Episode 17 – What is Direct Primary Care? Beautiful!

Jennifer McCabe Lentz, MD, and I talk about the Direct Primary Care (DPC) practice she built which transformed her professional life and home life. 

In 2017 she launched her DPC practice. Direct Primary Care means there is no middle-man between the physician and the patient—their relationship is direct. She takes no insurance. Her patients pay a monthly fee which covers most of the care she provides. Her patients can access her by email, text, phone, and with in-person visits—of whatever length of time is needed. When blood tests, biopsies, or imaging studies are needed, she helps her patients find the lowest prices. 

She has the whole gamut of patients—from patients with no insurance “and no money”— to people who have what they regard as good insurance. It’s important her patients with insurance keep it in case of hospitalizations, pricey procedures, or visits to a specialist. Many patients with insurance can pay the monthly DPC fee (usually $65), get personalized care from Dr. Lentz, and save money.  

A core component of her practice is guiding patients through lifestyle changes to address metabolic syndrome. Dr. Lentz is able to make dramatic differences in her patients’ lives and she loves every minute of it. 

In this episode:

• It’s not just do no harm—it’s also do no financial harm
• Physician champions developed a 90 point checklist to help launch DPC practices
• Direct Primary Care impact:
  • From 2000 patients to a DPC panel of 475 patients
  • From 28 patients a day to 28 patients a week
  • From daily prior authorization hassles to just 5 in 24 months
  • From survive to THRIVE
• Carbohydrate restricted diets have allowed her to get patients off insulin—a recent success is a patient who had been on 50 units/day

Meet Dr. Lentz:

Dr. Lentz graduated from the University of Colorado School of Medicine in 2001. She then completed the Fort Collins Family Medicine Residency in 2004, when she was also board certified in Family Medicine. She spent 4 years practicing medicine in rural Washington then came home to Northern Colorado where she has continued to practice. She was blessed to leave big system medicine in 2017 and open her own direct primary care practice on January 2, 2018.

Over her years as a family doctor, Dr. Lentz realized that combining lifestyle changes with medication resulted in more successful long term results. These successes come from dedicated personalized counseling on lifestyle habits and food changes. In 2016, Dr. Lentz earned her board certification in obesity medicine and she has been a long-time advocate of Low Carb High Fat (LCHF) and Intermittent Fasting (IF) to treat metabolic disorders. Not only has she seen success with her patients, but both she and her family live a healthy LCHF lifestyle.

Dr. Lentz’s patients are her passion. Her goal is to build a true doctor-patient relationship, working in partnership with her patients to live a healthier life through good nutrition. Being a Direct Medical provider allows excellent care while removing the obstacles and hassles that are commonly dealt with when seeking healthcare.

Resources: 

www.itiswhatyoueat.net  
www.directfamilycareofnoco.com
E-mail: hello@directfamilycareofnoco.com

SOCIAL MEDIA INFORMATION:

• Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/Itiswhatyoueat 
• Twitter: @cofnoco
• Instagram: @itiswhatyoueat_drlentz, @dfcofnoco, 
• Linkedin: Jennifer McCabe Lentz

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