Empowering Physicians Through Direct Primary Care: A Conversation with Dr. Natalie Gentile at the DPC Summit

In this special episode of the My DPC Story podcast, host Dr. Maryal Concepcion sits down with Dr. Natalie Gentile live from the DPC Summit in New Orleans. They delve into the principles and advantages of Direct Primary Care (DPC) and discuss Dr. Gentile's journey in lifestyle medicine and her innovative approach in helping new physicians transition into DPC. The conversation underscores the importance of mission-driven work, community collaboration, and the entrepreneurial opportunities available to physicians in the DPC model. The episode also highlights various resources and support available for DPC practitioners and patients alike.

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Transcript

Dr. Maryal Concepcion: 1:16

Direct Primary care is an innovative alternative path to insurance-driven healthcare. 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 fingertip. 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. Hey. My DPC story listeners. This week we're taking a quick break from our regular episodes to bring you something special, a conversation I had with Dr. Natalie Gentilly, recorded live at the DPC Summit in New Orleans. Dr. Gentilly speaks on lifestyle medicine and how to empower physicians to step into DPC without having to start from scratch. It was such a rich and inspiring conversation, and I'm excited to share it with you here. It's been a great time so far, and you can probably tell from my voice that I have been laughing a little too much as well as talking to so many of you listeners in person, it has been so wonderful to hear your stories, how the podcast has affected you, and what your plans are for the future, and where your updates are in DPC. So thank you so much for sharing if I got to meet you or talk with you in person. If you're new to the podcast, welcome, welcome, welcome. I'm so glad you found us, and I hope you enjoy diving into the incredible stories of DPC physicians transforming Healthcare across the country. If you're a longtime listener and you'd like to support the podcast and everything we're building here at my DPC story, please consider joining our Patreon community. There you'll get access to exclusive bonus content, including extended interviews, follow up updates from previous guests, and more behind the scenes conversations you won't hear anywhere else. As always, this podcast is fully funded by our amazing sponsors. If there's a company you'd love to hear featured, or if you are that company, reach out on the sponsorship tab@mydpcstory.com and let us know now with another unforgettable DPC summit wrapping up, don't forget that my DPC story is more than just the podcast. Head on over to our resources pages. Where you'll find curated book recommendations and so much more. If you're loving a vendor, encourage them to get a profile in the DPC directory where you can leave reviews and help other docs find trusted tools. And if your practice is already open, make sure you're listed@caringdirectly.com. Our patient facing physician only DPC practice Mapper. It's a growing hub where patients can find DPC practices like yours and the intention is so that it can be truly patient facing as I'll be releasing patient stories soon and this will be a major piece of the puzzle to help grow the DPC movement. Last thing. If you have questions about DPC, the podcast or just want to connect, come and join me for a live Zoom q and a. We host them monthly and everyone is welcome. You can go to the eventsPage@mydpcstory.com and register. Thank you so much for being here. Enjoy this week's special episode with Dr. Gentilly and we'll be back next Sunday. With more to inspire your journey in DPC. So this is lovely because two years ago when you did your lifestyle medicine talk in the 3 0 1 course, it was Father's Day and you literally were like. Running from presentation to airport gate, and so this is fantastic to actually sit with you in person. We've talked virtually a couple times in the podcast, but it is always so nice to see people in person.

Dr. Natalie Gentile: 4:56

Yes, absolutely. This is a really, uh, quite a privilege and a treat. To finally be with you and catch up. Yeah.

Dr. Maryal Concepcion: 5:01

One of the things I love about you also is that I remember in, I want to say either the first or second time you were on the podcast, you said, my husband asked me this year to not start another business. And I think that that is like. It's, it's people like you who, like especially being in person, I feel so alive around because I feel that in medicine we were so regimented and we were encouraged to think, I don't know what, what other term people would use that like, your job is a doctorate. And now that we're DPC doctors, you have three and counting businesses. And there's. So many things that we can do beyond the clinical work that we were taught and trained to do in medicine.

Dr. Natalie Gentile: 5:43

I think what DPC brought out in me was almost this insatiable passion. Yeah. Right. Um, because it opens doors for all of these other ideas and, and room for creativity and the, and the reality is you are able to dial up or down the different things you wanna do. Totally. When you take over that, uh, ownership. Of your ideas, your passions, and your drive. Yeah,

Dr. Maryal Concepcion: 6:05

I I absolutely love that. And it's so interesting because I think about how when we have innovation, it's because people, it's just like small business. Small business is literally at the root of innovation. People see a problem and they are able to answer that problem with a solution. Yes. Yeah. And so I, I would love, especially because your. At another summit where there's a lot of people who are new to this space and a lot of people who are, they're thinking about it. There's the people who are like, I'm about to do it. I have my open date plan. have you had conversations with these guys about this idea of the insatiable, ability to go after? Whatever you want to, and that does not always have to include clinical medicine.

