Why do we wait until people are “sick enough” before helping them get healthy?

In this episode of the Take Charge with HELPcare Podcast, Lee Aase and Dan Hinmon welcome Sara Persinger, DNP, one of HELPcare’s newest nurse practitioners. Sara shares her journey from growing up on a Wisconsin dairy farm to working at Mayo Clinic and ultimately finding her calling in relationship-based primary care.

They talk about the difference between managing disease and pursuing optimal health, why the traditional system often misses early warning signs, and how the HELPcare model allows practitioners to spend the time needed to truly understand and help patients.

Sara also shares a powerful story about how slowing down in a patient visit created space for a conversation that turned out to be far more important than the reason the patient came in.

If you’ve ever felt rushed through a healthcare visit or wondered why prevention often comes too late, this conversation will give you a new perspective.

It’s time to Take Charge of your health.

What does it look like when a nurse practitioner with surgical experience, wound care expertise, and a deeply personal understanding of caregiving joins HELPcare?

In this episode of Take Charge with HELPcare, Lee Aase and Dan Hinmon welcome Karen Popp, CNP, to the team — and to the podcast.

Karen shares her journey from growing up on a Minnesota farm to working in orthopedic surgery, nursing homes, wound care, and solo primary care. She opens up about caring for her parents through Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s — and how that experience shaped her empathy, decision-making, and passion for adult and geriatric care.

We also talk about:

• Why she was drawn to the Direct Primary Care model

• What surprised her most about HELPcare’s comprehensive lab panels

• The freedom of practicing medicine without insurance constraints

• Why 60-minute visits change the patient experience

• The power of collaboration among clinicians

In the old system, care is rushed, testing is limited, and insurance drives decisions.

In our model, membership means:
More time.
More thorough testing.
Predictable costs.
Real relationships.

No surprise bills.
Most of the care you need — covered.

If you’ve ever felt like your care was fragmented or rushed, this episode will show you there’s another way.

It’s time to Take Charge.

What if your doctor could catch health problems while your body is still whispering instead of waiting until it’s shouting?

In this episode of Take Charge with HELPcare, founder Lee Aase and co‑host Dan Hinmon introduce Dr. Dawn Jacobson, the newest physician joining HELPcare Clinic Rochester on January 6.

Dr. Jacobson is board certified in preventive medicine and integrative and functional medicine. She blends advanced lab testing, lifestyle medicine, and a body–mind–spirit perspective to help patients prevent and even reverse chronic disease before it fully takes hold.

You’ll hear Dr. Jacobson explain:

• What integrative and functional medicine actually are, in plain language 
• How she uses expanded lab panels (often 70+ markers) to see what’s happening at the cellular level
• What she calls the body’s “whispers” – subtle symptoms many people are told to ignore – and how she investigates them 
• The four types of data she uses to guide care: labs, your daily habits, how you feel, and current medical evidence 
• Why gut health, toxins, infections, hormones and lifestyle can all drive issues like fatigue, skin problems, joint pain, mood changes and more 
• Her training in the Bredesen Protocol for dementia and Alzheimer’s prevention, and practical steps to start protecting your brain now 
• How HELPcare Clinic’s direct primary care membership model gives her the time and flexibility to do deep preventive, root‑cause work

Dr. Jacobson will provide specialty integrative and functional medicine visits at HELPcare Clinic Rochester, building on the extensive lab testing already included in HELPcare Premier membership.

If you’ve ever been told “your labs are normal” but you still don’t feel well, or you’re worried about long‑term brain health and dementia risk, this conversation will give you a hopeful, science‑based path to start taking charge.

Learn more about HELPcare Clinic or explore membership at HELPcare.health.

Open enrollment is more complicated—and more important—than ever. In this episode of Take Charge with HELPcare, Lee Aase sits down with licensed insurance expert Kelly Connaughty of HealthMarkets to break down the seismic shifts happening in Medicare Advantage, MnSure exchange plans, and the individual insurance market.

