The Direct Care Podcast For Specialists

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Owning a medical practice can be scary, but not always for the reasons you think.

When I opened my practice in 2018, I worried about cash flow, delayed insurance payments, and whether I could make payroll—even with a full schedule.

In this episode, I’m sharing six realities of insurance-based practice, from chasing payments and rising expenses to unpaid work and audits. These are experiences I’ve lived through and lessons I want other doctors to learn before facing them firsthand.

Because being a good doctor isn’t enough. You also need a sustainable business.

Watch my conversation with Dr. James O’Leary on YouTube: https://youtu.be/M-stbRt6y28?si=_ZClwmmqvUcoksje

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--> The Tea on Direct Care, a weekly sip on direct care delivered to your inbox Sign up here

NEW 3rd Annual Mastering Private Practice Course hosted by SoMeDocs: includes Operational Systems That Prevent Physician Burnout by Tea Nguyen, DPM and many others. Buy tickets here

Contact me here

Direct Care Guide here (Canva document)

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• EMR I'm currently using in my Direct Care practice Simple Practice
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What if the next big opportunity for your direct specialty care practice is working directly with local employers?

Businesses spend thousands of dollars on employee healthcare every month, yet their employees may wait months to see a specialist. Meanwhile, you might have appointments available just minutes away.

In EP 245, I’m breaking down why direct contracting with self-funded employers could be the next frontier for specialists. Learn how this model works, why employers may benefit from transparent pricing and faster access to care, and how you can start connecting with local businesses and benefits brokers.

Direct specialty care isn’t just about building your own practice. It’s about becoming a valuable healthcare resource for your community.

The opportunity is here. Are you ready to build it?

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• HLTH USA: https://hlth.com/events/usa/
• Direct Specialty Care Alliance membership: https://dscalliance.org/membership/

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Support the show

--> The Tea on Direct Care, a weekly sip on direct care delivered to your inbox Sign up here

NEW 3rd Annual Mastering Private Practice Course hosted by SoMeDocs: includes Operational Systems That Prevent Physician Burnout by Tea Nguyen, DPM and many others. Buy tickets here

Contact me here

Direct Care Guide here (Canva document)

---

Join the Direct Care Society, a private WhatsApp community here. Ads free!

• EMR I'm currently using in my Direct Care practice Simple Practice
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Everyone is talking about going direct care. But what if you actually shouldn’t?

I’m a big advocate for independently owned practices, but direct care is not the right fit for every doctor. In this episode, I’m sharing 7 reasons doctors should NOT go into direct care—from choosing a specialty that doesn’t translate well to cash pay, to running away from the wrong problem, avoiding money conversations, having no financial runway, lacking support at home or at work, being attached to institutional identity, and struggling to make decisions without certainty.

Direct care can create more autonomy, but it also comes with responsibility, risk, and a lot of unknowns.

The goal isn’t to convince every doctor to go direct care. It’s to help you figure out whether this model actually fits you.

Support the show

--> The Tea on Direct Care, a weekly sip on direct care delivered to your inbox Sign up here

NEW 3rd Annual Mastering Private Practice Course hosted by SoMeDocs: includes Operational Systems That Prevent Physician Burnout by Tea Nguyen, DPM and many others. Buy tickets here

Contact me here

Direct Care Guide here (Canva document)

---

Join the Direct Care Society, a private WhatsApp community here. Ads free!

• EMR I'm currently using in my Direct Care practice Simple Practice
• Find me on LinkedIn https://linkedin.com/in/teadpm
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Are you offering free introductory calls in your direct care practice?

In this episode, I’m breaking down when these calls make sense, when you may not need them anymore, and how to use them to find the right patients for your practice.

I’ll walk you through my 5-part introductory call script—from framing the call and understanding their problem to uncovering the cost of doing nothing, helping them picture what they want, and explaining how you can bridge the gap.

If you’re building a direct specialty care practice, this is a skill worth practicing.