Dr. Natalie Gentile: 6:52

Yeah. I think something that I, I'm glad I did when I first started out was I stuck with not, I don't wanna say just my practice, but it, it, you know, that was the main focus was the practice building. And then once I got the practice to a point of it's starting to run itself, it's, it's very, you know, settled and comfortable and consistent. That allowed me to then open the doors to the next endeavors and I was able to create that practice to allow those next things to happen. Yeah. Whereas in the, you know, the, the system setting and the employed setting, you're not gonna be able to, to adjust those dials. Um. So I've been talking with a lot of people here at the conference about that. As you know, it's okay to start out with your practice and let that be the thing. Yes. And if that's all you ever do is do your DPC practice, guess what? That's innovation. Totally. Guess what? You have now changed the world. Totally. Even if it's in your corner of the world. That's incredible and exciting. And so you don't always have to ask for more. You don't always have to do, do do more. Right. For some of us, that drives us. For some of us it doesn't. And I think what we were taught in training to become physicians. That you're constantly striving, you're constantly trying to prove yourself, and you are enough. And you are worthy right where you are, and you are innovative and exciting and amazing, and all the other stuff is just, you know, rainbow sprinkles

Dr. Maryal Concepcion: 8:07

a hundred percent. And I love it too, because it's like it's taking advantage of something that we all love and why we became physic. And pairing that with entrepreneurship. I mean, as you talk about like the core, the root of your practice was potentially family practice. It became direct primary care. Uh, direct care physicians of Pittsburgh, DCPP. Oh my gosh. Um, oh. But you've built Rebel Wellness. You've built an MSO and tell us about that because I, I find this so fascinating that your expertise and your love are paired with entrepreneurship in everything that you do. And see, because you are a freaking expert. And that's one thing I, I also, like, somebody said this to me, they're like, are you an ex expert? I'm like, no, I, I just graduated residency. They're like, they, they're a non position was calling me out on. Do you understand how many hours of training you've had? You are an expert, like full out expert, so that's to everyone who's gone through medical school. But like you've taken your expertise and your love of developing something through innovation and entrepreneurship, and you're like, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding. So tell us about again, the MSO, but. So how you continue to partner those

Dr. Natalie Gentile: 9:19

things together?'cause you're not done. I'm not done. And I think that, uh, something I've always tried to do is lead with authenticity. And the words mission driven are just constantly in the back of my head. Because to me, if it's not mission driven, why did I leave that in the first place? Right? Like, what is the point? Why would I get up in the morning if what I'm doing is not constantly stoking that inner fire? Because when you stoke that fire, that's what goes out into the community and makes change and helps other people. Um. So what I've done is I love medicine and I love the practice of medicine, and I love family medicine and lifestyle medicine specifically. Awesome. I'm doing that with my patients, but hey, guess what? Not everyone's my patient or, Hey, guess what? I don't want a big panel. I really don't. And I, you know, I wanna be able to take the best care possible of those people. So now how I can go into the community, while I can do that through social media, I can do that through a media presence. I can do that through our studio at Rebel Wellness and Teaching Fitness. Mm-hmm. Um, I can do that through Walk With A Doc, right? So think of it as like focus on a wheel from that initial middle, uh, mission driven core love that. Um, and then the managed services organization, Hey, guess what? Now we can spread DPC in the city of Pittsburgh. Hey, guess what? We can help docs go out and become free. Absolutely. Um, and we can do that through a very supportive, mentorship driven, you know, collaborative experience.

