My DPC Story

A Letter From Me to You

As we close out 2025, I wanted to take a moment to speak directly to you - doctor to doctor, human to human.

This episode is a little different. It’s a twist on ’Twas the Night Before Christmas, written as a reflection of our shared journey as physicians. It honors not only the work we do in exam rooms and inboxes, but also the quiet, unseen work that happens in kitchens, cars, call rooms, and living rooms - t...

Today Dr. Demetrio Aguila, a Direct Care surgeon and Host of the Direct Care Movement Podcast interviews the Host of My DPC Story, Dr. Maryal Concepcion.  For those listeners new to the podcast, or for those who are always happy to hear a DPC doctor talk about before and after opening a DPC, today you get to hear some of our Host's back story. Dr. Concepcion, a family physician and DPC pioneer in rural California, shares her j...

Today Dr. Emily Holt, a Direct Primary Care (DPC) physician based in New Orleans, shares her inspiring journey from working in federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) and university clinics to opening her own DPC practice amidst a rapidly changing healthcare landscape. The discussion dives deep into the effects of the "one big beautiful bill," the challenges facing marginalized communities following recent legislative ...

Today’s episode is one of the most important conversations we’ve had on My DPC Story. As of July 4th, we are standing at a true inflection point for Direct Primary Care—and for every physician, employer, broker, advocate and patient who believes primary care should be personal, accessible, and free from insurance middlemen.

In this special session, I’m joined by Jay Keese, Executive Director of the Direct Primary Care Coalition, who...

Today we hear from Dr. Maria Rutmann, founder of Lionheart Direct Primary Care in northern Maine. She discusses the transformative power of the Direct Primary Care (DPC) clinic model as physician burnout and healthcare system challenges escalate nationwide. Dr. Rutmann shares her journey from working in a traditional fee-for-service hospital group - where mounting administrative demands and loss of autonomy led to emotional exhaust...

In this episode of the My DPC Story Podcast, host Dr. Maryal Concepcion interviews Dr. Sarah "Sassy" Weinstein, a triple board-certified physician in family, sports, and lifestyle medicine. Hear how Dr. Sarah Sassy Weinstein turned personal health experiences - including Lyme disease and sports injuries - into a compassionate approach for patient care. Discover why she left insurance-driven medicine for a direct specialty...

In today's episode of the My DPC Story Podcast, host Dr. Maryal Concepcion welcomes Dr. Stephanie Lucero, the pioneering founder of Northern New Mexico’s first Direct Primary Care (DPC) clinic, Hometown Doc, LLC. Dr. Lucero shares her journey from growing up in the Pojoaque (Puh-Wah-Kee) Valley to becoming a board-certified family physician deeply committed to her local community. The conversation dives into DPC’s benefits ove...

Today's episode features Dr. Rob Lamberts, one of Georgia’s early pioneers in Direct Primary Care (DPC). After nearly two decades in traditional insurance-based practice and facing severe burnout, Dr. Lamberts shares his journey opening his DPC practice in 2013—one of Georgia’s first. He discusses the challenges of the fee-for-service model, the healing power of direct physician-patient relationships, and the benefits of membe...

In today's episode of the My DPC Story Podcast, host Dr. Maryal Concepcion interviews Dr. Isabel Amigues, the first Direct Specialty Care rheumatologist in Colorado and founder of Unabridged MD in Denver. Dr. Amigues shares her inspiring journey through training in both France and the US, and how surviving stage 4 metastatic breast cancer transformed her medical approach. Blending Western medicine with holistic healing techniq...

This weekend Maryal spoke at the Robert Wood Johnson Health Policy Fellows event in Washington, D.C. about the growing impact of the Direct Primary Care clinic model in combating physician burnout and promoting sustainable, relationship-based healthcare, so the next main episode will drop next Sunday. 

This episode continues to spotlight the latest issue of “The Toolkit,” a free DPC magazine curated by My DPC Story, designed to supp...

In this episode, I am introducing the Open Enrollment Season Survival Kit. Drawing from over four years of experience at Big Trees MD (and interviewing fellow DPC Physicians), the survival kit aims to assist doctors and their Medicare-age patients during open enrollment. The kit includes customizable communication templates, tracking tools, and social media content, all designed to bolster patient relationships. Additionally, Patre...

In this episode of the My DPC Story Podcast, Dr. Lisa Tritto shares her inspiring journey from general pediatrics to specializing in pediatric obesity medicine through the Direct Primary Care (DPC) model. As the first physician at Evora for Kids in St. Louis, Dr. Tritto discusses why DPC reignited her passion for medicine, allowing for longer, more meaningful patient visits and personalized weight management care for children and a...

In this inspiring episode of the My DPC Story Podcast, host Dr. Maryal Concepcion talks with Dr. Kathryn Dreger, a board-certified Internal Medicine physician and founder of Prime-PLC, a Direct Primary Care (DPC) practice in Arlington, Virginia. Dr. Dreger shares her journey from fee-for-service medicine to launching her thriving DPC clinic, highlighting how DPC restores time, trust, and personalized relationships in primary care. ...

Today we hear from Dr. Dana Mincer, founder of Love Health Direct Primary Care in Fort Washington, Pennsylvania, to share her personal journey and the transformative impact of Direct Primary Care (DPC) on patient care and physician well-being. Dr. Mincer discusses her background in holistic and integrative medicine, shaped by unique experiences in Switzerland and Italy, which informed her passion for reimagining American healthcare...

Today host Dr. Maryal Concepcion, MD FAAFP interviews Dr. Teresa Lovins, MD FAAFP and a nationally recognized family physician and owner of Lovin My Health Direct Primary Care (DPC) in Columbus, Indiana. Dr. Lovins shares her journey from traditional fee-for-service medicine to the DPC model, highlighting how DPC restores physician joy, prevents burnout, and strengthens doctor-patient relationships. She dispels common DPC myths, di...

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, ...

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 commu...

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 fina...

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 ...