Transforming Pediatric Care: A Look into the 2025 DPC Mastermind Event

In this episode of My DPC Story Podcast, DPC Pediatrician Dr. Deanna Berry returns to discuss the upcoming Pediatric DPC Mastermind event scheduled for February 28th to March 2nd, 2025, in Las Vegas, Nevada. Now in its third year, the Pediatric DPC Mastermind aims to unite pediatricians and those who see children practicing Direct Primary Care (DPC) to share insights, network, and further their education. With diverse sessions tailored for both new and experienced DPCs, including dual-track lectures and general pediatric topics, the event promises valuable takeaways. For more details and to register, listeners are directed to pediatricdpcmastermind.com. Follow the event on social media at @pediatricdpcmastermind and enhance your Direct Primary Care knowledge and network in vibrant Las Vegas this February!

Transcript

Dr. Maryal Concepcion: 0:05

Primary care is an innovative, alternative path to insurance driven health care. Typically, a patient pays their doctor a low monthly membership and in return, builds a lasting relationship with their doctor and has their doctor available at their fingertips. Welcome to the My DPC Story podcast, where each week, You will hear the ever so relatable stories shared by physicians who have chosen to practice medicine in their individual communities through the direct primary care model. I'm your host, Marielle Conception, family physician, DPC owner, and former fee for service doctor. I hope you enjoy today's episode and come away feeling inspired about the future of patient care, direct primary care. Welcome my DPC story listeners to the podcast, even though we are between seasons. As promised, we are continuing the conversation and today I'm so excited to be talking to Dr. Deanna Berry again. This time we are going to be focusing on the pediatric DPC Mastermind that is coming up in February of 2025. So folks. Do check the calendar. We are at the end of the year, so that is not too far away. So, Dr. Berry, thank you so much for coming back on.

Dr. Deanna Barry: 1:19

Thank you so much for having me. It's always good to talk to you.

Dr. Maryal Concepcion: 1:22

So, this Pediatric DPC Mastermind, for some of the listeners, they might be like, there's a Pediatric DPC Mastermind? Oh my goodness. We've seen the movement grow You know, exponentially, including with pediatricians who are saying, wow, there is another way to do medicine, just like you and I had discovered back when we opened our practices. Tell us about the pediatric DPC mastermind. How did it come to be and what kind of impact has it already made? Because this is going to be the third year of its existence.

Dr. Deanna Barry: 1:53

Yes. So when I was opening my DPC practice, the Facebook group of pediatricians who do DPC was a really important, played an important role and was a strong support to me and my planning of my practice opening. And at one point after the pandemic, we decided we all wanted to meet each other because we had all, gotten to know each other, so to speak over Zoom calls and over messaging. And now that the pandemic was over, we said, let's all get together and have a kind of a social event. So I started to think about where we were going to do this and how it was going to happen logistically. It got to the point where we said, we're all getting together. Let's try to get some CME hours for it at the same time. And let's make it educational. And so this, that idea morphed into the first mastermind. It was initially selfishly a, so. And then the last year we had a social get together at the heart of it was us kind of meeting each other in person. And now this is going to be the third year of the mastermind and last year it had grown quite a bit from the first to the second year and based on the number of registrants this year, we already know it's going to be more people that will attend this year than last. So there's a need that we're meeting as well. So it's an exciting It's exciting to have a group of people that are so similar to you in one room, and so it's not just for the CME by any means, it's for the social networking and for us to ask questions and to collaborate, but it's really a gift of a weekend for the pediatricians family medicine, med PEDS we have some specialists that came last year as well. So if you are taking care of children in your practice, we would love to have you.

Dr. Maryal Concepcion: 3:41

Such an important fact to point out because if you are currently or will be seeing peds in your office, it's definitely something to put on your radar. So say for example, you're an internal medicine doctor, but a pediatrician is wanting to partner with you in the future and you're talking to that person and you're not necessarily sure how to do it. Perfect place to go. Say you're a medical student or you're a second or third year resident who's like, okay, I want to do DPC, but I don't know what to do. Perfect place to go. And also a shout out to those people who are the the people who help us as physicians run our practice you know if there's people who are admin staff or admin team or people who are interested in knowing more about How to deliver pediatric care in particular. Go, go, go. So we will be dropping the information as to when it is, how much it is, where to register, all of that. But one of the things I wanna highlight is, it is in one of the most activity diverse places in the United States of America. Tell us about where the pediatric DPC Mastermind is gonna be this year.

