Sure, you know there are plenty of them. Clinics are everywhere—off the highway or near hospitals—mostly sporting the logo of a large corporation. The doctors work in large offices with lots of staff, administrators, and new-fangled apps and AI to enhance your experience. Of course, there’s the inevitable satisfaction survey, and you’re likely reminded multiple times before you leave to say the office “exceeded expectations” and that you’re “very satisfied.” But are you?
I’m not saying the doctors and staff don’t care or aren’t working hard—they do, and they are. In fact, they’re likely overworked and exhausted by the endless stream of new initiatives and protocols their company continually adopts. Despite everything these companies claim to do to improve quality, something is missing: the personal touch.
It’s the doctor your family has known for years. The one you run into at high school football games or charity events, who always asks about the kids. The doctor you can call on the phone and actually get a callback from. When you say, “Grandma is having one of her spells again,” this doctor knows exactly what you mean and can set things in motion for real help. That’s what a family doctor is supposed to be.
What happened?
I’ve felt this loss keenly because I am a family doctor and used to work in “big-box” medicine. I did it for 15 years. It was as unfulfilling for me as it is for you. It wasn’t what I wanted for myself, my patients, or my career. Most importantly, I didn’t want my kids to see their mom come home every night and complain about her job.
I had to make a change, and it took years of research, introspection, and soul-searching to figure out the answer. I’d seen plenty of doctors jump from one job to the next, never finding happiness. It’s always just the same poison with a different flavor. I didn’t want that. If I was going to make a change, it had to be a complete shift in paradigm.
Family medicine is a relationship-based healing partnership between doctor and patient. The current system has eroded that relationship, and we can blame three big players:
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Large hospital systems
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Insurance
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Medicare/Medicaid
To restore the doctor-patient relationship, I had to eliminate the third parties entirely. It seemed daunting, but my research revealed a grassroots movement among like-minded physicians. These doctors were leaving corporate medicine and creating private, physician-owned clinics under a new model called Direct Primary Care (DPC).
In this concierge model, patients pay a monthly membership fee for unlimited access to their doctor. There are no additional charges for office visits. Patients can reach their doctor through email, text, phone, or telemedicine. The goal isn’t just better access but also price transparency. Few things erode the doctor-patient relationship more than surprise bills.
Many tests patients need—like EKGs, strep tests, flu tests, urinalyses, and vision screenings—are provided at no additional cost. Blood tests are billed separately because the lab charges the doctor, but the rates are much lower. For example, a lipid panel costs $6 under this model instead of $100 or more through insurance. On average, DPC doctors save their patients 90% on lab bills.
Of course, you still need insurance for catastrophic events. If there’s a car accident, an ICU stay, or a cancer diagnosis, insurance is vital. But in primary care, insurance complicates care and drives up costs. Think of it like car insurance: you use it for accidents, not for every gas fill-up. Primary care is like filling the tank.
Eight years ago, I took a leap of faith. I left big-box medicine and started a tiny DPC clinic in Rockwall called Gem MD. The name came from a patient who called me a “gem” on a satisfaction survey. It was scary—I was a single mom with three kids, leaving a comfortable six-figure salary for something I never thought would make money. I sold my house and lived off the proceeds for the first year.
But it was worth it. I connected with my patients in a whole new way. I learned new things about patients I’d known for years because, in this model, I finally had the time to sit and listen.
Over the past eight years, my clinic has grown slowly but steadily. It’s now more successful and rewarding than I ever dreamed. I love the patients I’ve connected with and the impact I’ve had on the community. I’ve responded to my patients’ needs by creating a weight management program and adding IV hydration services.
I love Rockwall and look forward to continuing to grow with this community. We are accepting new patients and invite you to experience family medicine the way it’s meant to be.