Podcasts about dpc

In this special "My DPC Story" reunion episode, host Dr. Maryal Concepcion celebrates FIVE!!! years of transformative Direct Primary Care (DPC) journeys with guests Dr. Christina Mutch, Dr. Jake Mutch, Dr. Lauren Hughes, and Dr. Deepti Mundkur. The episode highlights major practice milestones, such as expanding clinical teams, launching innovative community outreach programs like Walk with the Doc and Sweat with the Doc, and integrating technology advancements including AI-powered EHRs and Open Evidence for patient care and education. The physicians dive deep into how DPC's small-batch, personalized care model enables stronger patient relationships, efficient specialist coordination, and improved health outcomes. They also address current challenges in healthcare access, vaccination, and navigating insurance headaches, sharing actionable solutions and resources for DPC physicians and patients. This candid conversation is packed with DPC success stories, advice for aspiring providers, and tips on leveraging technology, supporting both new and established DPC clinics. Discover why DPC is redefining primary care and building healthier communities nationwide!Download the 2025 Employer Trends Report from Hint. Register HERE for the Physician Attendees ONLY RiseUP Summit brought to you by FlexMed Staff & My DPC Story! Join me at AAFP FMX in Anaheim at our My DPC Story LIVE event sponsored by SmartHeart! Get your copy of our DPC Magazine, the Toolkit, and your limited edition Disney-themed DPC swag! Send me a message on the contact page HERE and let me know you'll be there so I can send you more details on the event! Get your DPC Resources HERE at mydpcstory.com!Support the showBe A My DPC Story PATREON MEMBER! SPONSOR THE PODMy DPC Story VOICEMAIL! DPC SWAG!FACEBOOK * INSTAGRAM * LinkedIn * TWITTER * TIKTOK * YouTube

De Pisa y Corre con Paola Rojas de lunes a viernes a las 8:00 am por Imagen Televisión.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of Healthcare Americana, host Christopher Habig sits down with Trace Voshell, Chief Revenue Officer at GoGoMeds. They discuss how direct mail-order pharmacy is transforming the patient experience by making medications more affordable, accessible, and reliable. Trace explains how DPC practices can integrate pharmacy services without the burden of managing in-house dispensing, giving physicians more freedom to focus on care while still offering patients lower-cost prescriptions. Together, they highlight how this model improves outcomes, reduces costs, and creates new opportunities for independent practices to thrive. Tune in to learn why mail-order pharmacy is becoming a powerful partner for both doctors and patients in the future of healthcare.More on Freedom Healthworks & FreedomDoc HealthSubscribe at https://healthcareamericana.com/More on Trace Voshell & GoGoMedsFollow Healthcare Americana: Instagram & LinkedIN

En #México, un hombre supuestamente italiano estafaba usando el nombre de #GiorgioArmani, vendiendo chamarras “originales” a $7,000 que eran falsas.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

El senador #GerardoFernándezNoroña sigue en la polémica por defender su casa en Tepoztlán y afirma que no está obligado a ser austero.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

#JoséJuanGalguera, exdirector del #HospitalÁngeles en León, Guanajuato, enfrenta una orden de aprehensión por desviar más de 60 millones de pesos.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

De Pisa y Corre con Paola Rojas de lunes a viernes a las 8:00 am por Imagen Televisión.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

#SamaraMartínez, quien enfrenta múltiples enfermedades terminales, alzó la voz en México para exigir el derecho a una muerte digna e impulsar la #LeyTrasciende. Su historia es una lucha por la #eutanasia.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

#Noroña criticó a comuneros de #Tepoztlán, diciendo que “hacen lo que quieren” . - El diputado #DanielMartínez denunció que la #GuardiaNacional protege la casa de Noroña.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Pese a que el #HuracánLorena está perdiendo fuerza, continúa avanzando y dejando afectaciones e inundaciones.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

De Pisa y Corre con Paola Rojas de lunes a viernes a las 8:00 am por Imagen Televisión.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

La influencer #MarianIzaguirre está desaparecida desde el 1 de septiembre en Uruapan, #Michoacán. La Fiscalía del estado ya activó la #AlertaAlba.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of the My DPC Story Podcast, Dr. Lisa Lucas of Fulcrum Family Health in Maine shares her journey from fee-for-service medicine to owning a thriving Direct Primary Care (DPC) practice. Dr. Lucas, a board-certified osteopathic family physician specializing in obesity medicine and menopause, discusses how DPC empowers her to provide relationship-based, patient-centered care—especially valued in Maine's tight-knit communities. She highlights the importance of building trust, prioritizing personalized care plans, and creating a welcoming clinic environment. Dr. Lucas also offers insights into navigating finances, transitioning out of insurance-based models, and collaborating with her partner, Dr. Romeo Lucas, in direct specialty care. The episode covers the impact of recent legislative changes expanding healthcare access in Maine, the future of DPC with wraparound insurance plans, and how DPC is attracting the next generation of primary care doctors. Tune in to learn why DPC is revolutionizing family medicine, making healthcare more accessible, and restoring joy for both patients and physicians. Register HERE for the Physician Attendees ONLY RiseUP Summit brought to you by FlexMed Staff & My DPC Story! Join me at AAFP FMX in Anaheim at our My DPC Story LIVE event sponsored by SmartHeart! Get your copy of our DPC Magazine, the Toolkit, and your limited edition Disney-themed DPC swag! Send me a message on the contact page HERE and let me know you'll be there so I can send you more details on the event! Get your DPC Resources HERE at mydpcstory.com!Support the showBe A My DPC Story PATREON MEMBER! SPONSOR THE PODMy DPC Story VOICEMAIL! DPC SWAG!FACEBOOK * INSTAGRAM * LinkedIn * TWITTER * TIKTOK * YouTube

De Pisa y Corre con Paola Rojas de lunes a viernes a las 8:00 am por Imagen Televisión.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

El presidente municipal de #Cozumel, José Luis Chacón, responsabilizó a los padres de la niña que fue presuntamente abusada por un militar.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

En redes sociales crece la alerta por un fraude masivo que afecta a usuarios de varias instituciones bancarias por cargos no reconocidos de un comercio supuestamente identificado como IKP*TGB.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Un accidente de moto en la alcaldía #Cuauhtémoc, #CDMX, dejó a dos niños lesionados.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

#México enfrenta un grave problema de #baches que han dañado vehículos y causado muertes y otras tragedias.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

De Pisa y Corre con Paola Rojas de lunes a viernes a las 8:00 am por Imagen Televisión.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

#DonaldTrump aseguró haber atacado una embarcación de un cártel en #Venezuela como parte de su estrategia contra el crimen organizado. Sin embargo, #NicolásMaduro afirmó que el video fue creado con inteligencia artificial.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Los niños de una primaria en #Veracruz no regresaron a clases porque aseguran que el director realiza rituales de brujería y santería dentro del plantel.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Diego Caccia comparte los momentos que él y su hermano vivieron tras ser agredidos en el #EstadioAkron por portar playeras de Cruz Azul. #PaolaRojasDPC De Pisa y Corre con Paola Rojas de lunes a viernes a las 8:00 am por Imagen Televisión.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ayer los nuevos ministros de la #SCJN rindieron protesta en una jornada que incluyó la entrega de bastones a los ocho integrantes de la Corte.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