Dr. Deanna Barry: 4:41

Yeah, so this year we decided to hold our conference in Las Vegas, Nevada. We tried to find cities that were easy to to travel to through different airports. The previous years we were on the east coast and then we were more central last year in Texas. And so we wanted to just be open to everybody who's across the country where they're coming from. So we tried to find something over on the west side. region and it is a great city. The more we were having a hard time choosing a venue because there are so many amazing options. So we're going to be staying at Paris Las Vegas. It looks like a mini Paris. It's got a beautiful view. I feel tower and everything. But it is. It's a lot of fun for families to come. So feel free to bring your Children. We will have food available for family members at a different price. We just would need to know to plan ahead. Yeah, so I have been to Vegas. I have not been to Vegas with a family, but I imagine that there are tons and tons of things to do with kids.

Dr. Maryal Concepcion: 5:42

Oh, absolutely. And I love the inclusivity of it. I do think that, especially in Vegas, there are so many activities like as a 42 year old, yes, I will be at the Lego store. Yes, I will be at the M& M store a hundred percent, like no shame in that, but also just like pro tip from a mom who's traveled overseas. There are so many direct primary care doctors who are in Vegas. And if you are, interested in like Is there a person that you hire for your own kids to help watch them? And you're not necessarily like wanting to have them come sit with you in the lectures or whatever. Or, and there's not necessarily somebody coming with you as an adult. That's definitely an option. I just, I'm like volunteering these doctors without even talking to them, but I would not mind at all if somebody reached out to me and was like, in Arnold, California, is there a babysitter that you hire for your kids that could potentially help out with mine. Tell us really how the pediatric DPC Mastermind is set apart and what makes it so unique that people really need to put it on their radar for next year

Dr. Deanna Barry: 6:41

Yeah, so it is unique in a couple different ways. As pediatricians, there are certain things that we have to think about when opening up a practice or certain barriers and certain things that we have to work through so we try to dive into those. specific topics. One, for example, being vaccines. That's a very important topic for us as pediatricians that we can access and be able to give vaccines to our patients and also not have to purchase and break the bank to do so, or be able to bill accordingly. But that's a unique thing that pediatricians deal with. There's also the. The pricing aspect of how we do things. It's a little bit different than some of the other DPC doctors in the other local groups that that I'm in. And I could always see I feel a little bit different than them in these few ways. And so it's really nice just to have one place where you can go where people are very much. like you. So we're already a small subset of physicians that were DPC, but then you become a more niche and more specific group when you get all the pediatricians together. So there, there's some differences. Again, we will have lectures also about opening up DPC in a very broad sense. So you, by no means, it's not pediatric specific in all of the things. But our CME hours, our general PEDs those things will all be specific to PEDs. Yeah, so it's, it's gonna be a, I, I've been to other conferences to know that there is, there are certain topics that just don't maybe matter as much to pediatricians. And so we are able to kind of pick and choose what things we wanted to bring into our conference and just cover the, the high yield things for us.

Dr. Maryal Concepcion: 8:24

You guys have really figured out how to, really make your mastermind effective. So many actionables. It's ridiculous in a good way. And so, I just looking at your agenda, which is live and it's, it's still morphing. Mm-hmm In general, the agenda looks fantastic. Tell us some more highlights about what to expect

Dr. Deanna Barry: 8:43

one thing that's unique this year is we did decide to do one day of two tracks. So we're going to set apart our first day. We're going to all come to start off together and we're going to have a state of the union, state of pediatric DPC. lecture, and then we're going to go in two different directions. There will be two tracks where you can pick and choose of the two lectures, which one is the most fitting for where you are at in your journey. And so there's going to be the track one sessions, which is more for starters, or those considering DPC, more of the the details of how to actually get going. And then a second session, The second track is going to be for people who are more established or mature in their practice, and they're looking to hire, or they're looking to think about retirement, and they're kind of thinking through things that are a little bit further along in the timeline than what track one people are going through right now. So we're trying to make up, find a way. To make it so that this is something that all pediatricians who do DPC can find useful and helpful. We don't want to reinvent, we don't want to be doing the same lectures over and over because some of us, as we're getting further along in our career, don't have the same questions or need to the same reminders of the starting lecture topics that we've had in the last couple years.

