direct primary care

How to Hire a Doctor for Your Direct Primary Care Practice

How to Hire a Doctor for Your Direct Primary Care Practice

As a Direct Primary Care doctor, you started an amazing practice, and you’ve worked so hard up to this point to build out your work flows and to grow your panel, optimize revenue collection, and train your staff. You’ve done such a great job that, now, you’ve got a waiting list! Congratulations! People have heard great things about your clinic and they’re ready to signup!

Just one little problem - you’re fully booked and you can’t take on any more patients, and you really would like to go on a care-free vacation. Sounds like it’s time to hire another doctor!

Hiring a doctor for your direct primary care practice can be challenging as it involves several important steps. Here's a general guide to help you through the process:

  1. Determine your needs: Assess your practice's requirements to identify the specific role and responsibilities you want the doctor to fulfill. Consider factors such as patient load, personality fit, and any additional skills or expertise you desire. The biggest thing you need to assess is this: does this person believe what I believe? Are they down for the mission of our clinic? Because you don’t just want a doctor, you want the doctor. You need to make sure their heart is in the right place, and honestly, the rest will follow.

  2. Create a job description: Develop a comprehensive job description that outlines the qualifications, responsibilities, and expectations for the doctor position. Include details about the direct primary care model, your practice's mission, vision, and values, and any unique aspects of your approach.

  3. Write a contract or have a lawyer help you write a contract. This is a job and also a legal obligation - having everything in writing and signed by both parties is crucial to getting what you want and showing the new doctor what to expect. We share our sample contract in our Startup DPC course, on how to hire a doctor!

  4. Advertise the position: Utilize various channels to attract potential candidates. Post the job description on online job boards, medical association websites, social media platforms, and consider reaching out to local medical schools or residency programs. Networking within the medical community may also help you find suitable candidates. If you’ve built a strong social media ground game for your direct primary care practice, chances are there are other doctors on the outside looking in and wanting to join you! It may take one, well-written social media post to find the perfect practice partner. Additionally, your alumni reunion activities for your medical school may be a great place to find another doctor or your residency program - if you’re 3, 5, 7, or 10 years out, you may have a colleague who is looking for a change of pace or for that DPC work-life balance.

  5. Review applications and conduct interviews: Carefully review the applications you receive, considering the candidates' qualifications, experience, and compatibility with your practice's values. Shortlist the most promising candidates and invite them for interviews. Conduct thorough interviews to assess their clinical skills, communication abilities, and alignment with your practice's philosophy. You will probably want to have your medical assistant interview the prospective person as well, and you’ll want to ask the same questions to each candidate to ensure a fair and balanced interview process.

  6. Check references: Contact the references provided by the candidates to gain insight into their past performance, work ethic, and professionalism. It's important to verify the information provided in their application and ensure they have a good reputation. A great question to ask an old colleague - “how did you feel working with this person?” Another good question: “would you want this doctor caring for your spouse, kids, or parents?”

  7. Observe clinical skills: Consider arranging a practical assessment to evaluate the candidates' clinical skills. This can involve having them perform a mock patient consultation or observe them during a real patient encounter. Assess their ability to provide comprehensive care and establish a good rapport with patients. At Plum Health, we invite our prospective doctors to spend a day or a half day in our clinic to work with us as we see patients. We get a way better understanding of their demeanor and presence in the exam room.

  8. Assess cultural fit: Evaluate the candidate's compatibility with your practice's culture and values. Direct primary care often emphasizes strong doctor-patient relationships, personalized care, and a patient-centric approach. Look for candidates who align with these principles and demonstrate a genuine interest in the direct primary care model.

  9. Offer and negotiate: Once you've identified the most suitable candidate, extend a formal job offer that includes details about compensation, benefits, working hours, and any specific terms or conditions (this is all in your contract ideally!). Be prepared to negotiate certain aspects, such as salary or benefits, if necessary.