De Pisa y Corre con Paola Rojas de lunes a viernes a las 8:00 am por Imagen Televisión.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Calles de varios estados de #Méxicoi sufrieron los estragos de fuertes lluvias, provocando inundaciones, socavones y múltiples daños. #PaolaRojasDPC De Pisa y Corre con Paola Rojas de lunes a viernes a las 8:00 am por Imagen Televisión.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

El #Congreso instaló el nuevo periodo ordinario de sesiones. El grupo parlamentario del #PRI intentó interrumpir la sesión con megáfonos y sirenas. #PaolaRojasDPC De Pisa y Corre con Paola Rojas de lunes a viernes a las 8:00 am por Imagen Televisión.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rindieron protesta los magistrados de la Sala Superior y de las salas regionales del Tribunal Electoral, así como del nuevo Tribunal de Disciplina Judicial. Los ministros recibieron 1,168 asuntos pendientesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

De Pisa y Corre con Paola Rojas de lunes a viernes a las 8:00 am por Imagen Televisión.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

El alcalde de #Tepoztlán, #PerseoQuiroz, informó que la vivienda de #Noroña, valuada en 12 millones de pesos, no paga impuesto predial.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

#Sinaloa vivió uno de los peores fines de semana. Presuntos integrantes del crimen organizado atacaron tres hospitales, dejando varios muertos y personas heridas.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

El #Congreso instaló el nuevo periodo ordinario de sesiones. El grupo parlamentario del #PRI intentó interrumpir la sesión con megáfonos y sirenas.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Alejandro '#Alito' Moreno presentó una denuncia ante la #FGR contra #GerardoFernándezNoroña y #EmilianoGonzález por presuntas amenazas. En redes sociales los calificó de “cínicos y cobardes”.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

En #México persiste la #BrechaSalarial: por cada peso que gana un hombre, una mujer recibe solo 65 centavos, aun realizando el mismo trabajo.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

De Pisa y Corre con Paola Rojas de lunes a viernes a las 8:00 am por Imagen Televisión.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of the My DPC Story Podcast, Dr. Maryal Concepcion hosts Dr. Holly Shen and Dr. Aaron Morganstein to discuss physician entrepreneurship and the power of collaboration in Direct Primary Care (DPC), locum tenens, and direct contracting. The trio introduces the upcoming Rise Up Physician Summit—a virtual event designed to empower physicians with tools and education to take control of their medical careers, improve financial independence, and explore non-traditional clinical paths. Listeners will hear real stories about leaving traditional employment, gaining professional and personal autonomy, building supportive physician communities, and balancing clinical work with passion projects. The episode covers actionable advice for both new and experienced doctors considering DPC, locums, or direct contracting, while highlighting the crucial role of mentorship and peer support in navigating alternative career models in medicine. Register for the summit at flexmedstaff.com/RiseUp to access transformative content and connect with a community reimagining modern medical practice. Early Bird Registration ends 9/15/25.Join Hint's BOOTCAMP today! hint.com/bootcamp.Download Elation's FREE Startup Checklist HERE. Get a practice audit and 80 FREE hours of VA work for your DPC with Cool Blue VA! Check out the latest Cool Blue VA Episode HERE!Schedule a demo with Cerbo today!Spruce Health: All-In-One Patient Co Hint Clinical: Run your dream practice with Hint's DPC softwareA-S Medication Solutions: medication management made simple for DPC. Learn more about JumpStart DPC Solutions: Marketing solutions modeled after DPCSupport the showBe A My DPC Story PATREON MEMBER! SPONSOR THE PODMy DPC Story VOICEMAIL! DPC SWAG!FACEBOOK * INSTAGRAM * LinkedIn * TWITTER * TIKTOK * YouTube

Family physician Jonathan Bushman discusses his article, "The hidden moral injury behind value-based health care." He shares the story of a young physician who was told to remove her most complex patients from her panel to protect the health system's performance metrics. Jonathan uses this powerful example to explain moral injury: a deep, ethical wound that is fundamentally different from burnout. The conversation exposes how value-based payment models, even in not-for-profit systems, can incentivize data manipulation and force doctors to choose between their patients' well-being and their employer's bottom line. He argues that this crisis of integrity is a primary reason many physicians are leaving employed positions for independent models like direct primary care (DPC), where they can answer directly to their patients instead of a spreadsheet. His core message is an urgent call to confront the reality that when "value" becomes code for "profitable," the entire system's moral compass is at risk. Careers by KevinMD is your gateway to health care success. We connect you with real-time, exclusive resources like job boards, news updates, and salary insights, all tailored for health care professionals. With expertise in uniting top talent and leading employers across the nation's largest health care hiring network, we're your partner in shaping health care's future. Fulfill your health care journey at KevinMD.com/careers. VISIT SPONSOR → https://kevinmd.com/careers Discovering disability insurance? Pattern understands your concerns. Over 20,000 doctors trust us for straightforward, affordable coverage. We handle everything from quotes to paperwork. Say goodbye to insurance stress – visit Pattern today at KevinMD.com/pattern. VISIT SPONSOR → https://kevinmd.com/pattern SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST → https://www.kevinmd.com/podcast RECOMMENDED BY KEVINMD → https://www.kevinmd.com/recommended

If you're a physician with at least 5 years of experience looking for a flexible, non-clinical, part-time medical-legal consulting role… ...Dr. Armin Feldman's Medical Legal Coaching program will guarantee to add $100K in additional income within 12 months without doing any expert witness work. Any doctor in any specialty can do this work. And if you don't reach that number, he'll work with you for free until you do, guaranteed. How can he make such a bold claim? It's simple, he gets results…  Dr. David exceeded his clinical income without sacrificing time in his full-time position. Dr. Anke retired from her practice while generating the same monthly consulting income.  And Dr. Elliott added meaningful consulting work without lowering his clinical income or job satisfaction. So, if you're a physician with 5+ years of experience and you want to find out exactly how to add $100K in additional consulting income in just 12 months, go to arminfeldman.com.                                                          =============== Learn the business and management skills you need by enrolling in the University of Tennessee Physician Executive MBA program at nonclinicalphysicians.com/physicianmba. Get the FREE GUIDE to 10 Nonclinical Careers at nonclinicalphysicians.com/freeguide. Get a list of 70 nontraditional jobs at nonclinicalphysicians.com/70jobs.                                                                                                 =============== Dr. David Townsend shares his journey from a traditional internal medicine practice to Direct Primary Care four years ago, explaining how corporate buyouts and productivity pressures drove him to make the change. After experiencing multiple ownership transitions from independent practice to hospital employment to corporate acquisition, he and his partner decided to leave stable salaries and start their own DPC practice. Dr. Townsend describes the dramatic difference between seeing 25 patients daily in his previous role versus 8-10 patients now, with panel sizes dropping from 2,500 to 500 patients each. He covers practical startup details, including working with Atlas MD for business guidance, navigating non-compete clauses, purchasing their own building, and reaching full capacity in just five months despite typically requiring 2-3 years for new DPC practices. You'll find links mentioned in the episode at nonclinicalphysicians.com/peaceful-dpc/

In this inspiring episode of American Potential, host David From speaks with Dr. Chaminie Wheeler, a pediatrician who walked away from the traditional hospital system to launch a direct primary care (DPC) practice—putting patients, not paperwork, at the center of healthcare. Raised in a small village in Sri Lanka, Dr. Wheeler's passion for helping others began at a young age and followed her to Pennsylvania, where she built CCC Health from the ground up with help from the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. She shares how the broken insurance-based model shackled her ability to treat patients with compassion and clarity. From unnecessary CT scans to delayed diagnoses, Dr. Wheeler reveals how bureaucracy often prevents real healing—and why DPC offers a better way forward. This episode dives deep into the challenges independent doctors face, the critical role of expanded Health Savings Accounts (HSAs), and how innovation thrives when government steps back. Dr. Wheeler's story is a reminder that when we trust doctors and empower patients, we unlock the real potential of American healthcare.

