Direct Primary Care (DPC) offers a unique model in the medical realm where patients pay a monthly membership fee for access to personalized care. This innovative approach dismisses the bureaucracy associated with insurance, promising a more relaxed and trusting relationship between doctor and patient. Dr. Erika Bliss, a seasoned professional in family medicine and healthcare policy, joins Dr. Maryal Concepcion on the My DPC Story Podcast to share her vast insights and journey within this transformative sector.
Financial Realities and Creative Solutions: Balancing the Economics of Independent Practice
In conversation with Dr. Maryal, Dr. Erika Bliss candidly discusses the economic considerations of running a DPC practice. She stresses the importance of being financially prepared by having a six-month expense cushion and keeping overheads low. Dr. Bliss encourages creative measures like part-time work or virtual consults to supplement income in the early stages of a DPC practice. Her experiences with Equinox Primary Care and Qliance underscore the challenges and determination required to craft a stable foundation for such autonomous work.
Patient Care and Technology: Streamlining Operations for Better Outcomes
Dr. Bliss emphasizes the profound role of technology in enhancing the efficiency of her DPC practice. From managing patient appointments with an effective scheduling system to navigating various electronic medical record (EMR) systems, technology paves the way for optimal practice management and improved patient care. Moreover, Dr. Bliss values the ability to maintain a balanced schedule, which enables her to contribute to community services like forensic medical exams for asylum seekers and support for individuals utilizing the death with dignity law.
The Power of Human Capital
Building a Team Aligned with DPC Values
When discussing the dynamics of Equinox Primary Care, Dr. Bliss highlights the significance of hiring staff who are not only technically skilled but who also embody the ethos of DPC by prioritizing patient needs and offering personalized care. This quest for like-minded professionals ensures that the practice can sustain its commitment to an exceptional level of care without unnecessary administrative layers.
Facing Growth and Setting Boundaries
Knowing When to Say ‘No’ For a Healthier Practice
A pivotal moment for Dr. Bliss was recognizing when her practice was at full capacity. The COVID-19 pandemic spurred a significant increase in her patient population, prompting Dr. Bliss to regulate growth to meet the promised level of care. She reflects on the importance of setting expectations with her patients and adjusting them as necessary, an essential practice for the well-being of both the practitioner and the clientele.
Insights from Healthcare Abroad
Global Perspectives on Community Health
Dr. Bliss shares enriching experiences from her time in the Dominican Republic, where she observed the impactful community health efforts. These formative experiences underpin her beliefs in the potency of trust and relaxed patient visits. She urges peers to consider overseas opportunities, believing that international insights are invaluable when it comes to improving U.S. healthcare practices.
The Legacy and Future of DPC
Subheader: From Qliance to Equinox Primary Care
As Dr. Bliss discusses her foray into DPC, inspired by her cousin Dr. Garrison Bliss, we glean insights into the struggles met by Qliance, from resistance to operational obstacles. Despite their closure, the legacy persists – driving positive change by emphasizing primary care. Transformations take time, demonstrated by Dr. Bliss’s evolution from skepticism to becoming an integral force in the DPC community with her practice Equinox Primary Care.
Conclusion: Charting One’s Course in Direct Primary Care
Dr. Erika Bliss’s dialogue with Dr. Maryal Concepcion is not just an exposition of personal anecdotes but a testimonial to the resilience required in carving out a sustainable DPC practice. From financial savviness to technological adeptness, and from a patient-centered ethos to on-the-ground community engagement, Dr. Bliss illuminates a path for healthcare professionals considering a venture into the empowering yet intricate world of Direct Primary Care.
BIO
Dr. Erika Bliss is a graduate of the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine. She received her undergraduate degree in History from San Francisco State University and a Master’s degree in Latin American Studies from Stanford.
She completed her medical training at the Swedish Family Medicine Residency Program in Seattle in 2003. After residency she worked at Carolyn Downs Family Medical Center in Seattle, an FQHC, where she served as a staff physician, Clinical Site Director, and Director of Clinical Quality
Dr. Bliss has traveled extensively in Mexico and Central America. There she collaborated with a local women’s health and human rights group to do research, including a video project, on domestic violence. In addition, she developed and implemented a medical education exchange program with a rural hospital in Honduras. While in medical school, Dr. Bliss was a founding member of the Free Clinic Project of San Diego, a student-run project that delivers primary care to homeless and indigent people. Not only has Dr. Bliss focused on direct patient care, she has also been involved in organized medicine and health policy through her work with the American Academy of Family Physicians. Additionally, she served on the education task force for the Future of Family Medicine Project, a national effort to chart the direction of Family Medicine for future decades.
Dr. Bliss served on the boards of the Washington Academy of Family Physicians, and the American Board of Family Medicine.
Dr. Bliss helped found and later served as CEO of Qliance, the first large-scale DPC organization in the US, started in 2007. After Qliance closed in 2017, she established Equinox Primary Care where she is a solo practitioner. She also volunteers for End of Life Washington, helping people who want to take medications to aid in dying to avail themselves of the Washington Death With Dignity Law. She has conducted volunteer forensic medical exams for asylum seekers since 2005. And since the beginning of COVID, with access to abortion severely curtailed, she has been providing telemedicine medication abortion services.
Outside of medicine, she is busy lately helping take care of her granddaughter and spending time with family, as well as raising her 1 year old miniature poodle, Shaytun, who she hopes will become a therapy dog in her clinic soon.