Direct Primary Care (DPC) is a simple idea that solves a very complex problem. Instead of taking insurance, we operate on a flat, monthly membership fee that covers routine pediatric primary care and provides clear and predictable costs for families. Freed of administrative burdens of insurance games, DPC physicians can spend more time doing what they dedicated all those years in training to do: deliver excellent care to patients. 

The traditional fee-for-service model is not working for patients or for doctors. Patients are frustrated in a complex system that sometimes feels as if the care is gone.  Physicians are weighed down by the increasing burdens imposed by health insurance requirements and the rising overhead costs associated with navigating the complexities of insurance reimbursement.  

Receiving high-quality care should not be so expensive. Providing high-quality care should not be so complicated.  We can do better.  That’s where DPC comes in.  

We think patients, families, and physicians all benefit from this model because direct primary care is all about personal relationships and personalized care delivered in a reasonable way. 

This membership model especially makes sense for families who: 

• Want a fixed price (no copays) so they can budget healthcare expenses without needing to delay or avoid care due to worrying about unexpected or hidden medical costs with each visit
• Have high-deductible insurance plans and typically pay high fees for every office visit at a traditional clinic
• Like being able to connect directly with the pediatrician via text or phone calls and receive prompt replies without having to make unnecessary trips to the office
• Want longer visits to ensure all their questions are addressed
• Like having the ability to schedule online, getting appointments quickly, and having short wait times
• Participate in Health Sharing Ministries, which often don’t cover checkups or vaccines
• Have inconsistent health benefits and want to keep the same pediatrician through career or insurance changes
• Have many children and like having an unlimited number of appointments and messages with the pediatrician for a maximum of $300/mo

Yes, Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) can be used.  Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs) have plan-specific limitations on how funds can be used;  please confirm with your account administrator to determine if you may use your FSA funds in this way.  

We recommend all patients have health insurance to provide coverage for catastrophic events, hospitalization, vaccinations, and other expensive (and possibly unexpected) health needs like specialist care, x-rays, and emergency department visits.  Children who are uninsured or have Medicaid receive vaccines at no cost through the VFC program.

• Regular Checkups and sports physicals 
• Unlimited sick visits (acute and chronic care)
• Remote visits/virtual care
• In-office Strep, Covid, and Flu testing at discounted prices
• Routine vaccinations provided through Vaxcare which bills your insurance (or VFC if patients are uninsured or have Medicaid)
• School/camp/sports physical forms
• Management of minor lacerations (supply charges apply for stitches, staples, and glue)
• Developmental and behavioral screenings 
• Parenting support and guidance (nutrition, development, sleep, behavior and more)
• Evaluation and medical management (when necessary) of chronic pediatric conditions such as eczema, asthma, ADHD, constipation, depression, anxiety, and more
• Referrals to specialist, therapists, etc when needed
• Please contact us for a more comprehensive list

Most of the medical expenses that would be out-of-pocket at a traditional practice are completely covered by your monthly membership fee. There are no copays for visits or charges for after-hours care. Rapid testing and wound repair supplies (e.g. sutures for stitches) are charged for use rather than applied to all patients via increased monthly fees. 

Non-covered services: 

• In-office rapid testing: Strep, Flu, and Covid (done at discounted prices)
• Prescription medications 
• Lab tests sent to outside companies like Labcorp
• Imaging and Radiology (we will arrange for these to be done nearby, as needed and the facility will bill your insurance)
• Ear piercings (members get discounted price)
• Care provided by someone outside of Nurturing Pediatrics (such as specialty clinics and hospitals)

Vaccines will be billed to insurance via VaxCare or provided via the VFC program

Yes!  You can text or call us like always.  We will work together to determine the next best step, whether that is us calling in a prescription or helping locate the nearest urgent care or emergency department. If needed, we can discuss your child’s medical history with a local provider!

Even families with healthy children may be surprised when they reflect on the past year and realize how many appointments they had (e.g. pink eye, cough, ear infection). Have you ever wished you could just ask the pediatrician a quick question? Have you ever had to wait a long time for an appointment or called your pediatrician’s office, only to be told that there are no appointments available? Have you taken your child to urgent care for something that could have been addressed in your pediatrician’s office if only they were available? 

Kids get sick at all hours of the day. Big questions come up. Small questions come up. We can address them quickly. The Nurturing Pediatrics membership includes as many texts, phone calls, virtual visits, and in-person visits as needed to provide high-quality pediatric primary care. 

Families with newborns greatly benefit from our DPC model, especially when it comes to easy access to the pediatrician. Whether a quick text, phone call, virtual visit, or in-person visit, we can provide the care you need it and in the way you need it— all these interactions are all included in the Nurturing Pediatrics membership! 

No need to wait a long time at home or waiting room for an appointment. No need to travel to the office for something that could easily be addressed without an in-person visit. No worries about trying to schedule around sleep and feeding times. No need to feel rushed or as if your concerns were only partially addressed. We even have the ability to do home visits and love working with families to provide high-quality care in a reasonable way.

Absolutely. We can check in as many times as needed with a text, phone call, virtual visit, or in-person visit and work around your schedule to keep you from having to take off work or pull your child from school or daycare. We can make referrals and coordinate care with specialists when needed. All of this is included in the Nurturing Pediatrics membership without additional fees.

Absolutely. The Nurturing Pediatrics membership provides as many check-ins as needed to optimize your child’s health. Our longer appointments allow us to address all your concerns, and we can easily follow-up those concerns with texts, phone calls, virtual visits, or additional in-person visits. We will be your child’s primary care home and coordinate care with specialists, including making new referrals as needed. All these interactions and services are included in the membership! We even have the ability to do home visits.

Of course!

Nurturing Pediatrics services are for members only with exception of medical ear piercing, which is open to non-members.  

DPC is often confused with concierge medicine but it is not the same, as concierge providers accept and bill insurance as well as charge an additional high membership fee for enhanced services.  DPC by definition does not take or bill insurance (vaccines are an exception) and still provides improved access to physicians, faster access to care, and more personalized visits.

Please complete the form below. We will contact you to register your child or to set up a free consultation to discuss your needs and see if Nurturing Pediatrics is a good fit for your family.  

We think care provided in your own community is ideal.  

Local Pediatric DPC clinics: 

• Chapel Hill - Dr. Joe Vukin - Wayfaring Pediatrics 
• Dr. Beth Galla - Sweetbay Pediatrics 

This link can help you find both adult and pediatric DPC clinics around the US.