In this episode of the My DPC Story Podcast, Dr. Maryal Concepcion interviews Dr. Pouneh Alizadeh, founder of Flourish Gynecology, who shares her inspiring journey transitioning from a hospital-employed OB/GYN to combining locums work with launching her own direct specialty care (DSC) practice. Dr. Alizadeh opens up about the challenges of balancing motherhood, physician burnout, and the drive to practice medicine on her own terms through the Direct Primary Care (DPC) model. The conversation covers the practicalities of starting a DPC/DSC practice, managing finances, setting boundaries, and integrating locums work for stability and flexibility. Dr. Alizadeh offers insights on building a sustainable, patient-focused medical career, highlights the importance of networking and community, and emphasizes the empowerment DPC provides for women physicians. If you're interested in DPC, locums, direct specialty care, physician entrepreneurship, or women's health, this episode delivers firsthand advice and encouragement to take control of your career and redefine success in medicine.Join Hint's BOOTCAMP today! hint.com/bootcamp.Download Elation's FREE Startup Checklist HERE. Get a practice audit and 80 FREE hours of VA work for your DPC with Cool Blue VA! Check out the latest Cool Blue VA Episode HERE!Schedule a demo with Cerbo today!Spruce Health: All-In-One Patient Co Hint Clinical: Run your dream practice with Hint's DPC softwareA-S Medication Solutions: medication management made simple for DPC. Learn more about JumpStart DPC Solutions: Marketing solutions modeled after DPCSupport the showBe A My DPC Story PATREON MEMBER! SPONSOR THE PODMy DPC Story VOICEMAIL! DPC SWAG!FACEBOOK * INSTAGRAM * LinkedIn * TWITTER * TIKTOK * YouTube

Is burnout making you question your future in medicine? You're not alone. For many physicians, the pressures of traditional healthcare lead to stress, exhaustion, and a loss of purpose. But what if there was another way? In this powerful episode of The Finding Financial Freedom Podcast, host Dr. Disha Spath sits down with Monica McKitterick, a physician who walked away from burnout and built a thriving Direct Primary Care (DPC) practice. Monica opens up about the real challenges and rewards of DPC—what it takes to start from scratch, how to set boundaries without sacrificing patient care, and the financial strategies that make this model sustainable. Whether you're curious if DPC could be your dream job, or you're preparing to make the leap yourself, this episode is packed with practical insights, cautionary tales, and inspiring takeaways. Key Topics Covered: 1. Is DPC a dream job or a disaster? Monica shares the truth about life as a DPC provider, from freedom to challenges. 2. The Leap from Traditional Healthcare to DPC Why she left a broken system for a model that prioritizes patients. 3. Financial Prep for First-Time DPC Physicians Smart steps to take before transitioning 4. Traits of a Successful DPC Provider The personality strengths (and pitfalls) that determine long-term success. 5. Building Boundaries Without Breaking Your Practice How Monica protects her time while keeping patients happy 6. Hiring on a Budget  Tips for growing your team without overwhelming overhead. 7. Marketing Your DPC Practice  How to attract patients while staying true to your values.   Listener Takeaways: Learn how to recover from burnout and rebuild a fulfilling medical career. Discover what it really takes to start a DPC practice from scratch. Get practical tips on financial planning, hiring, and marketing for your DPC clinic. Find out if DPC is the right path for you—or if it might feel like a disaster. Resources Mentioned: DPC Dream Job or Total Disaster by Monica McKitterick Want to learn more about DPC? Check out: thedpcformula.com  OnlineJobs.ph   Connect with Us: Host: Dr. Disha Spath, The Frugal Physician Guest: Monica McKitterick, DPC Formula

We're discussing Direct Primary Care: a Rising Tide for American Healthcare! Faisel and Dan are joined by Dr. Jeffrey Davenport, from One Focus Medical and Direct Primary Care Alliance.Our conversation revolves around recent policy changes in favor of DPC, timely momentum in the alternative care model movement, and finding physician satisfaction after burnout.This episode was recorded live at FUTURE, the AAFP's annual conference! Learn more about FUTURE here: https://www.aafp.org/events/future-conference/2026.html

Dr. Sarah Marino doesn't just treat symptoms; she treats people. She transitioned from hospital medicine into direct primary care (DPC) so she could offer something too many patients go without: time, access, and transparency.Her model guarantees next-day availability for urgent needs, HIPAA-compliant direct texting, and longer visits—an hour for the first, then 30 minutes each time after. It's membership-based care that feels personal, with a clear menu of services, no surprise lab bills, and prices lower than insurance. For her, it's about putting the power back in patients' hands.The healthcare system is frustrating, inflated, and lacking in transparency, so she built something better. Her care is grounded in four pillars: nutrition, mental health, sleep, and movement. Medications come later, after she's taken the time to really understand what's going on.Based in Dripping Springs, her mission is simple: to support longevity and well-being without turning into a prescription machine.To learn more about Dr. Sarah Marino's Dripping Springs Direct Primary CareFollow Dr. Marino on Instagram @marinomedicaABOUT MEET THE DOCTOR The purpose of the Meet the Doctor podcast is simple.  We want you to get to know your doctor before meeting them in person because you're making a life changing decision and time is scarce. The more you can learn about who your doctor is before you meet them, the better that first meeting will be. When you head into an important appointment more informed and better educated, you are able to have a richer, more specific conversation about the procedures and treatments you're interested in. There's no substitute for an in-person appointment, but we hope this comes close.Meet The Doctor is a production of The Axis. Made with love in Austin, Texas.Are you a doctor or do you know a doctor who'd like to be on the Meet the Doctor podcast?  Book a free 30 minute recording session at meetthedoctorpodcast.com.Host: Eva Sheie Assistant Producers: Mary Ellen Clarkson & Hannah BurkhartEngineering: Daniel Croeser and Spencer ClarksonTheme music: A Grace Sufficient by JOYSPRING

In this episode of the My DPC Story Podcast, Dr. Jlyn Pritchard of Thread Health in Spokane, WA, shares her journey nearing three years in Direct Primary Care (DPC). Host Maryal Concepcion and Dr. Pritchard discuss the unique challenges and rewards of running a DPC practice, including the importance of strong values, boundary-setting with patients, and business decision-making rooted in financial transparency. Dr. Pritchard highlights her approach to integrating obesity medicine into her practice through specialized memberships and online educational resources. She also shares advice for new DPC physicians about managing finances, building community, and developing a niche for practice growth. Listeners will gain practical insights on starting, sustaining, and scaling a DPC practice—while staying true to personal and professional values. This episode is perfect for physicians considering or currently in the DPC model who want real-world advice on entrepreneurship, financial planning, and work-life balance in healthcare. For more tips, DPC resources, and Dr. Pritchard's original episode, visit the MYDPC Story Substack.Join Hint's BOOTCAMP today! hint.com/bootcamp.Download Elation's FREE Startup Checklist HERE. Get a practice audit and 80 FREE hours of VA work for your DPC with Cool Blue VA! Check out the latest Cool Blue VA Episode HERE!Schedule a demo with Cerbo today!Spruce Health: All-In-One Patient Co Hint Clinical: Run your dream practice with Hint's DPC softwareA-S Medication Solutions: medication management made simple for DPC. Learn more about JumpStart DPC Solutions: Marketing solutions modeled after DPCSupport the showBe A My DPC Story PATREON MEMBER! SPONSOR THE PODMy DPC Story VOICEMAIL! DPC SWAG!FACEBOOK * INSTAGRAM * LinkedIn * TWITTER * TIKTOK * YouTube

