journey from PA to DO and the moment a three-minute news clip about direct primary care planted a "worm in his brain" he couldn't shake. Dr. Lancaster is the founder of Ethos Modern Medicine in La Quinta, California, just outside Palm Springs in a community as economically diverse as almost anywhere in the country. He shares why he chose to become a physician rather than practice independently as a PA, the honest differences he sees between PA, NP, and physician training, and how residency shaped what he can now do for his patients in primary care. This conversation is packed with practical wisdom for anyone weighing a DPC of their own. Dr. Lancaster opens up about the naysayers he faced through medical school and residency, the mentors who pushed him to "cash in" on a traditional job, and the wife who kept the dream alive when the doubt crept in. He also reflects on the business side he never trained for, from California compliance surprises to the taxes and systems that fall through the cracks in year one and beyond. You'll hear the real stories behind the lessons: the AI answering service named Jarvis that tanked his consults by 80 percent, the patients stuck in referral limbo despite having insurance, and the goals he wrote down before opening that he rediscovered in an old drawer. Dr. Lancaster makes the case that mistakes are lessons, that hiring a little earlier than feels comfortable can accelerate growth and protect your quality of life, and that clear boundaries set upfront are what keep DPC sustainable. Now three and a half years in and effectively full at 600 patients with no marketing, Dr. Lancaster reflects on what growth looks like from here, the working partnership he's exploring with PAs and NPs in the DPC space, and why the local coffee shop model, not the franchise, may be the future of direct primary care. Whether you're a pre-med student, a resident or a physician eyeing the exit from fee-for-service, or a DPC owner thinking about your next step, this episode is a reminder that you've done hard things before and you can do this too. Head to mydpcstory.com to find your starting point, and come say hi at the AAFP co-sponsored DPC Summit in New Orleans. Stand With Dr. Nyasha Spears and the Future of Patient-Centered Healthcare. Get the MEDICARE & MEDICARE ADVANTAGE OPEN ENROLLMENT SURVIVAL GUIDE at mydpcstory.com/shop ! Get your copy of the Physician Owner's Planner today at mydpcstory.com/library Start using the done-for-you patient emails, scripts etc. in our 2027 Edition of the MEDICARE & MEDICARE ADVANTAGE OPEN ENROLLMENT SURVIVAL GUIDE at mydpcstory.com/shop ! Support the show GET your FREE MONTHLY BUSINESS TOOL DOWNLOAD Become A My DPC Story PATREON MEMBER ! SPONSOR THE POD My DPC Story VOICEMAIL ! DPC SWAG! FACEBOOK * INSTAGRAM * LinkedIn * TWITTER * TIKTOK * YouTube

July 12, 2026Episode 27459 min

Facing Burnout, Cancer & Closing His DPC — Dr. Timothy Blain’s Story | Direct Primary Care

When Dr. Timothy Blain opened his direct primary care practice in the middle of COVID, he finally felt like a “real doctor” again — after two decades of employed medicine, five-year burnout cycles, and the constant ache of knowing he could help patients but never had the time. In this honest and moving episode, Dr. Blain shares his full journey: graduating in 2000 as hospitals bought up practices, surviving non-Hodgkin lymphoma at 38, then weathering COVID pneumonia, a heart attack, and adult-onset Still’s disease — all while continuing to care for his patients. He opens up about how DPC helped save his marriage, why empathy is the first thing burnout takes from physicians, and what it truly means to be the patient when you’re also the doctor. Dr. Concepcion and Dr. Blain dig into: •The 5-year burnout curve, and why “just take a half day” never works •Building patient loyalty so deep that almost no one left, even through his hospitalizations •Practical steps for leaving employed medicine for DPC (including the prepay discount that funded his startup) •Why DPC doctors may be best positioned to use AI in medicine •Supplements, home visits, ultrasound, and staying curious as a physician •How and why he chose to close his practice — the taxes, timing, and grief involved •Redefining “failure” and finding peace in a one-year sabbatical Whether you’re burned out and dreaming of a way out, a few years into your own DPC, or simply wondering what a fulfilling end to a medical career can look like, this conversation is a breath of fresh air. “Failure is in the eye of the beholder.” — Dr. Timothy Blain — 📞 Leave Maryal a voicemail at mydpcstory.com/contact — your question or win might be featured on a future episode. Come say hi at the AAFP co-sponsored DPC Summit in New Orleans! Explore free tools for every stage of your DPC journey — the 90-day startup checklist, and the Physician Owner’s Planner — at mydpcstory.com. Enjoyed this episode? Leave a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts, and check out our Patreon for commercial-free, extended episodes. Stand With Dr. Nyasha Spears and the Future of Patient-Centered Healthcare. Get the MEDICARE & MEDICARE ADVANTAGE OPEN ENROLLMENT SURVIVAL GUIDE at mydpcstory.com/shop ! Get your copy of the Physician Owner's Planner today at mydpcstory.com/library Start using the done-for-you patient emails, scripts etc. in our 2027 Edition of the MEDICARE & MEDICARE ADVANTAGE OPEN ENROLLMENT SURVIVAL GUIDE at mydpcstory.com/shop ! Support the show GET your FREE MONTHLY BUSINESS TOOL DOWNLOAD Become A My DPC Story PATREON MEMBER ! SPONSOR THE POD My DPC Story VOICEMAIL ! DPC SWAG! FACEBOOK * INSTAGRAM * LinkedIn * TWITTER * TIKTOK * YouTube

