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Most of us went into medicine because we wanted to take care of children, not because we wanted to become experts in commercial insurance. But once you open  a direct primary care practice, you are running a small business, and that business has risks that your medical malpractice policy was never designed to cover. One […]

When I first opened my direct pediatric care practice, I discovered a skill that none of my previous jobs had ever required of me: marketing. During my years working for a community health center and later for a hospital system, patients simply appeared on my schedule. At the time, I never gave much thought to

One of the greatest promises of direct primary care is that it allows us to practice medicine the way we always imagined we would. We have time to listen, time to think, time to build relationships, and time to address the root causes of illness rather than simply putting out fires. For many of us,

When I opened my DPC practice, retirement planning was the last thing on my mind. My focus was much more immediate: finding my first patients, covering my overhead, and making sure I could pay my own bills. Like many new DPC physicians, I supplemented my income by working shifts at an urgent care while slowly

If you’ve spent any time experimenting with ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, or other large language models, you’ve probably experienced a mixture of awe and unease. The awe comes from watching an AI system synthesize thousands of pages of medical literature in seconds, generate differential diagnoses, explain complex pathophysiology, and draft patient education materials that would have

One of the most interesting transitions that occurs when physicians become practice owners is the gradual realization that business success is not determined solely by revenue generation. Most physicians spend decades learning how to diagnose illness, counsel patients, and deliver excellent clinical care, but very few receive any formal education in tax planning. As a

I still remember a stretch early in my career—barely two years out of residency—when I would sit in my car after clinic, hands on the steering wheel, and just cry. Not every day, but often enough that it started to feel like part of the routine. I was doing everything I thought I was supposed

By Andrew Hertz, MD | Co-Founder & President, Zest Pediatric Network At Zest Pediatric Network, our mission is simple and urgent: Saving Pediatrics. Not just for the doctors who have dedicated their careers to children’s health — but also for the families who depend on them. This bold mission is why, for the second consecutive

If you’ve ever wondered why some people will wait in the Costco gas line for 20 minutes to save $2.00 while others won’t blink at a $4.19/gallon price tag at the most convenient gas station, you’re already thinking about price elasticity—whether you realize it or not. What Is Price Elasticity? Price elasticity is a fancy

Setting prices for your pediatric DPC practice can feel both daunting and deeply personal. Unlike traditional fee-for-service medicine where insurers dictate reimbursement, in DPC we have both the freedom and responsibility to decide what our services are worth. That freedom is powerful, but it can also feel overwhelming when you’re starting out or adjusting your