  10. Onboarding and orientation: Once the doctor has accepted the offer, facilitate a smooth onboarding process. Provide them with any necessary paperwork, introduce them to your existing staff, familiarize them with your practice's policies and procedures, and provide any training or orientation required.

  11. Ongoing support and development: Support the doctor's professional growth and development by offering opportunities for continuing medical education, attending conferences, or participating in relevant workshops. Encourage open communication and provide a supportive environment that enables them to excel in their role. With our current doctors, we have helped them to get board certified in obesity medicine, shadow other physicians where they have skill deficits, invite speakers for lunch and learns, and send them to exciting conferences! If you challenge your team mates to bring out the best in them, they will bring their best to the office and to patient care.

  12. Start your direct primary care practice in a desirable area! I know this might be a tough pill to swallow, but if you’re in rural community or a community that doesn’t have the resources that support family life (good schools, parks, museums, sports teams, and other enriching activities), you may have a harder time than typical finding great doctors. For us, in Metro Detroit, there are a lot of resources and therefore a lot of talented people in the area - we are blessed to be surrounded by great institutions that attract and retain great talent.

Remember, this guide provides a general framework, and you may need to adapt it based on your specific requirements. Consulting with legal and healthcare professionals in your state can also help ensure compliance with any applicable laws or regulations.

Thanks for reading, and happy hiring!!!

Again, if you want our sample contract and more nitty gritty on this topic, check out our “Hire a Doctor Startup DPC course”, here!

-Dr. Paul Thomas with Plum Health DPC in Detroit, Michigan

Are Dachshunds the Unofficial Mascot of the Direct Primary Care Movement?

Maybe this is the pandemic fatigue talking, but perhaps Dachshunds are the perfect dog breed for an aspiring Direct Primary Care doctor. Perhaps I’m biased, as we have three dachshunds in our family, but I got an amazing email from an aspiring DPC doctor this week that may make the case for dachshunds as the unofficial mascot of the DPC movement.

Here’s our guy, Mr. Fritz, reading his copy of Startup DPC. Fritz is courageous, loyal, and always does the right thing - great qualities for a DPC doctor as well!

According to the internet, the dachshund, is also known as the wiener dog, badger dog, and sausage dog. It’s a short-legged, long-bodied, hound-type dog breed. The Dachshund is described as clever, lively, and courageous to the point of rashness. They’re bred for perseverance, which is another way of saying that they can be stubborn. Dachshunds have a reputation for being entertaining and fearless, but what they want most is to cuddle with their people.

Whenever people pick up a course via our Startup DPC website, I always send a thank you note via email. This time, I got the most delightful response:

Thanks Paul. Not sure if this is an automated email but got your book last year- really well done. Saw you had a dachshund. Here’s a pic of mine reading your book.

Here’s Bella reading Startup DPC - dachshunds are loyal, clever, and lively!

Well, obviously this blog post is just for fun - send your pic of your dog reading a copy of Startup DPC, and we’ll feature them on the next post!
Have a great week,

-Dr. Paul Thomas with Startup DPC

PS. Our Startup DPC book just hit 92 five star reviews on Amazon! Here’s the latest review:

I cannot express enough how helpful this book has been for me and my future plans as a DPC physician. Dr. Thomas explains simply and clearly the steps you need to successfully understand the ins and outs of a DPC practice. Super glad I found and read this book! 10/10 recommend

Our most recent review for the Startup DPC book.

Dr. Paul Thomas at the American Academy of Family Physicians Students and Residents Conference 2021

Dr. Paul Thomas at the American Academy of Family Physicians Students and Residents Conference 2021

In 2021, I got to participate in the AAFP’s Students and Residents Conference! It was a great experience and I loved interacting with students and teaching them about Direct Primary Care. I had a great time, and I think the students learned a lot from the presentation. My session was called “Direct Primary Care: Why Doctors Are Ditching Insurance for a More Fulfilling Practice of Medicine.”

This month, I got the most wonderful email from the AAFP staff about my presentation:

Hi!

Hope you are doing well.

