Unlocking The Future Of Healthcare with DR. JEFF PANZER - Ep. 18

Today on the show host Steve Ordower sits down with Dr. Jeff Panzer, who recently started his own Direct Primary Care (DPC) clinic in Evanston, IL - BRIDGE DIRECT CARE - focused on building relationships with his patients. This is a transformative paradigm that allows doctors to deliver health care in a genuine way, not dictated by the profit motive structure imposed by insurance companies. A great deal of health care in the U.S. is called "managed care", but it may as well be called "managed profits," and this Direct Primary Care model is in direct contrast to this. If you've been realizing how upside down our health care system is in our country, this conversation may give you some hope and inspiration. Dr. Panzer talked about getting back to a way in which his father practiced health care - it was all about relationships, and this paradigm is bringing back the humaneness to health care. There are quite a few doctors embracing the DPC model across the U.S., and this episode will give some insight into how it works. This is also one of the interviews that will be part of our INCENTIVES series, that looks at incentive structures in our society that lead to detrimental outcomes. The goal of the series is to identify these structures as a first step to transforming them.

Below you'll find Dr. Panzer's philosophy, background, information about his clinic, the DPC model, as well as some insightful articles that were discussed in this episode - one of which Dr. Panzer co-authored.

" I love family medicine because it allows me to build meaningful relationships with patients and improve people’s lives. In a traditional doctor’s office, however, I was spending too much time on my computer and struggling with insurance companies and the confusing health care system. I didn’t have enough time to provide the care and attention that my patients needed. I knew there had to be a better way–and that is why I started Bridge Direct Care.

I believe that health care is not a product that is given to a patient. It is something that doctors and patients create together. This requires trusting long-term relationships and patient empowerment. Patients deserve to have their needs met quickly and respectfully by someone they know and trust. " 

Dr. Jeff Panzer is a family physician and has been practicing in Chicago since 2010. He attended Temple University School of Medicine and did his family medicine residency at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia, PA. He later received his Master’s degree in healthcare quality and patient safety from Northwestern University.  

Since graduating residency in 2009, Dr. Jeff has worked both caring for patients and at the system level to try to bring relationships back to the forefront of healthcare where they rightfully belong. He continues to work part-time as the vice president of care transformation for Tapestry 360 Health (a federally-qualified health center on the northside of Chicago) and the physician innovator at AllianceChicago. He previously served as a medical director at a health center in rural Ethiopia, and as a practice transformation consultant at the American Medical Association (AMA). He can provide patient care in English and Spanish. 

Outside of the office, Dr. Jeff enjoys spending time with his wife and three children, running, beach volleyball, reading, camping, and coaching his children’s sports teams.

A Different Way, Better Care

Bridge Direct Care provides family medicine services that put you first. Dr. Jeff and his team offer comprehensive primary care that is accessible, affordable, and personalized. By using a low-cost membership model, we can provide better care by building closer, stronger relationships with our patients and addressing health needs more quickly and effectively.