NBC Does Their Thing With Direct Primary Care and it’s Not Bad
I think NBC did a pretty good job with this. I LOVE that they mentioned that the doctor in the piece attended a seminar that inspired him and it showed a picture of the DPC Summit!!!!!
The story is about Dr. Frank Aliganga at Empowered Health Direct Primary Care who is quite new to DPC with 35 patients. I hope the spot on NBC helps him grow.
My summary
Keep points that they mention:
- Getting an appointment can actually occur with DPC.
- Spending actual time with patients is needed in medicine and that happens with DPC.
- Burnout and quitting are all the rage among family doctors. DPC is the savior.
- You can see the same doctor and with better doctor access in DPC.
- They do try to explain the difference between concierge care and DPC
What they fail to mention:
- Cheaper labs
- Procedures included
- Telemedicine
- HSA can pay for DPC
The piece would have been better if they:
- Also spoke to a seasoned DPC doctor (Dr. Ali is new)
- Spoke with the president of the DPC Alliance
- Showed up to the DPC Summit
Overall, I give this new piece a B+. They could have gotten the same ivory tower idiots who never practiced medicine but love to criticize DPC, but they didn’t. Good on them.
And good on us!!
DPC for the win!!
(Editor’s Note: Dr. Aliganga, please comment if you are reading this. I cannot find you on FB to contact you. Update – we have connected.)
Agree this is progress!
The term “physician burnout” is misleading and unfair. It implies a personal failure to manage workload, when in reality the problem is systemic. What physicians are experiencing is not burnout—it is the result of sustained institutional practices that place excessive demands on clinicians, erode professional autonomy, and compromise ethical patient care. A more accurate description is physician mistreatment or physician abuse, which correctly assigns responsibility to the structures and policies that create these conditions.
NBC DID speak to the DPC Alliance president just so you guys know. 1/2 hour zoom. but it wasnt this reporter. it was a young lady doing prep work for the piece.
also the series they are doing is on “primary care in America.” they only recently even heard about DPC but after doing some research and talking to the Alliance, here you go … they put in this piece on DPC. so pretty good overall.
in the Alliance interview we definitely discussed Telemedicine and the new HSA law. so too bad they didnt put that in.
i also explained to her the differences between concierge and dpc. i bet you a dollar to a donut that’s where she got that info. her explanation of the difference is nearly word for word what my explanation was during the interview.
keep making waves everyone!!