My DPC Story
I went into medicine because I wanted to make a difference. I wanted to be an advocate for people when at their most vulnerable. I spent my college years, medical school and residency volunteering in underserved areas especially abroad. My passion was travel and international medicine and I quickly learned about the immense disparities that exist in our own country. I have seen medicine from all sides; I have been a patient, the family member of the patient, and the provider.
Our current system continues to evolve into a greedy corporate owned machine and the disparities continue to grow. I started my own practice 6 years ago after almost quitting medicine 2 years out of residency. I was already burned out. I was being told to “do” more, “see” more patients and “care” less. I met an amazing woman, Maggie (may she Rest In Peace) who introduced me to the world of Integrative Medicine. She had such a strong passion for caring for her patients. She threw her soul into what she did. She was my motivator and she planted the seed for me to start my own practice. She guided me and supported me. She revived the fighter in me and convinced me that I did not have to be like the others.
I started my fellowship in Integrative Medicine in February of 2015. On March 17, 2015, I opened Velez Family Health. We started with 1 room, 2 of us, 2 days a week. My MA and I worked multiple jobs to pay the bills, but we quickly grew. People referred their friends and family to us. They told me they came because I listened, showed compassion and treated them as human beings not a number. I started a traditional insurnace based practice taking insurance because everyone told me that it wouldn’t work any other way. But, I was trying to also provide extended appointment times which does not get reimbursed by insurance.
A few years in, we were so busy, and dealing with all the hassles and overhead that went with taking insurance causes. We were stuck in the hamster wheel. I was stuck practicing medicine in the very system I had been trying to avoid. I deeply cared for my patients and felt that I was not doing them justice. I was unable to give them my all. Again, I became overwhelmed, stressed, anxious and burned out. Not only was I working more than ever but I was also dealing with illness of family members, multiple deaths of loved ones, and unexpected loss of certain staff members. I reached a point where I just could not do it anymore. I was sacrificing myself, my relationships, and my patients and was not living up to what inspired me and motivated me. So I decided I had to make a change. Either I would figure out how to find joy in medicine again or it was time to leave medicine altogether.
At the same time, like a miracle, I discovered Direct Primary Care (DPC). I began to network and research. The DPC community is like none other. The camaraderie and support we provide each other is amazing. It is more than a model of medicine or a business model, it is a movement. It restored my faith and passion in medicine. It allows me to return what I envision “real medicine” is- a relationship between myself and my patient. I transitioned my practice to Direct Primary Care on Jan 1st, 2021. It’s only been a few weeks but I’m loving it so far. I feel a sense of freedom and can truly express my passion for medicine and caring for my members. I feel we are doing right by our members and truly providing the kind of care they deserve. DPC has saved me and I hope it can do the same for you.
Thank you @dr.aleeagupta, @plantbased.student, and @drkristamarie- and all the DPC docs around the country. #DiscoverDPC #velezfamilyhealth #directprimarycare #directprimarycaremodel #dpc #primarycare #familymedicine #integrativemedicine #healthiswealth #healthisahumanright #publichealth #bethechange #standup #beahero #stickittotheman #equality #healthdisparities #equity #healthequity