Kelly has great experience guiding individuals and families through the enrollment process, including many HELPcare Clinic members, and he brings a clear, practical perspective to issues affecting Minnesotans this year.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why major Medicare Advantage plans are disappearing across SE Minnesota

• How Mayo Clinic’s network changes affect your coverage options

• What rising premiums and the 2026 subsidy “cliff” mean for families

• How recent HSA enhancements open new opportunities to save

• Why Bronze plans now pair better than ever with Direct Primary Care

• Real-life examples of families saving thousands by switching smart

• Why working with a MnSure assister costs nothing—and can save you a lot

Whether you're reviewing your current plan, exploring HELPcare Clinic membership, or just trying to understand your choices, this episode gives you the tools to navigate open enrollment with confidence.

Hosted by:
Lee Aase, HELPcare Founder

Dan Hinmon

Guest:
Kelly Connaughty, Licensed Insurance Agent, HealthMarkets

🎉 Big news for Albert Lea!

In this special episode of Take Charge with HELPcare, host Lee Aase joins co-host Dan Hinmon to share an exciting announcement: HELPcare Clinic is expanding to Albert Lea, Minnesota, with a brand-new clinic opening in early 2026!

Lee tells the inside story of how everything came together — from discovering the perfect location in Skyline Plaza (the former VA outpatient clinic space) to connecting with two talented nurse practitioners who will be joining the HELPcare team.

You’ll also hear why this expansion means so much to the community. After years of frustration with limited local healthcare options — including the closures of Mayo Express Care and MercyOne — HELPcare is stepping in to provide something truly different: affordable, unhurried, relationship-based primary care that helps members take charge of their own health.

Lee and Dan also preview the upcoming HELPcare Community Kickoff event on Wednesday, November 20 at 6:30 p.m. at Wedgewood Cove Golf Club in Albert Lea. The free event will feature:

• A documentary screening of It’s Not Personal, It’s Just Healthcare

• Introductions to HELPcare’s new practitioners

• Real stories from current HELPcare members

• Details on a special early-bird membership offer

💚 HELPcare Clinic’s direct primary care model is all about putting people first. Members enjoy unlimited primary care for a flat monthly fee, longer visits, and lab testing included — all without insurance hassles or surprise bills.

Whether you’re in Albert Lea, Austin, or anywhere looking for a better healthcare experience, this episode explains how HELPcare is helping members truly take charge of their health.

🎟️ Reserve your free ticket for the community kickoff at helpcare.health
📍 Learn more about HELPcare Clinic – Albert Lea

Episode highlights:

• Why HELPcare Clinic is expanding to Albert Lea

• How direct primary care empowers patients

• What makes HELPcare’s membership model unique

• Details on the community kickoff event

• Real stories from members who’ve experienced the HELPcare difference

Keywords: HELPcare Clinic, Albert Lea healthcare, direct primary care, Lee Aase, Take Charge podcast, healthcare innovation, Minnesota primary care, affordable healthcare

In Part 1, we uncovered how America’s healthcare system became what Chris Deacon calls a “coordinated heist.” 

Now, in Part 2, we focus on the solutions—and how employers, unions, and individuals can take charge of healthcare and make it work for real people again.

Chris, author of The Great American Healthcare Heist and former director of one of the largest public-sector health plans in the U.S., shares practical, hopeful steps toward reform. We explore how restoring trust, rebuilding relationships, and removing middlemen can transform both patient and provider experiences.

👉 In this episode, we discuss:

• How direct primary care (DPC) brings patients and doctors closer together

• Why investing in primary care is the smartest move employers can make

• How high-deductible health plans and misaligned incentives discourage care

• The new role of Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) in funding DPC memberships

• What 501R hospital charity programs can do to protect patients from medical debt

• How reform benefits not just patients—but also doctors—by restoring joy and purpose in medicine

At HELPcare Clinic, we believe in making healthcare personal, transparent, and affordable again. This episode with Chris Deacon will inspire you to see that change isn’t just possible—it’s already happening.

