No Doctor Left Behind

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This post was by Michelle Cooke, MD:

Just five months into launching my Direct Primary Care (DPC) practice, I felt an undeniable urge to share the magic of DPC with my fellow physicians. So, I hosted the first-ever DPC mixer in Atlanta. Even though I was a newbie myself, I knew my colleagues needed to hear about this movement. It’s astonishing how many physicians are still unaware of DPC or how it works. I was in that same position years ago until I heard Dr. Rob Lamberts and Dr. Julie Gunther explain DPC at a local CME meeting. These docs are DPC giants – if you don’t know who they are, look them up! Dr. Lambert’s Ted Talk of DPC is one of my Top Five Ted Talks! Dr. Gunther’s DPC Book, “Sparks Start Fires” is rivaled only by Doug Farrago’s “The Official Guide to Starting Your Own Direct Primary Care Practice”

From the moment I learned about DPC, it never left my mind. Over five years later, that knowledge became my lifeline. When my health system closed two hospitals and terminated my clinic position, I realized we needed to approach healthcare differently. If I hadn’t had DPC as a backup plan, I don’t know what I would have done. I was done with traditional healthcare. 

For me, the mission is clear: We must ensure that doctors know all their options. We don’t have to be victims of a broken system anymore. DPC returns autonomy to those of us most qualified to lead in healthcare. We get to call the shots and create a better experience for our patients and ourselves.

Now, as a DPC toddler at 15 months into my own practice, I’m still as passionate about this movement as I was a year ago. That’s why we’re hosting the second annual DPC mixer in Atlanta. If you’re in the area, or even just looking for a reason to visit, I promise it will be worth it. Don’t expect a gathering of burnt-out doctors lamenting the current system. Instead, join a community of physicians who believe in a better healthcare future—for themselves, for their patients, and for medicine.

And, of course, we’ll have brunch and cocktails, because why not? We hope you’ll join us at the mixer, where there’s always a seat saved for our colleagues. We leave no doctor behind.

Get Your Tickets! 🎟

Dr. Michelle Cooke is not only a rock-star Family Physician, she is a wife, boy-mom, yogi and a proud Direct Primary Care Physician. She is the owner & founder of Southwest Atlanta’s first DPC Practice – Sol Direct Primary Care. The DPC model frees Dr. Cooke to spend more time with her patients to practice lifestyle medicine. She helps her patients achieve their best health with less medication! When she is not in the office, you’ll find Dr. Cooke on the yoga mat, frolicking in nature, or jamming to live music around Atlanta. https://sol-dpc.org

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