July 5, 2026Episode 2731 hr 36 min

Leaving Corporate Medicine for Integrative Direct Primary Care: Ketamine-Assisted Therapy, MCAS, and Sustainable Boundaries with Dr. April Soto

What does it look like to build a Direct Primary Care practice that protects your health as fiercely as it protects your patients? In this episode of My DPC Story, Dr. April Soto of Love and Light Integrative Medicine in South Pasadena, California shares how she systematically exited corporate medicine over three years and built an integrative DPC practice rooted in authenticity, boundaries, and healing. After more than a decade in fee-for-service family medicine and infectious disease, including HIV care, Dr. Soto completed an integrative medicine fellowship, trained in ketamine-assisted therapy, and opened a micropractice designed around her own capacity as a physician living with chronic illness and mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS). Today she receives MCAS referrals from specialists across the country and offers ketamine journeys, transgender care for patients from age three to eighty, and deeply unhurried visits that can run four hours. In this conversation, Dr. Soto and host Dr. Maryal Concepcion discuss: Why she left corporate medicine and how she planned her three-year exit Facing fears around money, homelessness, and financial security before opening a DPC Pricing as a quality-based practice instead of competing on discounts What she learned from giving too many discounts in year one How her assistant Natalie supports meet and greets, workflows, and boundaries Building an inclusive practice for LGBTQIA+ patients, immigrant communities, and neurodivergent patients Caring for patients afraid to seek care because of ICE enforcement MCAS diagnosis, testing pitfalls, and why these patients need a different kind of visit Ketamine-assisted therapy pricing, informed consent, and managing patient expectations Burnout, trauma as a superpower, and why inclusivity has to include the physician Her five-year vision: wellness contracts, motivational speaking, and growing her team Whether you are planning your DPC launch or working to make your existing practice more sustainable, this episode is a masterclass in valuing yourself, honoring your capacity, and practicing medicine on your own terms. Learn more about Dr. April Soto at Love and Light Integrative Medicine in South Pasadena, CA. Visit mydpcstory.com for the free 90-Day Startup Checklist, the Physician Owner's Planner, and DPC tools for every stage. Leave a voicemail at mydpcstory.com/contact and you might hear it on a future episode. Support the show on Patreon for commercial-free and extended episodes. Stand With Dr. Nyasha Spears and the Future of Patient-Centered Healthcare. Get the MEDICARE & MEDICARE ADVANTAGE OPEN ENROLLMENT SURVIVAL GUIDE at mydpcstory.com/shop ! Get your copy of the Physician Owner's Planner today at mydpcstory.com/library Start using the done-for-you patient emails, scripts etc. in our 2027 Edition of the MEDICARE & MEDICARE ADVANTAGE OPEN ENROLLMENT SURVIVAL GUIDE at mydpcstory.com/shop ! Support the show GET your FREE MONTHLY BUSINESS TOOL DOWNLOAD Become A My DPC Story PATREON MEMBER ! SPONSOR THE POD My DPC Story VOICEMAIL ! DPC SWAG! FACEBOOK * INSTAGRAM * LinkedIn * TWITTER * TIKTOK * YouTube