On this episode of "The Founder's Sandbox", Brenda speaks with Donovan Ryckis; CEO of Ethos Benefits, the nation's leading fiduciary benefits consultant in mid- -large market employers. Ethos Benefits was founded in 2016, after a chance request from a client of Donovan when he operated as a financial advisor--the client was faced with an increase in the companies' health insurance bill for the companies' employee plan that would have had a financial burden that threatened the sustainability of the company.   ‘Ethos' represents the guiding principle, character, or spirit of a person or organization. It's the ‘why' that drives decision-making and fuel's purpose.   Through Donovan's origin story we will have our eyes opened as business owners to the potential risks of employer sponsored healthcare plans and how to mitigate these risks. You can find out more about Donovan and Ethos at: www.linkedin.com/in/donovanryckis Upcoming master class on August 14th https://ethosbenefits.com/ https://businessofbenefitspodcast.com/ For a limited time only access the documentary: It's not personal, it's just  healthcare. https://ethosbenefits.com/documentary/     Transcript:  00:04 Welcome back to the Founder's Sandbox. I am Brenda McCabe, your host on this monthly podcast. It reaches  business owners and entrepreneurs who learn about building resilient, scalable, and 00:32 purpose-driven companies, all with great corporate governance. I am Brenda McCabe, and I am your host. And the guests that come to the podcast are not only those founders and business owners who are sharing their experiences, but also corporate directors,  investors,  and professional service providers who, like me, want to use the power of the private enterprise, small, medium, and large, to create change for a better world. 01:00 Through storytelling here and a recreated  sandbox,  my goal is to equip  one startup founder or one business owner at a time to build a better world through great corporate governance. Today, my guest is Donovan Rikas.  He is joining the podcast as CEO of Ethos Benefits, the nation's leading fiduciary benefits consultant in the mid to large market employer space. 01:29 So I'm absolutely delighted to bring in a professional service provider in  the employer benefits area, which  we're going to  unpeel  this  sector  today in the podcast. it's fascinating. So thank you, Donovan, for joining me today. Thank you, Brenda. Thanks for having me. Excellent. So  the company you and Chelsea, your wife and president of Ethos Benefits, 01:59 was founded in 2016, which wasn't that  long ago.  But it happened serendipitously.  You got a chance request because at that time, you were a financial advisor, right? Yes. When  your client was faced with an increase  in the company's health insurance bill for their employee plan,  pardon me, that would have had such a financial burden,  it would have threatened the sustainability of 02:27 the company and that's your client. So what did you do Donovan? What was the origin  of Ethos Benefits? Thank you. Yeah, so that's exactly right. I started as a financial advisor.  So Ethos Benefits was formerly a registered investment advisory, which was Jay Donovan Financial.  And one of the interesting things that are a little bit different on the security side versus the insurance world is 02:56 the ability to  license and designate yourself as a fiduciary advisor to your clients.  So that's really important and that's kind of where we started as financial advisors. So that essentially means that you're not gonna be commission-based with variable commissions based on what you wanna sell and the client doesn't really understand, right? You're gonna be  transparent with how you earn any compensation. 03:23 and you're not gonna have any conflicts of interest that might change  the recommendations or advice that you're giving them. So it's gonna be flat fee and you get to work with them directly instead of working for the financial institutions and the insurance companies kind of in the background that are actually the ones incentivizing. Cause  it's this odd relationship where it's like you think the financial advisor is working for you but they're actually incentivized by the institutions  that they're representing. Very important clarification because we do have a question 03:53 further on, which is, you know, what, what, how does the 401k management, right about employers 401 plan, mirror that of healthcare benefits? Yeah, for sure. You'll start to see some of those. So that's how we're working as financial advisors. And that's an important distinction as we get into an explanation of 04:22 the whole healthcare industry and how that works. So you're exactly right. I was working as a financial advisor, working with business owners  because they had more kind of complicated planning and tax structures and things that I could do to really make a difference.  And what I realized is when most of them had commission-based advisors, they'd rush to sell a product, mutual funds  with upfront loads and REITs that had  proprietary commissions and all this kind of stuff. And then they would leave without worrying about any of the 04:52 tax consequences,  you know, islets or trusts or even wills, right? Like all these extra things that business owners needed to set up their own personal wealth, but also their company, their 401k, maybe combining a defined benefit plan. So that was kind of the niche I chose.  And it was incredibly lucrative. I loved it.  Was doing exactly what I wanted to do until that client kind of asked me for that help, like you alluded to. 05:21 And it was 40 % increase on his health insurance. He said, my broker says, this is it. There is nothing else. Can you help? And I didn't know any idea. Like I had no idea about health insurance or what I do. But yeah, just- No, no. problem. 05:39 And certainly as a financial advisor, it kind of seemed like going backwards and beneath me. didn't really want to do it, but I was like, I could hear the panic in his voice. And I was like, yeah, absolutely. Just send me everything you have. And after about three weeks, basically making as many connections in the industry and learning as much as I could and trying different things, we basically mitigated that increase entirely. 06:05 And he actually came three points under where he was currently today before that increase. And we didn't take away any benefits from employees. We didn't put them in smaller  HMO networks. We didn't increase deductibles or increase their premiums. None of the usual tricks.  So this was a like for like solution. We actually improved the plan a bit and came in under.  And it really made me realize in that moment, it wasn't my experience or my education or my smarts that 06:34 may be able to do this,  it was a lack of conflicts  in compensation and incentives,  right? Because his broker does about $7 billion a year annually.  I didn't come in with more market knowledge, leverage, or experience. I just didn't have conflicts of interest and compensation. That's what  started me down this path.  And  back then,  you hadn't yet  created Ethos Benefits with that name. 07:03 So when I did a little bit of research,  I couldn't have been more delighted that you actually reached out to to be featured on the founder sandbox because of two reasons, you the word fiduciary, right?  It was in  your basically your call to action, right? Or your or the definition of company. So,  you know, you  are  the governance of a company goes way beyond making a profit for shareholders. 07:32 the duty of care, the duty of loyalty and the duty of obedience is really the underpinning elements of  fiduciary duty. And on your website, you say our ethos is simple fiduciary first. So we're going to appeal that in here in a minute here. So act in the best interest of those we serve,  no matter the cost. You also on the website,  you you had a purpose ethos represents the guiding principle. 08:01 character or spirit of an organization or a person is the why that drives decision making and feels purpose. So I,  I looked like I was reading what next act advisors may consult a firm is about is just really finding those purpose driven. So  with that, I wanted to just, you know, ask you,  what was that you had that first client that first aha moment, and 08:29 How long did it take you and did when did you realize that this could be a a career change for you, right? Rather than a financial advisor, you were actually actually a health care benefits advisor, right? Yeah, I mean, I think I think the first moment is, you know, being being a financial advisor was very lucrative. And I like the people I was working with. I liked working with entrepreneurs and business owners and and, you know, just 08:58 I found them inspiring and I was curious about the things they're doing. And  I think that kind of lifts everybody up when you keep a circle like that, right? Like you  push yourself harder, you learn, educate and do different things.  So I love the clients I was working with. Like I said,  maybe  working on personal wealth for individuals though, isn't the most rewarding thing you could be doing. seeing that... 09:25 Don't get me wrong, I was paid well enough. It would have took me a long time to figure out that it wasn't very personally fulfilling.  But seeing that first case, mean, the first thing I did when I got that successful proposal back, before I presented it to the clients is I was looking at the math  of what does this cost? What difference does this make per paycheck to all the individuals in this planet? And then I'd look at somebody, my God, this person's got a wife and two kids. Look at the difference in premium there. 09:54 I was calculating my work in return to the average American worker and realizing like me putting myself aside to  proactively, strategically go after this problem instead of making a decision for my own personal commission, looking at how much that impacted everybody. And that was powerful. 10:20 I'm going on 20 years in financial services and every aspect of it, I've seen people who prioritize commissions over, you know, a better product, a better outcome for an individual. But the idea that that could be done on scale to where you're now making that decision for yourself over 200, 500, 2000, 3000 employees, like that's pretty disgusting, right? So seeing that that kind of impact could be made. 10:49 I mean, it was  it was really not a question after that I knew I was transitioning my business. Excellent. Excellent. So  my own path  after 25 years in Europe  was quite an eye opening experience when I came back to the United States, I am a US citizen, but I had to get you know, I've been working for myself and I had to get self insured. So  I got back this is like 11:18 12 years ago, I got the Affordable Care Act for dummies from my local library.  I had not yet transferred my tax certification to the United States takes quite a few years when you've been gone so long.  So you because you do have to sub venture tax returns and all that. And then  I ran into I met Marshall Allen, the author of never pay the first bill and the other ways to fight the healthcare system and when 11:46 Marshall Allen actually spoke at  a graduate or alumni event of University Chicago. And  I was, you know, reading these books. And you know, eventually,  I got my own broker to help me get onto the exchange. But it every year has been  an experience.  I'm fortunate to be part of a  membership organization through which  for small  and medium sized businesses and I get  PPO through 12:14 I won't mention names, but  I was  blessed because just  and I'm 12 years in the United States, you have to knock on a lot of doors to actually get health care when you are a small business  owner  and really  understand what  you are paying for,  not only your premiums of what are the services  that are provided. So can you talk about  the average 12:44 premium for a family of four and some of the  numbers that you discovered  and believe  we as a country could actually improve  on the outcomes, healthcare outcomes with the actual spend we have today, right? Yeah, we're getting the numbers are pretty wild. mean, I feel like we're really kind of getting to a breaking point with it.  You know, 13:12 For what I work on, employer-sponsored healthcare, 186 million Americans are covered under employer-sponsored healthcare plan. These plans can average increases anywhere from seven to 10 % annually. We see a lot of reports that come out that kind of measure these things. Kaiser Family Foundation does one, Milliman Index is another one. So there's a lot of studies that kind of measure this annually and changes for employers across the board. 13:41 What we saw this year for 2025 was the average cost for a family of four under employer sponsored health care plan is $35,119, which is just an astonishing number. That is unaffordable for an employer. That's unaffordable for an employee. And it's unaffordable for them to split that cost as well, which is how these, yeah, that's how they're structured in some way or another. 14:11 And another number to know that kind of governs this is the ACA affordability percentage, which is essentially where employers have to contribute, they have to contribute enough to keep the premium under this amount, which is 9.02 % this year. So premium for one of your employees cannot exceed 9.02 % of their take-home pay. 14:39 And this is updated on an annual basis, correct? Correct. Yeah, it fluctuates a little bit, but it's always right at 9, 8.5, 9.2, it's balanced up and down. But that's a pretty astonishing number too. And I see a lot of companies that are basically designing their contribution just to stay under that. it's, obviously they'd love to do more, but with the way these costs increase annually, sooner or later, they get to that point. 15:07 where they're kind of designing it just to be under 9 % of the employee's income. Okay, that's  astonishing.  And I'm happy that you  are working nationwide now with employer benefits with companies that, what's the size of the companies that you typically sell to? So we only work with large employers these days. And if we have somebody come in a little bit under, we have some associate agencies that we can kind of refer them to. 15:36 I'd say our minimum is usually like 250 eligible employees all the way up to 5000. Yeah, so anywhere in that mix. Excellent. So when again, I first met you was unaware because you've basically become nationwide in the last what two, three years, right? I'd say around COVID. Yeah, I took off right. So when I was speaking with you spent some time on the website. 16:06 I was trying to understand the sales alignment. So how you reach customers, those employees that have 250 between 250 and 5,000 employees, right? My first reaction was, OK, Donovan, go in with either of these benefits. You do a cost down, right? You've done, you basically work yourself out of the job. You corrected me. So for my audience, so how? 16:32 does ethos benefits work for a company, right?  What is that?  Is it is it an annual  engagement  talk walk me through the work you Yeah, I mean, things are happening on a daily like when we break down our scope of services, we'll actually show them like,  these are daily, these are weekly tasks, these are monthly, quarterly and annual because there's so much happening.  So  we're talking about the employee benefit space. Yes, it's  the 17:01 kind of designing consulting for the annual premium for a 12 month period. I think that's what people first consider.  But there's also a ton of compliance factors that have to happen throughout the year that that company has to fill out, right? Could be anything from section  125s,  5,500s,  wrap documents, all kinds of notices and disclosures  that need to be done.  Also, you know, we deal with benefits administration. So that's... 17:29 How are the employees making elections, seeing premiums? Is that integrating into payroll?  So functions like that with eligibility in and out of the company  adjusting that.  But also we kind of discussed and talked about the fact that health care is incredibly complex. So all the same market influences, where the market's at, interest rates,  inflation, all that kind of stuff affects  health care rates just like any other company in the market. 17:58 but it also gets as granular as  new medical procedures, new drugs, new generic drugs that are now an option.  It can even go down, you know, locally or regionally to where we get a new CFO in a hospital group and that starts changing the reimbursement rates that they're requesting from the insurance. So we see that where kind of a CFO comes in and they start flexing, making life difficult in a particular region or with a hospital group. 18:28 So all these things are kind of coming together and changing every single day.  Also the fact of the sheer amount of bills,  claims that come through.  So what we see on average,  this is a pretty crazy number, but  what we see on average is 18 claims  per employee per year. Okay, that's a lot.  That's a lot. So if we had just a hundred employees, that'd be 1800. 18:56 basically accounts payable  into the company. And that's part of our job too, because as you might imagine, hospitals make tons of mistakes on the bills, about 80 % of the bills have mistakes.  And then we also have to make sure that those are coming in at fair reimbursement rates to the company, because what hospitals bill is a spectrum for the exact same procedure. And the only difference is the payer. It's not the patient, it's not the complexity, it's not the physician, like it's literally 19:25 just the insurance card that can affect that difference in reimbursement rates. So all these things kind of come together where, yes, it  very much is a daily  task for me and my team on different things that we're working on. And- Are you an advocate in any way for the employees? Yes,  very much. So, you know, it's two, there's two complicated ecosystems at the same time that we're trying to navigate. 19:52 One is certainly the healthcare finance, which is what we're working with the company. But healthcare delivery for employees and members is just as complicated and confusing as far as where do I go? What is this gonna cost? What's the next step? Can I get a second opinion? How would that work? Right? And also helping navigate them to their highest cost or their lowest cost, highest quality and understanding what that is and giving them options to seek care at. 20:21 at lower prices if that's available. Excellent.  So your  delivery platform, is it like a customer success team  that  is assigned solely to that client? How does it work? Yeah, so it's kind of different. every employer is starting at a different place. They also have different ideas of where their end place or where their goal is. 20:49 healthcare delivery, kind of working on some things like that, there might be a couple of different ways we handle it. One might be having a direct  primary care provider. So the idea of a direct  primary care provider is basically same day, next day appointments with your primary care physician  and 30 to 60 minute visit times, not the average, which is seven minutes with a PCP, which is what most people get across the country.  And  with that DPC provider, you can also do things like 21:18 stitches,  blood work, get generic meds. So we're talking about more of a comprehensive service when you actually need it, not  the 14, 18 day  primary care. So that might be one of the ways we help with healthcare delivery.  It might be a nurse concierge where they have a nurse that they can help find providers,  navigate them. That might be a part of it.  So it kind of depends. then also  a lot of the times are 21:47 Our team will basically act as a care coach, where if they have anything going on, they can just call us. We'll help them set appointments, navigate them towards care, help them with their ID problems. Fantastic. Anything else you'd like to share or shed some light on the service offering of ETHOS benefits? So we're going to jump into a legal question in a minute here. 22:13 Yeah, I mean, it always just depends on the employer.  what I would say is generally they find everything we do to be  more comprehensive. And I think that's just the nature of the fact that we're not seeking compensation from the insurance providers or working with the client, because  it's my belief that we don't have a single thing to sell to an employer.  Employers have a health care problem. And we're here to solve that and work through that in any 22:42 way that they need at that given time.  So we're not,  you know, pushing those solutions are having those conflicts.  It's an excellent segue down into  current lawsuits  that are popping up with respect to,  first of all 401k, lawyer, and now healthcare benefits. So before we jump into that some specific cases, you know, for my listeners, what does fiduciary mean? 23:12 in your business model, right? Please. Yeah. So fiduciary for us is certainly always acting in the best interest of those that you represent. It's the highest standard of care.  So you mentioned a couple of things  earlier, loyalty, obedience. I think the biggest thing where companies may think they're acting as a fiduciary and they're not, because while we carry that duty to our employers and our clients, 23:40 Employers have that duty to all of their employees. And that's something that are kind of educating them because a lot of them don't realize it. But  I think the big duty that is  left out or misunderstood is the duty of prudence.  Okay. So did they go far enough in investigating solutions and understanding the problem and working through it and having a committee within the company to kind of help go through that? Because what I mean, in a compensation package, there is nothing more important 24:10 than the cost of health care and the options in health care, right? And how those decisions are being made.  So I see the duty of  prudence being the kind of  most 24:23 I, the duty with the most opportunity, let's say, maybe, maybe the most misunderstood because  the employer sometimes think, well, you know, the broker came in and he showed me one or two other options.  This is the least worst option. Therefore that's what we're doing. And I think that's enough. Right.  And that is not the case.  And it's only until there's a 40 % increase due, right. It doesn't employer say  my business is not sustainable. 24:51 So actually healthcare is what not the number two or number three expense  in the company's PNL today. Correct. Right. So walk me through some of these  recent lawsuits.  Yeah, I think we have companies like J &J and JP Morgan. Speak to me about that. 25:14 Yeah, J. J. J. P. Morgan, Wells Fargo. A lot of them are almost they're copied and in some parts of the complaint,  because it's very much the same thing. the first one we saw was  Lewandowski versus Johnson and Johnson. And this is for their health care plan. You know, they're a Fortune 50 company.  I think they somewhere around 160,000 employees. 25:42 and they have a benefits committee and a benefits team of 16 or 18 people. So a big team of people to help make these decisions, understand them and vet them. And the lawsuit is basically for their decision of pharmacy benefit manager. So a pharmacy benefit manager essentially sets the price for any drugs that employees could get within the plan. And it lays out 35 or so specific examples of drugs 26:12 but basically they agreed to pay  up to  13,000 times  the cost of the drug that's available, just cash pay.  employee and employer funds are agreeing to pay that kind of multiple on a drug that's available without insurance, much, much cheaper.  And the  lawsuit is brought by the plaintiffs, who are they? 26:40 am Lewandowski. So she's she's the plaintiff. And then I believe as it's developed, other employees have kind of came on. So 13,000 was it do you know, I know that you're not directly involved in this case. Nor should you speak to it if that is the case. But is the transparency of the data? Can you get that data if you were an employee to then understand the 27:09 multiples that your employer plan has agreed to pay to the pharmacy benefit. I'm aghast. 13, I think the number is 13,226. So when this came out last January, the first thing I did is I read through the whole complaint. It was like 130 pages went through all these. So for all the drugs that were mentioned, I ran 27:40 J &J's prices, again, Fortune 50, 150, 160,000 employees. So you would assume they're getting leveraged prices, they're making great decisions, all those kinds of things. I ran those prices against what my clients were paying. And in the smallest, like I think our smallest in my book of business, like 100 insured employees somewhere around there, they were paying 94 % less. 28:06 for the same, for one fill of all the same drugs. So the math worked out to be like 135,000 for J &J for one fill of each of those. And my clients were like 3000 or 4000, don't know, it's all my LinkedIn. posted the public letter as soon as it came out. But I basically price referenced them. So it's not a question of leverage or buying power, know, all the ridiculous things you hear. 28:34 when you're talking to  an insurance broker for these types of decisions,  it's literally, it comes down to that question of prudence. Like,  how did you vet these decisions?  Do you know how the pharmacy benefit manager is getting paid? Do you know what these drug benchmarks are against the cash price?  And that's  where I think this lawsuit is gonna be a slam dunk. Like, there is no reason for a company that size with that big of a benefits committee to hire such a conflicted PBM, is what they call it. 29:04 You heard it here on the founder sandbox. So stay tuned for  any other  lawsuits that are  worthy of mention. Do all of them? Are they all related to the pharmacy benefit manager conundrum?  There's there's all kinds of lawsuits. I think the PBMs are the lowest hanging fruit because it's so easy to benchmark. But certainly the same arguments exist with  hospital reimbursement rates. 29:33 And we're starting to see those as well. Excellent. Well, thank you  for sharing  a bit more  details on  the  recent,  I guess,  health care benefits in the news, right? Lawsuits.  Going to get a little bit technical here. 29:57 because you allowed me to.  the framework of the CAA of 2020 and 2021, that's the minimum set of standards for activities to benchmark health care plans.  And so  what are they?  Because it then leads into  some of the common sense strategies  that employers can deploy immediately.  So can you walk? Because this is just as yesterday, it's actually during the pandemic. What's the CAA? 30:27 of 2020, 2021. Thank you. Yeah. So that's the interesting part of this. So the reason I said a decade ago, over a decade ago, I was waiting for these health care lawsuits to happen. It's because Arissa has always stated that  employers have this fiduciary responsibility, just like they had with  401k. The problem has been, and the reason these lawsuits didn't come sooner, is that health insurance companies  make this data hard to access. 30:56 different carriers were released different amounts.  And there was no set of compliance standards for employers to understand this is how I go about making it, making these decisions and benchmarking these decisions, right? Like  it was all just too vague, too opaque. The data was too gagged and withheld from the employers.  So the starting point of how do I know I'm being prudent or not, that's kind of what wasn't known prior to the  CAA of 2021. 31:27 So  the CAA  basically defined a set of minimum standards  that you have to do to even pretend like you're being a prudent fiduciary for your healthcare plan. So there's four things, but there's three main things. I'll mention the fourth thing as well, because there's funny stuff about that.  So the first one  should be the most obvious, and  it's kind of our founding story, which is understanding 31:53 your broker compensation before you enter into any arrangement or agreement for your upcoming plan. So that should not only be how much,  it should be when, what type of bonus is there. If you're looking at carrier A, B, and C, really what it says is you should know what is their compensation for carrier A, B, and C before you make an arrangement, because they will be different. And that will change the recommendation, the advice, the conversation that you're having with that broker. 32:23 is critical. That is so critical. And  in reading these transparency commission  disclosures from  brokers, it is wild, the stuff that they put in there and how conflicted their advice is.  One of them that I looked at last week said, broker acknowledges that their parent company has equity in the insurance carriers that they're recommending. Oh my gosh. So they're essentially saying, 32:52 We are an insurance company that's going to bias our recommendations to the own companies we have equity in. It's like, that's no longer a party you should take advice from, right? 33:07 Okay, so that's part one.  Yeah, no, this is this is  and you know,  I without it's gonna get too technical because the gag clause and  the prescription DC reporting so that you know, basically CAA has provided the set of benchmarks, right, which  you need to at least checkmark right before you actually do. 33:35 engage or decide on your employer benefit plan.  Yeah. To be in compliance with your fiduciary duty, particularly that of prudence. Yeah.  Yeah. And I think companies shouldn't look at as a checkmark. I think if they apply it with a good faith effort, they'll see like, oh,  it's not compliance. This is a framework  for making better decisions.  Right.  And that's what it's meant to do. It's meant to say, 34:05 Know your compensation, know your drug benchmarks,  and  eliminate any gag clauses to your data because you need your data to make decisions. So I think if companies make a faith effort, they'll automatically get better outcomes. That's the way here. Excellent. Well, thank you, Donovan. I want to give me this time to actually  speak about  how to contact you,  your company. But more importantly, 34:34 There is  you're hosting a webinar on August 14, which is right around the corner. Can you  give us some more details?  The details will be in the show notes,  but speak to the event that ethos benefits is hosting on August 14 2025. Thanks. Yeah, thank  you.  Yeah. So on the 14th, we're doing a fiduciary workshop masterclass, which is basically understanding what your 35:03 what your duties are, how to get through them, how to navigate them, how to have this framework for decision making and document that process as well. And it's all geared towards just achieving those better outcomes for your company, eliminating any of these risks and really creating positive results for your people. Excellent. And any information with respect to how to reach out to you beyond the- Yeah, sorry. the registration is on a banner on the top of our 35:33 on our homepage. So ethos benefits.com. If you connect with me on LinkedIn, LinkedIn,  Donovan, ragas, you can find it there as well.  Great. Well, I'm coming to the  part of my podcast, which  brings us back to the sandbox.  In my work, I'm all about working with purpose driven, scalable, and resilient companies. 36:00 And so I ask my guest, what is the meaning of each of those terms? What does purpose mean to you? 36:08 Purpose, what does it mean to you? That's such a big question that you can go a lot away from. You know, I feel like purpose should be almost like a hidden driver. It's almost not like a well-considered thing. It's just kind of driving you forward.  I think our purpose  is progress,  right? Like if something can be done better, it should be and just kind of moving forward with that. 36:35 We're trying to move one company at a time, but also the industry and better outcomes  for the country. 36:43 And that good feel factor when you get up in the morning and know that you're doing good, right? Yeah, absolutely. Let's just sleep well at night. Right? Yes. Amazing. How about resilience? You did share with me off  camera that yeah, while you abandoned the financials,  advisory role, it took almost five years, right to really find product market fit, right  and build this because it's a very unknown right industry. 37:12 unknown service within a very, very  complex industry, right? Yeah. So resilience for you, what does that mean?  Yeah, I think you're right. You know, it took us a while because we were sharing such a wildly different message than what people were hearing from their brokers. And sometimes they look at you and be like, well, you're small, they're big, that must mean they're right, right.  So I think resilience is being able to go from 37:42 failure to failure without any loss in energy, right? So when something doesn't go your way and you have an obstacle, an outcome that is less than desired, it's about being able to push on still without losing any of your optimism or energy. And that's all we do. So. Thank you for what you do. And scalable. What does scalable mean? 38:07 Scalable is certainly about having an actual documented process. I think when you're getting into something new as a company or a new system or procedure process, if it's not something that everybody in the company could repeat in the same way that I do, just inherently the way I do it because of my background and education, if it's not repeatable for everybody and everybody doesn't understand the purpose for those steps, 38:36 the outcomes from those steps, like the end result, it's definitely not gonna be scalable. Thank you. Final question. Did you have fun on the sandbox today? I did. Thank you so much for having  me. Thank you, Donovan.  So to my listeners, if you liked this episode with Donovan Rikas from Ethos Benefits,  sign up for the monthly release of founders, business owners, corporate directors, and professional service providers that share their experiences. 39:06 and how to build with strong governance a resilient, scalable, and purpose-driven company to make profits for good. Signing off for this month, thank you very much. Have a great day.  