As you may know, each of the National Conference workshops allowed participant review via numerical scores and written comments. These surveys were available throughout the conference and for the duration of time the platform was open for archive viewing. Results have now been tallied, and your session report is attached.

If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out. Thanks again for your participation in National Conference.

Best,

-AAFP Staff

Okay, the email was pretty good, but what was attached was truly wonderful. Attached to the email were the reviews from students, residents, and program directors for the presentation. Here’s those reviews:

  • Amazing and encouraging. I don't know what the solution is to fixing healthcare in America, but this seems very promising.

  • Amazing! Dr. Paul Thomas did a great job.

  • Amazing! Very informative.

  • Caught last half. Always looking for the latest and greatest opportunities for my residents to explore during or after graduation. We had a few residents speaking with interested applicants for this conference, but I don't think they attended your lecture. Our program will definitely be contacting you regarding lecture or rotation in future. You have a plethora of information to share, thank you very much. As a non physician, I will share you with my friends.

  • Fantastic workshop, very informative!

  • Great learning about a new way to practice FM!

  • Great presentation

  • Great talk and I appreciated how he answered so many questions.

  • That was an eye-opening session for me. Thank you!

  • Very helpful indeed. Will share this to our residents.

  • Very informative!

  • Wonderful presentation. Loved the topic has open my mind to a new way to practice FM!

  • Wow, thank you for this presentation. I am inspired and optimistic for the future of family medicine.

On top of that, the overall rating from the 27 survey responses was a 5 out of 5!

Overall, Dr. Paul Thomas got a 5 out of 5 for the Direct Primary Care presentation at the AAFP National Conference.

The comments from students and residents blew me away!

The reviews and comments from the folks who attended this session really blew me away, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to work with the AAFP and teach the future of family medicine about Direct Primary Care and alternative practice models.

Thanks for reading!

-Dr. Paul Thomas with Startup DPC, physician and founder of Plum Health DPC

How to Find a Media Release Form for your Direct Primary Care Practice

How to Make a Media Release Form for your Direct Primary Care Practice

While marketing your practice, you may want to share photos of you taking care of your patients. You can get a verbal consent for this, you can get a written consent for this (via email or text message), but it’s probably best to get a written consent to share people’s likeness on your social media channels. Here’s a sample release that I use for this channel, but it would be easy to update it for your patients in your practice.

If you’d like the PDF copy of this information, please send me your email address, and I’ll send it over! Use the subject, “Please send me your media release form!”

HOW CAN I LEARN MORE ABOUT STARTING AN DIRECT PRIMARY CARE PRACTICE?

If you enjoyed reading this blog post and if you want to learn more about starting and growing your direct primary care practice, look no further than our book and our courses on how to start and grow your direct primary care practice. We at Startup DPC have begun compiling some of the best content available on this blog, in our book, and in our courses.

The best place to start is to take our Direct Primary Care Business Plan course, available here. From there, you can learn how to attract new patients to your direct primary care practice and how to find the perfect location or build out the practice of your dreams.

Thanks for reading and watching, and best of luck in your direct primary care journey!

-Dr. Paul Thomas with Startup DPC

Which Medications Do I Need to Start and Grow a Direct Primary Care Practice?

Which Medications Do I Need to Start and Grow a Direct Primary Care Practice?

Family medicine doctors who are starting direct primary care practices often ask me which medication they need for their direct primary care practice. There are literally thousands of medication that you can order for your practice, and those might include:

  • Amlodipine

  • Amoxicillin

  • Atorvastatin

  • Aviane

  • Bacitracin

  • Benzonatate

  • Boosterix (TDAP)

  • Buspirone

  • Bupropion

  • Carvedilol

  • Cephalexin

  • Clobetasol

  • Ciprofloxacin

  • Citalopram

  • Clindamycin

  • Dexamethasone

  • Dicyclomine

And on, and on, and on….