Dr. Maryal Concepcion: 9:58

So, so true. And especially with the movement, like I mentioned, growing so rapidly these questions, they change, based on what week you're in in DPC from opening because every single day in DPC, you are The door is open to another, scenario that you might not have seen financial patient centered care wise, whatever it is. So I think that this is it's so I am, I'm always pro be in another room with other DPC physicians when you can because you might not know That somebody else already went through that, especially people like yourself who've been open multiple years now. So I think that's amazing that you guys have a very focused two track day.

Dr. Deanna Barry: 10:41

Our second and third day are going to be all together as a group, and those are going to be things that are a little bit more broad, things that all of us could be, it could be useful to all of us to hear. So some of it is based on Specific peds topics like procedures, things that we haven't maybe done since our training of or how to just to get our feet wet again. And then other topics, things to discuss, for example, we're having a panel where we'll talk about vaccine refusers and vaccine hesitate patients and whether or not we should accept those families. And so there's going to be pros and cons. And it's just going to be a dialogue and open conversation between a couple of different positions. And it'll be good just to. Start thinking about things that are specific to us. It needs. And then the last, we'll go through lunch. We won't go all day. The last day on Sunday will end at 1230 but that will also be all together and that will be more sort of the big picture business mind how to set and respect our boundaries. Things that we wish we could do. In hindsight, those of us who have been in practice, things that we've mistakes we've made that we'd like to pass along some advice of how they can avoid those things, how to be successful in a sustainable way so that we can continue to keep balance between. Our practice and our home life. So things that are kind of more actionable as we leave of little tidbits that they could take with them. And so, yeah, so the first day will be two tracks. The second and the third day will be all together, but there will be plenty of opportunity for us to have open time to talk dialogue. We have the tables around so that you can get to know the people that you're sitting with. And hopefully be able to network in between lectures as well.

Dr. Maryal Concepcion: 12:28

Love it. So let's talk logistics now. Tell us all of the details that a person needs to know who's planning on going to the next pediatric DPC mastermind.

Dr. Deanna Barry: 12:36

So we have been working really hard to recruit sponsors to keep this affordable. And I'm so thrilled that we were able to keep the price. Point where we were hoping it could be. So this year it to come to the lectures for all of your daytime meals and um, snacks and all those things. And then also including our Friday evening social hour when your ticket you could buy is 545 per person. And then there's an optional Saturday event for 100. And then different guest options, like I mentioned, for family members or for support staff that are coming for lectures or for evenings or for the social events or for meals. There's a link at our website. Pediatric DPC Mastermind website where you can go to register and that will take you to the agenda and it'll take you to where you can go book your rooms. We have a discount for a group that ends, I believe, January 28th, so we want to make sure that you can get your hotel room between now and then in our discount block, and then you could go through and do the full registration right there. we'll be starting Friday, February 28th in early in the morning, right after breakfast. And we'll go through until about 1230 on Sunday, March 2nd.

Dr. Maryal Concepcion: 13:53

Awesome. And bonus, if you have a February 29th birthday, you can celebrate your birthday with your pediatric GBC mastermind friends. So just random, random call to those people. We do

Dr. Deanna Barry: 14:05

have a. a birthday celebration in the works for one of our team members who will be celebrating a milestone birthday while we're there. So we would be happy to add a couple candles for anyone else.

Dr. Maryal Concepcion: 14:19

I love it. I love it. So for those people who are sitting there and they're like, amen, like I'm so excited. This is on DPC mastermind in Las Vegas. Tell us about. what you have learned or found that is helpful for attendees because this is the third year of the Mastermind.