Dr. Maryal Concepcion: 10:31

And it's not only mentorship driven and collaborative, it's literally it's community. When you are in a place of employed medicine and you feel like such an outsider, you feel like a leper when you're like, but why can't we do this more innovatively, more efficiently, more cheaply? Like this is, and you're like, you literally make sense to people like you and myself. But in the fee for service world, it is so uncomfortable. I mean, I like, I physically have been brought to tears because of like the brick wall of speaking with other physicians. And so that community, the mentorship that, that it's what I love about what you guys are doing also is that your physicians who are doing. The mission driven work, not, I have a ton of money, don't actually care about healthcare, but here's a ton of money to do whatever you want and then we're gonna sell you off. Yeah. And that's where, you know, I would love if you can tell us a little bit more about how you are strategically like doing the MSO, because it's very different than hiring a doctor and then they build up their own panel. Um. You make it really, really easy that your, you pointed out one of your doctors who's joining and then what the most recent doctor Dr. Emily Scott is almost full. And I was like, oh, that surprised me.'cause I thought she was full already. So tell us about that.

Dr. Natalie Gentile: 11:53

Yeah, so I, the way we're building this out, you know, when, when you think about, uh, the. Point of, Hey, I've got a wait list. What do I do with this? Right. I think that's something we're learning at this conference is about hiring. Um, and so we come to that, let's come to that fork in the road. Well, one option is you bring people on to take that over. Um, and that comes with its own challenges. With the MSO, I think what's been really fascinating to see is in our specific managed services organization, these docs are opening their own autonomous practices. They're functioning independently. While still having the collaboration, mentorship, cross coverage, you know, all the services that we manage, the, the, um, marketing, you know, and PR presence, all of that. And they're able to have the best of both worlds there. Uh, and by the way, a couple of us already have wait lists within this managed services organization. So now it's a, Hey, have you met so and so? Uh, and these, you know, patients now have an option that we've. Felt as, you know, this human being is incredibly compatible with our culture that we wanted, you know, develop and, uh, foster in the city of Pittsburgh. So everyone kind of wins in that situation. Totally. And I think that's what's been such a magical thing, because I've thought of hiring many times. Um, but to me that, that I don't want it. I don't want it. And so now it's, Hey, let's, let's help these practices grow. Now is this a lucrative. Experience for us is owning the Ms. O. No, but that's not why we did it. Hundred percent right. Again, it's the mission driven part of it. Hundred percent. It's why are you going into this? And I think that for us, it's not a financial, uh, drive for us, it's very much this, let's raise this ship of dpc. Let's lean on each other, let's help each other. Um, and that's thrilling to me. Money is cool, like money's fine and you never wanna go under, I understand that part and we're fine from that perspective. But that doesn't get you up. It doesn't get me up in the morning. Yeah, totally. Totally.

Dr. Maryal Concepcion: 13:37

And I think also that, and I, I would love your take on this, but I feel that when we pair physician training expertise and entrepreneurship, the more and more we go forward, you hear less of I, I know the seal. Person, I don't know how to, and you're like, dude, I gotta make sure that the bills are paid and that I'm doing the right thing. Like those two absolutely are paired together. But I would love your take on that because that's something where I, I've heard people in the hallways say like, I don't know what I'm gonna say for my elevator pitch. I don't know about selling because I've never sold before. And I, I don't, I don't necessarily know about like how the transition came other than just doing it. Yes.

Dr. Natalie Gentile: 14:18

Yeah, repetition. It's, it's just like when I'm in the gym, right? It's like reps, reps over over time. Um, because I felt the same way. I was like, how I'm gonna stumble over these words and now, six years later, it's, I could do it all in my sleep. Like most of us who have been in practice for a while could say the same thing. Um, and, and what I think is most interesting about what we do is we already know how to be physicians. We already know we love patient care. Uh, then you start to show up in your DPC office and you do your job every day. Just tell that story. Like you, you, you honestly could just have a ledger of what you do in a day. And tell that story and there's your elevator pitch. A hundred percent. Um, and, and I think again, it's coming back to just that authentic, this is me, this is what I come to offer. Um, you're not, you know, that is selling yourself right there. Yeah. And I think that

Dr. Maryal Concepcion: 15:00

that's, it's almost like semantics. It's like, but making people realize that you are so valuable. You are the, the value proposition of your clinic. And literally there are people who want you as their doctor. And like I've told my entire family, especially since the the bill passed, I'm like, get the DPC doctor before all of us are filled up. Yeah, a hundred percent.