June 28, 2026Episode 2721 hr 27 min

Sustainability in Direct Primary Care: Building a Medical Career That Actually Lasts

CLOSING SOON! VOTE IN THE 2026 MY DPC STORY BATTLE! VOTE HERE When most physicians hear the word sustainability, they think about keeping the doors open. But after a weekend with more than 80 doctors at the California DPC Summit, our host Dr. Maryal Concepcion came away certain it means so much more. In this episode of My DPC Story, five voices from the Direct Primary Care community share what makes a medical career, a practice, and a life sustainable. The throughline is simple. Healthcare becomes sustainable when the people providing the care are allowed to thrive . You will hear from: Dr. Deepti Mundkur, My Happy Doctor, nearly six years into DPC, on how continuity and deep patient relationships became her real measure of sustainability, including watching patients need less medication over time. Dr. Shannon Connolly of Open Arms Direct Primary Care on how community and physician innovation build confidence, and why scaling DPC looks nothing like the venture-backed version. Dr. Dedra Beckles on knowing your worth, protecting your energy, and why boundaries are not optional if you want to keep showing up with joy. Dr. Grace Hassell on authenticity, presence, and a powerful highlining metaphor for becoming the doctor she wrote about in her personal statement. Noreen Gutierrez, RN, on building sustainable teams through head, heart, and hands, and her five Rs for clinic culture. Registration is open for the Illinois DPC Summit this October in the Chicagoland area, and for California's third annual DPC Summit next year. Find both on the Events page at mydpcstory.com . If you will be at the AAFP co-sponsored DPC Summit in New Orleans, come say hi, grab the latest magazine, and share your story on a live mic. Want a summit in your state? Send us a note through the contact page at mydpcstory.com . Tennessee is already in the works. Leave me a voicemail at mydpcstory.com/contact and you might hear it on a future episode. For commercial-free episodes, extended conversations, and the State by State with Dr. Phil Eskew series, check out our Patreon. If this episode moved you, please leave a five-star review on Apple Podcasts. It helps other physicians find these stories when they need them most. Keywords: direct primary care, DPC, DPC physician, physician burnout, sustainable medical practice, California DPC Summit, Illinois DPC Summit, membership medicine, family medicine, My DPC Story Stand With Dr. Nyasha Spears and the Future of Patient-Centered Healthcare. Get the MEDICARE & MEDICARE ADVANTAGE OPEN ENROLLMENT SURVIVAL GUIDE at mydpcstory.com/shop ! Get your copy of the Physician Owner's Planner today at mydpcstory.com/library Start using the done-for-you patient emails, scripts etc. in our 2027 Edition of the MEDICARE & MEDICARE ADVANTAGE OPEN ENROLLMENT SURVIVAL GUIDE at mydpcstory.com/shop ! Support the show GET your FREE MONTHLY BUSINESS TOOL DOWNLOAD Become A My DPC Story PATREON MEMBER ! SPONSOR THE POD My DPC Story VOICEMAIL ! DPC SWAG! FACEBOOK * INSTAGRAM * LinkedIn * TWITTER * TIKTOK * YouTube

June 24, 2026Episode 27144 min

Virtual Assistants for Physicians: Cut Admin Time and Grow Your DPC with Justin Lam

What if you could get back fifteen hours of your work week without seeing a single extra patient? In this special episode, recorded live in a breakout room workshop following the California DPC Summit, Justin Lam, CEO of Cool Blue VA , sits down with a room full of physicians to talk about getting real help in your practice and in your life. Dr. Maryal Concepcion opens by sharing her own experience working with a virtual assistant she found through Cool Blue VA, then hands the room over to Justin. Justin walks through the questions so many physicians sit with when building a Direct Primary Care practice. Research shows only twenty-seven percent of a physician's time goes to direct patient care, while nearly half disappears into desk work and admin. Justin breaks down how to change that. You will hear: The "only you" test for deciding what to delegate and what to keep. If someone else can do it, it probably should not be on your plate. Why fifty percent is the right time to hire, not one hundred percent, and how waiting too long leads to rushed decisions and the wrong hire. How to design your ideal role before you ever start looking, including the top tasks to hand off, the tools your assistant will use, and how to measure success. The real difference between a local medical assistant and a virtual assistant, and what each one is best suited for. Local staff handle high-touch, in-person, revenue-generating work. Virtual assistants cover the inbox, scheduling, prior authorizations, records, specialist coordination, billing, and more. Practical hiring tools you can use today, from spelling and math checks to typing tests and strength assessments. The honest back and forth with physicians in the room, who ask about charting support, inventory, time zones, vacation coverage, billing by the minute, and even using a virtual assistant as an executive assistant for your home life. Whether you have a full panel or you are still mapping out your first month open, there is something here worth holding onto. Ready to grow your practice with the right support? Start here: coolblueva.com/dpcgrow A quick note on the audio. Because this was captured in a smaller breakout space, the sound gets tricky in spots. Thank you in advance for your patience with it. Connect with My DPC Story: Listen, subscribe, and explore more at the My DPC Story podcast and media platform. Support the show GET your FREE MONTHLY BUSINESS TOOL DOWNLOAD Become A My DPC Story PATREON MEMBER ! SPONSOR THE POD My DPC Story VOICEMAIL ! DPC SWAG! FACEBOOK * INSTAGRAM * LinkedIn * TWITTER * TIKTOK * YouTube