Today Dr. Karl Hanson and Dr. Samia Suleman of Infinity Health Direct Primary Care in Kenner, Louisiana share about their DPC journey. They share their experiences transitioning from insurance-based models, and the evolution and benefits of DPC. Dr. Hanson and Dr. Suleman discuss the challenges of establishing and joining a DPC practice, their personal motivations, and the importance of physician autonomy. The episode also covers the partnership between the doctors, the structure of their practice, and their future plans, including efforts to educate medical residents about DPC. Additionally, the formation and goals of the Louisiana Direct Primary Care Coalition are highlighted, emphasizing the potential of DPC to transform healthcare across the state.Call in with your questions about how the "Big Beautiful Bill" affects HSAs and DPC. LEAVE A VOICEMAIL HERE.Get your copy of ELATION HEALTH'S HOW TO LAUNCH YOUR OWN DPC PRACTICE CHECKLIST. Get a practice audit and 80 FREE hours of VA work for your DPC with Cool Blue VA! Check out the latest Cool Blue VA Episode HERE!Schedule a demo with Cerbo today!Spruce Health: All-In-One Patient Co Hint Clinical: Run your dream practice with Hint's DPC softwareA-S Medication Solutions: medication management made simple for DPC. Learn more about JumpStart DPC Solutions: Marketing solutions modeled after DPC Elation Health. Empowering DPC practices to thrive through clinical-first innovation..See how at elationhealth.com.SmartHeart: THE 12-lead EKG for your DPC!Support the showBe A My DPC Story PATREON MEMBER! SPONSOR THE PODMy DPC Story VOICEMAIL! DPC SWAG!FACEBOOK * INSTAGRAM * LinkedIn * TWITTER * TIKTOK * YouTube