Dr. Natalie Gentile: 15:23

Oh sure. Yeah, sure. And I think the other thing is, one thing I wish I had known earlier on was if I'm having to sell myself. Too hard. Yeah. If I'm having to really convince somebody, it's like when you're, you know, I don't remember what the dating world was like, but I would imagine, I would imagine that like if you're going out on a date and you're really trying to convince somebody to be with you, it's probably not a good fit. Um, because I, I think that people start, if you give your pitch and people see the value there, um, that word of mouth spreads Totally. It's the patients, when I look back where it was not a good fit. Guess what? It wasn't a good fit, gut instinct was Right. You know? And you

Dr. Maryal Concepcion: 15:57

don't have to necessarily convince people that. Yeah, a hundred percent. And I also think that, just going back to the MSO, you know, when you're attracting people to be on a wait list, to sit on a wait list, because they want that over insurance driven care, you're literally creating a culture of patients who are like, we are champions of DPC. We don't care how long it takes. We know that this is going somewhere and we wanna be on that train. And it's like, amen. And I think that this is where, um, it really, again, I just go back to community, it so represents that idea that you just said like. The rising tide floats all ships so amazing. Amazing. Yeah. Yeah.

Dr. Natalie Gentile: 16:39

We're very excited about what's going on in Pittsburgh. Um, and it's really amazing to come here now two years after giving that initial talk in 2023 about lifestyle medicine and my practice and just seeing how it's evolved and I'm really excited to share that here. Yeah. And what's next?

Dr. Maryal Concepcion: 16:52

Yeah. That's awesome. And where can people go to know more about you and all the work and all the businesses that you've opened and been successful at? Um, and, you know, just to connect and learn about the MSO as well.

Dr. Natalie Gentile: 17:04

Certainly. So, uh, our practice is Direct Care Physicians of Pittsburgh and, and all of us are, uh, licensed out with that name. Yeah. So if you go to direct care pgh.com, you can learn about all of our practices. Um, and we are direct care, PGH on Instagram. Um, I'm incredibly active in media and social media, uh, so at Natalie Gentilly, MD. Um, is my, uh, Instagram handle. I'm also on Substack now and I have a YouTube channel, uh, Natalie Gentilly, md. So if, uh, you know, resources around fitness and nutrition that are on there as well. Yeah,

Dr. Maryal Concepcion: 17:34

and I will say, I told you this before we started recording, but how many patients have I sent the, oh, you are. Frustrated'cause it's icy outside. You can't walk. And I have a dot phrase for your, uh, walk at home YouTube video. I have done it multiple times, but I also literally love sending that to my patients.'cause I'm like, no, look, this is another doctor who does medicine just like we do here at Big Trees md. But. But she also does this and this is, this is what you are a part of, like watching your video working out with you. It literally, to me, it's so representative of like, look what happens when a doctor is free to do whatever they want to. And the patients don't even necessarily realize that they're a part of this, but how awesome is that? Because when they watch a video and they share it with their cousin and whatever. And they're like, oh dude, I'm in Pittsburgh. What, what is, oh, rebel. Why does she has a, a place? This is also what, what that, that, that is what is, is my insatiable feeling of like, I don't even know what the hell is going to happen with the dominoes. But the dominoes are good. Yes.

Dr. Natalie Gentile: 18:43

Yeah, the web spreads and I think what's really cool about dps. See is the patients want to be part of it. Yes. I mean, they feel like they're in the cool kids club and, and we as physicians feel like we are. It's just this great, great

Dr. Maryal Concepcion: 18:54

mix. A hundred percent. And I will put last year, um, that when we talk about patients, this is why I've created. Caring directly.com. So if anybody's listening out there, go to the website because it is a patient facing physician only DPC practice mapper, and you can add yourself right away. But as I'm recording patient stories, patients are gonna be like, well, where do I find somebody like that? Oh, look on the mapper and find. A primary care practice, a specialty care practice, but physician led care because that is what we are elevating continuously. And I do think that as we go forward, we need to be very staunchly advocating for, we trained a ton of hours, 15,000 hours to know what's normal. Yes. Who would I want for my family? Somebody who has done and done and done and done over and over to know this is something that I can take care of. This is not something I can take care of. And I am connected in a network enough to figure out an answer for you as the next step. Yes. Yeah. Completely agree. And it's amazing. And thank you for doing all that you do. Thank you for listening to another episode of my DBC story. If you enjoyed it, please leave a five star review on your favorite podcast platform. It helps others find the show, have a question about direct primary care. Leave me a voicemail. You might hear it answered in a future episode. Follow us on socials at the handle at my D DPC story and join DPC didactics our monthly deep dive into your questions and challenges. Links are@mydpcstory.com for exclusive content you won't hear anywhere else. Join our Patreon. Find the link in the show notes or search for my DPC story on patreon.com for DPC news on the daily. Check out DPC news.com. Until next week, this is Marielle conception.