Traditional primary care is built around volume. Short visits, overbooked schedules, and reactive care often leaves little room for meaningful conversation forcing physicians to focus on immediate needs while broader concerns like nutrition, mental health and long-term wellness are overlooked.
“Nearly every primary care physician I know wants to provide thoughtful, comprehensive care. But in traditional, insurance-based systems where visit slots are stacked five minutes apart and documentation burdens are crushing, it’s almost impossible to do it well,” explains Dr. Travis Simmons, Board Certified Family Physician at DirectMed DPC.
The difference with DPC is time. Time to listen, to think, to educate, to follow up—and that’s the foundation of whole-person care. If DPC continues to expand as it has, I believe we’ll see a real shift in what people come to expect from primary care."
Why DPC Practices Are Expanding to Whole-Person Care
Direct Primary Care practices begin with a simple but powerful promise: to provide excellent, relationship-based primary care. This foundation creates trust, and that trust opens the door to deeper conversations about long-term health goals and unmet needs. Over time, clinicians find that patients start asking for more support. Dr. Simmons sees these evolving patient needs as a natural extension of relationship-based care, and has expanded his services with advanced training in integrative and functional medicine.
Rather than referring patients out for every additional need, some DPC clinicians are choosing to bring more of those services in-house. The shift is often gradual and guided by real-time insight into what patients actually want. Dr. Simmons explains,
It really came down to listening to what my patients needed. Over time, more and more of them were asking questions about functional medicine and integrative approaches, and I wanted to be prepared to answer thoughtfully and responsibly.”
One common thread: most clinicians start small. Rather than hiring a full team upfront, practices may build referral relationships, partner with part-time specialists, or leverage digital tools to pilot new offerings without overwhelming existing systems.
How to Add Services to Your Direct Primary Care Practice
Expanding a DPC practice requires a careful balance between growth and simplicity. New services often bring questions about scheduling, pricing, staffing, and sustainability—but with the right systems in place, the process can be both smooth and scalable.
Tools like Hint Clinical allow practices to:
- Add à la carte services without disrupting existing memberships
- Customize billing and visit types
- Track service-specific metrics to guide future investment
The most effective expansions are those rooted in patient demand, supported by flexible infrastructure, and aligned with the practice’s core mission. Dr. Simmons says,
“All of this feels like an evolution of care rather than a pivot. It’s about giving patients the tools, time, and support they actually need.”
Lessons from Other Direct Primary Care Practices
For DPC clinicians thinking about expanding beyond traditional services, here are key lessons from practices that have done it well:
- Listen to patients. Start with what’s already being requested. Dr. Simmons adds, “I also recently became a Menopause Society Certified Provider, again in response to the volume of patient questions and the need for more personalized care in that space.”
- Test before you invest. Use referrals or part-time partners to pilot new offerings.
- Adjust gradually. Refine workflows and visit structures incrementally.
- Rethink pricing. Consider tiered memberships or à la carte pricing for add-on services.
- Update your messaging. Make sure your website, Google Business profile, and LinkedIn reflect the new value you offer.
Above all, stay true to your practice’s mission. Whole-person DPC care isn’t about offering everything; it’s about providing what matters most to the community you serve. With Dr. Simmons, medical weight management was a natural expansion.
Given the prevalence of obesity and its impact on so many of the conditions we already manage daily. It felt like an important area to support patients more intentionally.”
The Future of Whole-Person DPC
As the movement grows, so does the opportunity to innovate.
“This expansion is rooted in patient need, curiosity, and a desire to provide more comprehensive and compassionate care,” says Dr. Simmons.
Ready to expand your services or explore tools that make growth sustainable?
Explore Hint Clinical, Hint Connect, and our full DPC growth ecosystem to take the next step:
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