If you're a physician with at least 5 years of experience looking for a flexible, non-clinical, part-time medical-legal consulting role… ...Dr. Armin Feldman's Medical Legal Coaching program will guarantee to add $100K in additional income within 12 months without doing any expert witness work. Any doctor in any specialty can do this work. And if you don't reach that number, he'll work with you for free until you do, guaranteed. How can he make such a bold claim? It's simple, he gets results…  Dr. David exceeded his clinical income without sacrificing time in his full-time position. Dr. Anke retired from her practice while generating the same monthly consulting income.  And Dr. Elliott added meaningful consulting work without lowering his clinical income or job satisfaction. So, if you're a physician with 5+ years of experience and you want to find out exactly how to add $100K in additional consulting income in just 12 months, go to arminfeldman.com.                                                          =============== Learn the business and management skills you need by enrolling in the University of Tennessee Physician Executive MBA program at nonclinicalphysicians.com/physicianmba. Get the FREE GUIDE to 10 Nonclinical Careers at nonclinicalphysicians.com/freeguide. Get a list of 70 nontraditional jobs at nonclinicalphysicians.com/70jobs.                                                                                                 =============== Dr. Paul Thomas shares his journey from residency directly into Direct Primary Care, demonstrating how physicians can build fulfilling practices without insurance bureaucracy. As the author of two DPC books and founder of Plum Health, which has grown from house calls to five clinic locations, Dr. Thomas offers practical insights into creating a sustainable alternative to traditional medicine. In this episode, Dr. Thomas explains how DPC works: monthly memberships, unlimited access to physicians, and dramatic savings on labs, medications, and imaging. He discusses his expansion from a solo practice to serving employer groups and school districts, saving one consortium $1.2 million while improving patient satisfaction scores. Dr. Thomas covers the business fundamentals of DPC, including patient panel sizes (typically 400-500 patients per physician), partnership structures, and growth strategies. His story demonstrates how physicians can escape the assembly-line medicine model while building profitable practices that prioritize patient relationships and clinical excellence over volume-driven care. You'll find links mentioned in the episode at nonclinicalphysicians.com/embrace-direct-primary-care/