💬 “Anything that moves the patient and provider closer together is the right direction,” Chris says—and that’s exactly what we’re working toward.

🎧 Listen now and learn how we can all help fix what’s broken.

Southern Minnesota Employers: Request your FREE copy of Chris Deacon's book.

📘 Learn more about Chris’s book The Great American Healthcare Heist
🌐 Explore HELPcare Clinic’s direct primary care model.

#TakeChargeWithHELPcare #ChrisDeacon #HealthcareReform #DirectPrimaryCare #EmployerHealthcare #HealthRosetta #HELPcareClinic #PrimaryCareInnovation #RestoringTheSoulOfHealthcare

Why does American healthcare cost so much—and deliver so little?

In this eye-opening episode of Take Charge with HELPcare, we talk with Chris Deacon, author of The Great American Healthcare Heist and featured voice in the documentary It’s Not Personal, It’s Just Healthcare. Chris has spent years inside the system—first as a lawyer, then as the director of one of the largest public-sector health plans in the country, covering more than 820,000 New Jersey employees and retirees.

From that insider perspective, she shares why she calls our healthcare system a “coordinated heist.” Hospitals, insurers, and pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) all play their parts in keeping costs high and transparency low—while the rest of us foot the bill.

👉 In this conversation, we cover:

• How Chris’s journey from public service to advocacy revealed the system’s deep flaws

• Why she describes American healthcare as a “heist” — and who’s really profiting

• The misaligned incentives that reward growth and sickness over health and prevention

• The role of hospitals, insurers, and PBMs in driving up costs

• How “vertical integration” lets giant corporations profit from every part of your care

Chris brings candor, courage, and clarity to a topic that affects every American household. Her book, The Great American Healthcare Heist, breaks down a complex system into simple truths—and our conversation does the same.

🎙️ Tune in to understand why we’re paying more, getting less, and what it will take to change it.

📘 Learn more about Chris Deacon’s book: The Great American Healthcare Heist
🌐 Explore HELPcare Clinic’s direct primary care model: 
🔔 Subscribe to Take Charge with HELPcare for the next episode, where we explore real solutions for taking charge of your healthcare.

For more than two decades, Christy Haag lived with the exhaustion, brain fog, and frustration of Hashimoto’s disease. Despite countless doctor visits, she was told her labs looked “normal.” But she didn’t feel normal—and she was ready for a change.

In this episode of Take Charge with HELPcare, Christy shares her powerful journey of transformation:

• How personalized care at HELPcare Clinic helped her finally understand her thyroid and trust her body again

• The one-on-one coaching that guided her through real-life challenges—even a cruise buffet line

• The lifestyle changes that led to a 38-pound weight loss, renewed energy, and a calmer spirit

• How her husband joined her journey and lost 45 pounds too

Christy’s story is a reminder that you don’t have to settle for “normal.” With the right support, you can take charge of your health—and your future.

👉 Learn more about HELPcare Clinic at HELPcare.health

What if your company could dramatically reduce healthcare costs while improving quality of care? In this episode of Take Charge with HELPcare, guest Matt Ohrt shares how employers can stop overpaying for overpriced procedures, embrace direct primary care as the heartbeat of smarter health plans, and give employees better access to the care they deserve.

Matt joins hosts Lee Aase and Dan Hinmon to break down practical strategies that HR leaders and business owners can use to manage claims, avoid runaway premiums, and put people—not insurance companies—back at the center of healthcare. From real-world cost comparisons to the power of local, community-based solutions, this conversation reveals how cutting costs doesn’t mean cutting care.

When rising healthcare costs threatened Merrill Steel, HR leader Matt Ohrt pioneered a direct primary care clinic that saved millions and improved employee health. Now as Executive Director of the Free Market Medical Association and co-founder of new health plans, Matt shares how direct primary care (DPC) and direct specialty care (DSC) are transforming healthcare for employers, patients, and communities.