Dr. E. Petersen

Episode 25 - What Does an Automated DPC Practice Actually Look Like? - Dr. Erik Petersen

DPC| Primary Care| DPC Podcast
February 17, 2026•2 min read

You can’t grow a DPC practice, be a great physician, and still show up fully at home if everything stays on your plate. At some point, something breaks, or you decide to build it differently.

In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Erik Petersen, founder of First Call DPC in Panama City Beach, Florida, to unpack what an automated DPC practice actually looks like. Erik shares how his background in emergency medicine pushed him toward Direct Primary Care as the answer to poor access, fragmented care, and constant burnout.

We talk about starting lean, layering in virtual and in-person care, and using automation to clear out the “noise” so he can stay focused on patients, not paperwork. You’ll hear what worked, what didn’t, and how he’s building a model that protects both patient access and physician sustainability.

If you’ve been wondering, “Is there actually a sane way to grow DPC?” this conversation gives you a real-world example.

This episode is for you if you’re:

  • A physician exploring or transitioning into Direct Primary Care

  • A DPC owner who wants to grow without adding complexity or staff bloat

  • A doctor who wants better patient access without sacrificing evenings, weekends, or family

In this episode, you’ll discover:

  • Why it’s safer to start small and let growth follow patient demand

  • How access and relationships become your top retention strategy

  • Specific ways automation can remove noise and protect your focus

  • How virtual + in-person can work together inside one DPC model

  • Why optimizing care goes beyond prescriptions and quick visits

Conversations like this are a good reminder: building a DPC practice isn’t about doing more, it’s about doing the right things on purpose. Growth looks different for everyone, but clarity comes from knowing your numbers, learning, adapting, and staying connected to the mission of better care.

One of the biggest questions I hear from physicians is:“What’s my actual breakeven point if I start a DPC?”

In this episode, I share a simple app I built that helps you calculate that breakeven point in a few minutes so you can see, on paper, what you really need for your practice to work.

Guest Links & Resources

  • First Call DPC – Panama City Beach, Florida

  • Vacation Medicine – virtual urgent care service

  • First Call DPC Skool Community – upcoming education and resources for DPC physicians

  • Breakeven Calculator for New DPC Practices – https://dpc-health-check.lovable.app

The in-person DPC Women Connect event is almost full — we still have a spot open. If you’ve been thinking about coming, this might be your moment.

If you’re in that season of “something has to change” and you want help thinking through your own numbers and model, start with the Breakeven app. It gives you a clear, objective starting point — so you’re not building your next step on guesses.

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Dr. Gonzalez was born in NYC, but grew up in Virginia. She graduated from the University of Virginia and Eastern Virginia Medical School before completing her Family Medicine residency and Geriatrics Fellowship in 2002 at USC in Columbia, SC. She worked in Morganton, NC for 5 years at Burke Primary Care. After that, she headed the Primary Care Department at A Woman's View for 13 years and taught part time at the Geriatrics Fellowship in Morganton. She appreciates the privilege of working with her patients to improve their health, independence, and quality of life. She is Board Certified in Family Medicine and has a Certificate of Added Qualification in Geriatrics.

Anne Gonzalez

Dr. Gonzalez was born in NYC, but grew up in Virginia. She graduated from the University of Virginia and Eastern Virginia Medical School before completing her Family Medicine residency and Geriatrics Fellowship in 2002 at USC in Columbia, SC. She worked in Morganton, NC for 5 years at Burke Primary Care. After that, she headed the Primary Care Department at A Woman's View for 13 years and taught part time at the Geriatrics Fellowship in Morganton. She appreciates the privilege of working with her patients to improve their health, independence, and quality of life. She is Board Certified in Family Medicine and has a Certificate of Added Qualification in Geriatrics.

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