In this episode of the My DPC Story Podcast, Dr. Ricky Haug joins Maryal as they dive into the latest trends in Direct Primary Care (DPC) technology, fresh from the 2025 DPC Summit. The focus is on the "Battle of the EHRs," where Dr. Haug, an experienced DPC physician with a multi-location, multi-provider practice, shares his firsthand insights on choosing and optimizing Electronic Health Records (EHR) systems for DPC clinics. The discussion covers key findings from the DPC Summit's EHR survey, highlighting what features doctors value most, such as ease of use, patient communication, AI integration, and workflow efficiency. The conversation also touches on common challenges, tech stack evolution, patient portal satisfaction, and the importance of adopting DPC-focused solutions to enhance both patient and staff experience. Whether you're launching a new practice or scaling up, this episode provides practical advice for navigating EHR decisions in DPC, making it a must-listen for physicians seeking to streamline operations and improve patient care. For full survey results and resources, visit mydpcstory.com/magazine.Call in with your questions about how the "Big Beautiful Bill" affects HSAs and DPC. LEAVE A VOICEMAIL HERE.Get your copy of ELATION HEALTH'S HOW TO LAUNCH YOUR OWN DPC PRACTICE CHECKLIST. Get a practice audit and 80 FREE hours of VA work for your DPC with Cool Blue VA! Check out the latest Cool Blue VA Episode HERE!Schedule a demo with Cerbo today!Spruce Health: All-In-One Patient CoSupport the showBe A My DPC Story PATREON MEMBER! SPONSOR THE PODMy DPC Story VOICEMAIL! DPC SWAG!FACEBOOK * INSTAGRAM * LinkedIn * TWITTER * TIKTOK * YouTube