Dr. Deanna Barry: 14:37

Yep. So thankfully, there's not too much you need to prepare you could anyone can come no matter where they're at in their in their journey and whether they're just still in contemplative stages or if they're full blown starting. I've already started their practice. But couple thoughts I'd say for those who are interested in coming, think about the setup. So you want to go and be able to focus and really be. Try to avoid distractions while you're there. So you want to set yourself up for success. So if you already are working or if you have a practice that you're afraid to leave, there are different options of how you can get some help along the way. So, for example, and maybe you could tell us, Mariel, about a virtual assistant option but having a way that you can go and you can actually focus. That is the best gift you can give yourself so when you can actually turn off your phone and turn off your your Emails and just take those couple days for yourself.

Dr. Maryal Concepcion: 15:31

Totally agree and absolutely i'll mention the the va option because i've been talking to People about this and they were like, oh my gosh, I didn't even think about that But I will say also that because it's not yet february You have the opportunity to, if you're not in the Pediatric DPC group on Facebook, you can absolutely join that, but also just whatever group you might be in, or whatever questions you might have, you can, do things like ask your friends if you already know Pediatric DPC physicians in your area, or Or go on to these groups, whether it be Facebook or other groups, other forums to say like, Hey, you know, I have a question about whatever. And then if somebody has done something and they've posted about it have that in your tool belt to say, like, when I go to Vegas, I was wondering this question, but now I've partially found an answer. And now I want to find out more. It really helps you hone in on what you want to get out of the mastermind. When it comes to virtual assistants as an option. I love that there are options for us as independent physicians that are affordable and totally accessible. So, for example one of the ways that I've been talking to people about is, if you need temporary coverage, even if it's just for, this weekend, you literally can have. A mini onboarding of what acutely needs to be done for either a physician, but especially for a virtual assistant, if it's, you know, what to do with faxes so they don't build up by the time you get back or whatnot. What, what to do if an acute issue comes in, if you have a nurse virtual assistant who can help triage and you can train them, like these are the triage documents we use for colds, coughs, et cetera. There are ways to bring on a VA, even hourly, even weekly. And without a long term commitment and one of the partners who's been on the podcast before, who's also going to be sponsoring the pediatric DBC mastermind is called Blue VA. They have 80 free hours of onboarding with their virtual assistants. So I'll make sure to link that episode so you can learn a little bit about their company. But, it's definitely an option and affordable to be able to not only, have help, but also it's, it's a, it's a bonus. If you're looking because you're wanting to grow and you need help, you need a virtual assistant. It's a way to explore as you're getting help. So that you can attend the pediatric DPC mastermind.

Dr. Deanna Barry: 17:49

And also I'll just add when thinking about how to get ready for this weekend, we do also have last year's lectures that are for sale. And they're currently at 50 percent off. So there's a, if you sign up as part of your bundle, when you register for the conference, we'll have last year's recordings available for purchase as well.

Dr. Maryal Concepcion: 18:07

That absolutely, like when you're talking about, being mindful of affordability, that adds a total layer of, value to the mastermind. So make sure that after this episode, you go to pediatric DPC mastermind. com. Make sure you also follow the socials on Instagram and Facebook also at the handle at pediatric DPC mastermind and join, join in with your fellow DPC pediatricians and start having conversations now. But again, the dates are February 28th to March 2nd in Paris, which is in Las Vegas, Nevada. And we both hope to see you there and thank you so much, Dr. Berry for coming on and sharing about the mastermind today.

Dr. Deanna Barry: 18:46

Thank you. And I wanted to thank you so much for your sponsorship and support of the Mastermind. This is the third year that you've been right alongside us and we appreciate you so much.

Dr. Maryal Concepcion: 18:57

Thank you for joining us for another episode of My DPC Story, highlighting the physician experience in the world of direct primary care. I hope you found today's conversation insightful and inspiring. If you want to dive deeper into the direct primary care movement, consider joining our My DPC Story Patreon community. Here you'll have access to exclusive content, including more interview topics and much more. Don't forget to subscribe to My DPC Story on your podcast feed and follow us on social media as well. If you're able, I'd greatly appreciate if you could leave us a review. It helps others to find the podcast. Until next time, stay informed, stay healthy, and keep advocating for DPC. Read more about DPC news on the daily at dpcnews. com. Until next week, this is Mariel Concepcion.