June 21, 2026Episode 27058 min

Sustainable Physician, Sustainable Person: Leaving Corporate Medicine for DPC with Dr. Jeremiah Fillo

What happens to a family physician when the system that trained him decides he no longer has value? In this deeply personal episode, Dr. Maryal Concepcion hands the introduction to a special guest, then sits down with her husband, Dr. Jeremiah Fillo of Big Trees MD, for an honest conversation about sustainability, not just as a doctor, but as a whole person. Dr. Fillo shares the path from rural Nebraska training under Dr. Tim Blecha (Blay-kee), through residency in Modesto, into a corporate regional medical center that slowly turned the heat up the way you would on a frog in a pot. He talks candidly about the evergreen contract, the exclusivity clause, and the moment he was told to sign or be terminated while his wife was pregnant. He describes being let go and replaced by a non-physician model, the AB 890 reality in California, and the months of uncertainty that followed. This is also a conversation about what comes after the devaluation. Dr. Fillo opens up about how he held onto his sense of self when the system told him he had none, why splitting and stacking firewood mattered as much as any clinical workflow, and how he learned to quiet his "referralologist" training once he joined a Direct Primary Care practice with real time and autonomy. Listeners will hear how DPC reshaped his parenting, his task switching between in-office visits and asynchronous telemedicine, and his perspective on joining an established practice he did not build from scratch. For any physician who has felt like a charge sheet instead of a clinician, this episode is a reminder: the system does not get to decide your worth, and there is real life after fee-for-service. In this episode: How job share became the foundation of a sustainable two-physician family. Why residency training around fee-for-service leaves new physicians blindsided to independent options. What being replaced by a non-physician model does to a person, and how to rebuild. Why rural communities cannot sustain healthcare on a three-day-a-week, hard-to-access model. How Direct Primary Care creates room to practice full scope again and still be present for your kids. About the guest: Dr. Jeremiah Fillo is a family physician at Big Trees MD in Arnold, California, where he practices Direct Primary Care alongside Dr. Maryal Concepcion. He trained at Creighton University School of Medicine and completed residency in Modesto, with additional procedural training at Brodstone Memorial in rural Nebraska. Connect with My DPC Story: Subscribe wherever you listen, leave a review, and share this episode with a physician who needs to hear that there is a sustainable path forward. Have a question or a story of your own? Call the My DPC Story voicemail and you may hear your answer on a future episode. Stand With Dr. Nyasha Spears and the Future of Patient-Centered Healthcare. Get the MEDICARE & MEDICARE ADVANTAGE OPEN ENROLLMENT SURVIVAL GUIDE at mydpcstory.com/shop ! Get your copy of the Physician Owner's Planner today at mydpcstory.com/library Start using the done-for-you patient emails, scripts etc. in our 2027 Edition of the MEDICARE & MEDICARE ADVANTAGE OPEN ENROLLMENT SURVIVAL GUIDE at mydpcstory.com/shop ! Support the show GET your FREE MONTHLY BUSINESS TOOL DOWNLOAD Become A My DPC Story PATREON MEMBER ! SPONSOR THE POD My DPC Story VOICEMAIL ! DPC SWAG! FACEBOOK * INSTAGRAM * LinkedIn * TWITTER * TIKTOK * YouTube

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