In this special episode of the My DPC Story podcast, host Dr. Maryal Concepcion sits down with Dr. Natalie Gentile live from the DPC Summit in New Orleans. They delve into the principles and advantages of Direct Primary Care (DPC) and discuss Dr. Gentile's journey in lifestyle medicine and her innovative approach in helping new physicians transition into DPC. The conversation underscores the importance of mission-driven work, community collaboration, and the entrepreneurial opportunities available to physicians in the DPC model. The episode also highlights various resources and support available for DPC practitioners and patients alike.Direct Care Physicians of Pittsburgh HERECARING DIRECTLY: ADD YOUR CLINIC TO THE PHYSICIAN-ONLY DPC MAPPER HEREThe DPC Directory (like Yelp, but for DPC) HEREMy DPC Story Resources PageCall in with your questions about how the "Big Beautiful Bill" affects HSAs and DPC. LEAVE A VOICEMAIL HERE.Get your copy of ELATION HEALTH'S HOW TO LAUNCH YOUR OWN DPC PRACTICE CHECKLIST.Support the showBe A My DPC Story PATREON MEMBER! SPONSOR THE PODMy DPC Story VOICEMAIL! DPC SWAG!FACEBOOK * INSTAGRAM * LinkedIn * TWITTER * TIKTOK * YouTube

In this special bonus episode of My DPC Story, Maryal gives a sneak peek into the newest issue of DPC Magazine: The Toolkit from My DPC Story— a jam-packed edition covering everything from the real-life EHR choices of over 200 DPC physicians, to creative strategies for financing your practice, to using your tech tools to support more equitable care. Curious which EHR came out on top in our reader survey? We're not spoiling it here — but you can read all about it at mydpcstory.com/magazine. And if you're attending in person, look for the bright yellow My DPC Story shirts tomorrow to pick up your physical copy of the magazine!Support the showBe A My DPC Story PATREON MEMBER! SPONSOR THE PODMy DPC Story VOICEMAIL! DPC SWAG!FACEBOOK * INSTAGRAM * LinkedIn * TWITTER * TIKTOK * YouTube

In this episode of the My DPC Story Podcast, host Dr. Maryal Concepcion welcomes back Justin Lam, founder and CEO of Cool Blue VA, to discuss the benefits of hiring medical virtual assistants for Direct Primary Care (DPC) practices. They dive into key questions DPC physicians face: when is the right time to hire a VA, and how do you efficiently hire and onboard one? Justin shares actionable exercises, such as time and task audits and skills gap analysis, to help doctors identify tasks they can delegate and areas requiring support. The episode highlights the cost-effectiveness of virtual assistants compared to traditional hires, and details how VAs can boost practice efficiency, revenue, patient satisfaction, and physician work-life balance. Listeners also learn about Cool Blue VA's free practice analysis and two-week 80 hours FREE trial, making it easy to experience the value of a medical virtual assistant risk-free. Perfect for DPC physicians exploring ways to streamline workflow, reduce burnout, and grow their practices. For your copy of Cool Blue VA's List of 90+ jobs a medical VA can do and more, stop by and say HI to Justin at the upcoming DPC Summit or visit them at coolblueva.com/2weeks to start a free trial!LISTEN TO THE MY DPC STORY EPISODE WHERE JUSTIN AND HIS SISTER DR. CARRIE LAM SHARED THE STORY OF HOW COOL BLUE VA GOT STARTED HERE!Support the showBe A My DPC Story PATREON MEMBER! SPONSOR THE PODMy DPC Story VOICEMAIL! DPC SWAG!FACEBOOK * INSTAGRAM * LinkedIn * TWITTER * TIKTOK * YouTube