That being said, my best advice is to order only what you need for your patients when your patients need it. Otherwise, you could end up with a huge inventory of medication that may expire overtime, resulting in a financial loss. Most medications have a shelf life of 12 months to 18 months, so start by ordering a few medications in small quantities, especially if you’re starting from 0 patients or under 100 patients.

This may change if you have a full panel of patients. Simply look at their med lists and order the medications that these patients commonly use. Keep those medications stocked in your inventory, and dispense and re-order as needed.

Right now, our medication inventory is over $7,000, but we started with a $100 order of Lexapro, Amoxicillin, Albuterol, Lidocaine, and a box of Nitrile Gloves.

How to Order medications for your direct primary care practice

In order to get medications into your practice, you need to set up a relationship with a medication wholesaler. We have a contract with AndaMeds and Henry Schein, but you can also contract with Bonita Pharmaceuticals and others. We get free shipping when we order $100 worth of medications at a time, and we get overnight/next day delivery. Most of our meds usually arrive at 10 am the next day if we order by 9:30 pm. Isn’t that fast?

AndaMeds literally has thousands of medications to choose from. As we use up an existing supply of Omeprazole or Metformin or Sumatriptan, we go into AndaMeds and place the medication we need in the cart. Once the cart gets “full” meaning there’s over $100 worth of medications or supplies in there, we’ll order it/close out the cart and have the meds delivered next day. It’s just that easy!

See my video below for more information:

HOW CAN I LEARN MORE ABOUT STARTING AN DIRECT PRIMARY CARE PRACTICE?

If you enjoyed reading this blog post and if you want to learn more about starting and growing your direct primary care practice, look no further than our book and our courses on how to start and grow your direct primary care practice. We at Startup DPC have begun compiling some of the best content available on this blog, in our book, and in our courses.

The best place to start is to take our Direct Primary Care Business Plan course, available here. From there, you can learn how to attract new patients to your direct primary care practice and how to find the perfect location or build out the practice of your dreams.

Thanks for reading and watching, and best of luck in your direct primary care journey!

-Dr. Paul Thomas with Startup DPC

Another Amazing Review for the Startup DPC Book

Another Five Star Review for the Startup DPC Book

We love our readers! Thank you to Akilah De Aza for your recent review of our Startup DPC book! We appreciate you!!!

Akilah De Aza

5.0 out of 5 stars Must read if considering opening your own DPC practice.

Reviewed in the United States on July 10, 2021

Verified Purchase

I have not yet started my DPC practice, so I do not know what, if anything, this book might be missing. That said, I feel extremely comfortable following the directions in this book to maximize my chances of having a successful practice. Dr. Thomas wrote this book in a very approachable, easy to read manner that allows the reader to feel comfortable with what they don’t know. He has made sure to be respectful to everyone in all respects in this book. He has referenced other books for additional information. He has outlined exact dollar amount for expected costs. He has shared specific details about how he obtained money to start his own practice, some thing that was very helpful to me, and quite generous and forthcoming of him. 6 stars for this book! I could not be more grateful. I’m not even done reading it yet.
This is a must read for anyone considering starting a DPC practice and I even want for my family members to read the book so that they understand why I feel so confidently about something so brand new to me. Dr. Thomas and this book are Godsends.

Best Blood Pressure Cuff for my Direct Primary Care Practice

The best blood pressure cuff for your direct primary care practice

I get a lot of requests for the best blood pressure cuff for a direct primary care practice, so here it is! I love using the OMRON 907XL. It’s the best option out there. You can wall mount it. You can plug it in or use battery power. It comes with at least 4 different cuff sizes, and most importantly, it is extremely reliable and accurate.

As a family physician, I’m taking blood pressure readings every single appointment slot, so I’m using my Omron 907XL at least 5 to 10 times each day. The model that I have, I have been using for the last 4 years without an issue. I do have a manual cuff on hand just in case the Omron can’t get the job done, but I haven’t used it in years.

If you’re looking for a less expensive option for your patients to take home, consider the OMRON Silver BP Cuff. This one costs about $60 and is a good loaner to your patients who may want or need to get at-home blood pressure readings.