Support the show

--> The Tea on Direct Care, a weekly sip on direct care delivered to your inbox Sign up here

NEW 3rd Annual Mastering Private Practice Course hosted by SoMeDocs: includes Operational Systems That Prevent Physician Burnout by Tea Nguyen, DPM and many others. Buy tickets here

Contact me here

Direct Care Guide here (Canva document)

---

Join the Direct Care Society, a private WhatsApp community here. Ads free!

• EMR I'm currently using in my Direct Care practice Simple Practice
• Find me on LinkedIn https://linkedin.com/in/teadpm
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Send us Fan Mail

What if you shouldn’t listen to me?

In this episode, I’m sharing three reasons why I might not be the right person to guide you into direct care.

I’m not a guru with a perfect success story. I’m still evolving, testing ideas in my own practice, and learning from what works, and what doesn’t. I also don’t want the traditional version of success. I work about two and a half clinical days a week because I value freedom, time with my family, and having a life outside of medicine.

And I’m only eight years into private practice. But that means I still remember the fear, mistakes, and uncertainty that come with building a practice from the ground up.

If you’re a physician considering direct care, leaving insurance, or simply building a private practice that gives you more freedom, this episode will give you a clear look at my perspective, and whether it’s the right fit for you.

Support the show

--> The Tea on Direct Care, a weekly sip on direct care delivered to your inbox Sign up here

NEW 3rd Annual Mastering Private Practice Course hosted by SoMeDocs: includes Operational Systems That Prevent Physician Burnout by Tea Nguyen, DPM and many others. Buy tickets here

Contact me here

Direct Care Guide here (Canva document)

---

Join the Direct Care Society, a private WhatsApp community here. Ads free!

• EMR I'm currently using in my Direct Care practice Simple Practice
• Find me on LinkedIn https://linkedin.com/in/teadpm
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Why do I answer my own phone?

Because I can.

And honestly, that’s one of the things I love about direct care.

I don’t need a big staff, layers of people, or a complicated system between me and my patients to run a successful practice.

In this episode, I’m talking about why I still answer the phone, collect payments, schedule patients, and keep my practice simple—and why the traditional idea of what a “successful” private practice looks like can actually get in the way of the freedom you’re trying to create.

More patients. More employees. Bigger office. Higher overhead.

None of those automatically mean more freedom or more profit.

If you’re thinking about building a direct care practice, this episode will help you rethink what your practice actually needs—and what you can let go of.

Support the show

--> The Tea on Direct Care, a weekly sip on direct care delivered to your inbox Sign up here

NEW 3rd Annual Mastering Private Practice Course hosted by SoMeDocs: includes Operational Systems That Prevent Physician Burnout by Tea Nguyen, DPM and many others. Buy tickets here

Contact me here

Direct Care Guide here (Canva document)

---

Join the Direct Care Society, a private WhatsApp community here. Ads free!

• EMR I'm currently using in my Direct Care practice Simple Practice
• Find me on LinkedIn https://linkedin.com/in/teadpm
• More resources teadpm.com

Send us Fan Mail

Before you can build a direct care practice, you have to start thinking like a direct care doctor.

The insurance model has trained us to think that more patients means more money, that we should only offer what insurance covers, and that taking insurance is the “safe” choice.

But what if those beliefs are exactly what’s keeping you stuck?

In this episode, I break down four insurance mindsets you need to unlearn if you want to build a thriving direct care practice—and start thinking differently about your time, your expertise, your patients, and your money.

If you're thinking about leaving insurance or building a cash-pay practice, start here.

Support the show

--> The Tea on Direct Care, a weekly sip on direct care delivered to your inbox Sign up here

NEW 3rd Annual Mastering Private Practice Course hosted by SoMeDocs: includes Operational Systems That Prevent Physician Burnout by Tea Nguyen, DPM and many others. Buy tickets here

Contact me here

Direct Care Guide here (Canva document)

---

Join the Direct Care Society, a private WhatsApp community here. Ads free!

• EMR I'm currently using in my Direct Care practice Simple Practice
• Find me on LinkedIn https://linkedin.com/in/teadpm
• More resources teadpm.com

Send us Fan Mail

What if the “safe” path in medicine is actually keeping you from practicing the way you want?

