Direct Primary Care (DPC) is changing the landscape of preventive medicine and primary care across the country, and Dr. Sarah Marino’s practice is bringing that change to the Texas Hill Country. DPC is the simplest model of healthcare delivery: a patient, a doctor, and a monthly patient membership investment, which provides doctors and patients more time together, more autonomy, more opportunity for trust, and virtually unlimited high-quality primary care.
Dr. Marino chose this practice of medicine at a time in her life when key life events reminded her to redefine her personal and professional values, which include freedom and flexibility, holistic health and wellness, patient and physician autonomy, and healthy stewardship of time and resources. Becoming a mother in the wake of 2020 catapulted her into entrepreneurship for the sake of these values.
- Holistic wellness as the backbone of preventive care.
- Flexibility for patients to make their own health decisions and maintain physician support.
- Better stewardship of patient dollars and transparency in cost structures.
- Freedom from third parties.
- Time. To talk to patients. To know them, their families, and their stories. To thoroughly investigate health issues. To tailor strategic care plans. To have more face-to-face time and less time at a computer.
Leaving hospital work for full-time clinic medicine was bittersweet and not something she took lightly. Hundreds of hours were spent dreaming, writing, planning, and seeking counsel. Throughout the decision process, she continued to see this model of medicine as not only better for patients but healthier for herself and her family. Perhaps most importantly, it offered the opportunity for a fulfilling career that didn’t sacrifice thousands of hours of motherhood. It also offered space for her own health and room for joy in her work. And it took her back to how and why her pursuit of medicine ever started: a love for learning and science, curiosity around the “why,” and a desire to solve problems with all of this utilized to help people be the healthiest version of themselves.
For patients in need of a primary care physician that offers a holistic approach to preventive medicine and illness, Dr. Marino is currently accepting new patient members.