Direct Surgical Care in Indiana: The WellBridge Surgical Story with Dr. Eric Inman
- Maryal Concepcion
- Apr 27
- 4 min read
DPC Doctor
While Direct Primary Care (DPC) is typically known as a primary care model, today's episode looks at DPC as a business model. Dr. Eric Inman co-founded WellBridge Surgical Center in Indiana to lean into the DPC-as-a-business-model concept, emphasizing the DPC model's unique benefits, practical insights into its implementation, and the challenges and rewards of entrepreneurial ventures in healthcare.
The Direct Primary Care Model
Direct Primary Care offers patients a more personalized healthcare experience by eliminating the bureaucracy of insurance-driven practices. In a simple transaction, patients pay a monthly fee, thereby gaining direct access to dedicated healthcare professionals. This model fosters robust doctor-patient relationships and ensures timely, consistent care.
WellBridge Surgical shows an adaptation of the DPC model paired with a hybrid twist in delivering high-quality, patient-centered healthcare. It empowers patients to become active healthcare consumers and encourages transparency in payment systems.
Creation and Growth of WellBridge Surgical
Dr. Inman's journey began with his awareness of the reimbursement culture's shortcomings. Patients were often inattentive to the costs associated with their care, leading him to identify a need for more transparent pricing and options. This was crucial as high deductible plans are becoming more common, adding financial pressure on patients. The solution was WellBridge Surgical, a center where surgeries are bundled with transparent and uniform pricing, providing relief and clarity for both patients and physicians.
Navigating Challenges and Implementing Solutions
Dr. Inman's experience and networking enabled him to overcome the challenges typically associated with independent healthcare entrepreneurship. Partnering with seasoned business owner Jeff Williams and gaining insights from mentors like Dr. Keith Smith steered WellBridge's development. The success of WellBridge Surgical lies in fostering relationships with skilled independent surgeons and providing excellent service at a reduced cost, significantly lower than traditional hospital rates.
By establishing consistent, fair pricing across all payer types, WellBridge ensures accessibility and affordability, truly embodying the DPC principles. This consistency allowed the center to engage with larger insurance plans while staying true to its mission of reducing healthcare costs.
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Surgeon and Patient Engagement
WellBridgeSurgical's model attracts high-quality surgeons by offering fair reimbursement rates and the opportunity to provide meaningful, patient-centered care. The center values its physicians' drive to improve medical outcomes, supporting them to act entrepreneurially within their practice.
Patients benefit from lower costs, facilitated scheduling, and personalized care, all significant reasons to choose WellBridge. The center's focus on expedited and efficient care allows patients to experience a major reduction in waiting times for surgeries—a compelling factor for those familiar with lengthy hospital waitlists.
Addressing Community Needs
A critical part of WellBridge's strategy is deeply understanding and catering to the local healthcare environment. Indiana's healthcare landscape offered unique challenges and opportunities that Wellbridge addressed by adapting strategies from pioneers like the Surgery Center of Oklahoma and tailoring them to match local dynamics.
WellBridge collaborates extensively with Direct Primary Care doctors in the Midwest, illuminating another benefit of DPC: seamless collaboration between primary care providers and surgical centers. Communication is facilitated through WellBridge’s dedicated navigation team, ensuring follow-up care remains thorough and cohesive.
The Future and Implications of DPC in Healthcare
Dr. Inman's insights reveal the potential impact of embracing the DPC model more broadly, emphasizing its role not only in primary care but extending into surgical and specialty services. This transition pushes towards a more cost-effective healthcare future, where transparency and patient agency take precedence.
Rising interest in the DPC model highlights shifting perspectives among healthcare professionals dissatisfied with conventional practice constraints. By fostering entrepreneurial innovation and commitment to patient-centered care, DPC practices like WellBridge Substitute traditional models while enhancing patient experience and outcomes.
Dr. Inman's work at WellBridge Surgical represents a noteworthy advancement in healthcare, marking the DPC model as a critical component of a more integrated and patient-centric healthcare system. For physicians considering this path, Dr. Inman's story serves as both an inspiration and a detailed, practical guide, illustrating how combining medical expertise with strategic business acumen can transform patient care.
By understanding the foundational values of DPC—transparency, greater physician-patient connectivity, and operational efficiency—physicians can reconsider their current roles within healthcare and explore the possibilities of entrepreneurship.
Physicians interested in the DPC model should consider the lessons and experiences shared by Dr. Inman, recognizing that it is not a mere alternative practice model but a holistic reinvention of healthcare service delivery. Their journey may well redefine the very essence of what it means to provide care, shifting the focus back to the core purpose of medicine: the patient.
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