After nearly 20 years treating eating disorders, Dr. Lauren Hartman left the traditional healthcare system to build Aspen Grove Adolescent & Young Adult Medicine, a direct-care practice in Berkeley, California.

We talk about leaving security behind, betting on yourself, charging for your value, and designing a practice around time, autonomy, and the care patients actually need.

Dr. Hartman is a double board-certified pediatrician and adolescent medicine specialist, serves on the Eating Disorder Committee for SAHM, and is the author of Freeing Children and Young Adults from Shame, Scales and Stigma, published by Routledge in March 2026.

Connect with her:

• Website: Aspen Grove
• Instagram: @laurenhartmanmd
• Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/lauren-hartman-b4bab9a0
• Book: Freeing Children and Young Adults from Shame, Scales, and Stigma

Support the show

--> The Tea on Direct Care, a weekly sip on direct care delivered to your inbox Sign up here

NEW 3rd Annual Mastering Private Practice Course hosted by SoMeDocs: includes Operational Systems That Prevent Physician Burnout by Tea Nguyen, DPM and many others. Buy tickets here

Contact me here

Direct Care Guide here (Canva document)

---

Join the Direct Care Society, a private WhatsApp community here. Ads free!

• EMR I'm currently using in my Direct Care practice Simple Practice
• Find me on LinkedIn https://linkedin.com/in/teadpm
• More resources teadpm.com

Send us Fan Mail

What happens when a physician decides she’s done practicing medicine like a robot?

In this episode, I talk with Dr. Cheruba Prabakar about leaving employed medicine, building a direct specialty care practice, creating memberships, offering concierge-level surgical care, and hiring another physician.

We also talk about her journey to becoming The Fibroid Doc and the book she created to help women better understand fibroids and their treatment options.

A conversation about building a medical practice—and a career—that works for you.

Connect with her: 

• Personal Website: The Fibroid Doc
• Practice Website: Lamorinda Gynecology and Surgery
• Instagram: @thefibroiddoc
• YouTube: @TheFibroidDoc

Support the show

--> The Tea on Direct Care, a weekly sip on direct care delivered to your inbox Sign up here

NEW 3rd Annual Mastering Private Practice Course hosted by SoMeDocs: includes Operational Systems That Prevent Physician Burnout by Tea Nguyen, DPM and many others. Buy tickets here

Contact me here

Direct Care Guide here (Canva document)

---

Join the Direct Care Society, a private WhatsApp community here. Ads free!

• EMR I'm currently using in my Direct Care practice Simple Practice
• Find me on LinkedIn https://linkedin.com/in/teadpm
• More resources teadpm.com

Send us Fan Mail

In this episode, I’m celebrating eight years in private practice—and sharing the real story of how I built the practice I actually have today.

When I opened my doors in 2018, I definitely did not have it all figured out. I started with an insurance-based model, struggled financially, navigated the pandemic, dropped Medicare, and eventually opted out of all insurance. Along the way, my practice, and my life changed in ways I never planned for.

I’m also sharing some of the unexpected challenges I faced in 2026, including major personal changes and uncertainty about my office space. And yes, there was a taco truck involved.

This is the final episode in my three-part series on building a profitable direct specialty care practice. My biggest takeaway? You don’t need to have everything figured out before you start. You just need to take the next step, stay flexible, and keep moving forward.

Support the show

--> The Tea on Direct Care, a weekly sip on direct care delivered to your inbox Sign up here

NEW 3rd Annual Mastering Private Practice Course hosted by SoMeDocs: includes Operational Systems That Prevent Physician Burnout by Tea Nguyen, DPM and many others. Buy tickets here

Contact me here

Direct Care Guide here (Canva document)

---

Join the Direct Care Society, a private WhatsApp community here. Ads free!

• EMR I'm currently using in my Direct Care practice Simple Practice
• Find me on LinkedIn https://linkedin.com/in/teadpm
• More resources teadpm.com