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DPC Organizations and Professional Resources

Overview

The Direct Primary Care community has grown significantly, with organizations providing advocacy, education, networking, and resources. Connecting with these organizations accelerates learning, provides community support, and keeps you informed on legislative and industry developments.

Educational Content Only

This is educational content, not legal or financial advice.

  • Regulations vary by state and change over time
  • Always consult a healthcare attorney for legal matters
  • Always consult an accountant for tax and financial matters
  • Verify current requirements with official sources

Two organizations with similar names

The DPC Alliance (dpcalliance.org) is the physician membership organization. The DPC Coalition (dpcare.org) is the policy and advocacy coalition. They are separate organizations; older pages, including earlier versions of this one, mixed the two addresses up. The kit endorses no organization, vendor or product; the entries below are descriptive.

National Organizations

Direct Primary Care Alliance (DPCA)

Website: dpcalliance.org

A non-profit membership organization run by and for DPC physicians ("DPC Doctors Helping DPC Doctors").

What They Offer: - Mentorship and peer groups (DPC Masterminds) - Online member forum and library (DPC Exchange) - Find a DPC Physician public directory - Co-hosts the annual DPC Summit; runs the Frontline Bootcamp and Masterminds events (events page) - Job board and vendor directory - Member discounts (for example on malpractice insurance and CME)

Membership (paid): Annual dues as stated on the membership page on 2026-09-23: $500 for a practicing DPC physician ($250 for a new practice; a $50/month option exists), $500 for a DPC-interested physician, $25 for residents and $10 for medical students. Dues change; check the page.

Who uses it: Physicians practising DPC or planning to, at any stage.

Direct Primary Care Coalition (DPCC)

Website: dpcare.org (the old /dpc-coalition path no longer resolves)

A coalition of physicians, medical associations, employers and other supporters that works on DPC policy.

What They Offer: - Federal and state policy advocacy (advocacy page) - Model state DPC legislation - Membership for individuals and organizations (join page; dues are not stated on the public site)

Focus: Policy and advocacy rather than practice support.

American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP)

Website: aafp.org

DPC Resources: - Direct Primary Care model page, including the 2024 DPC data brief - DPC policy statement and DPC advocacy page - Co-host of the DPC Summit; DPC Summit On Demand CME - Family Practice Management (FPM) articles on DPC

Membership (paid): Dues are set by member category and state chapter; see aafp.org.

Note: While not DPC-specific, AAFP provides significant resources applicable to DPC family physicians. Osteopathic family physicians have a parallel body in the American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians (ACOFP), also a DPC Summit co-host.

State and Regional Resources

State Medical Associations

Most state medical associations have resources for: - State-specific practice regulations - Medical licensing - Legislative updates - Practice management - Legal referrals

Find yours: Search "[Your State] Medical Association", or use the AAFP chapter list for your state academy of family physicians.

State DPC Organizations

Some states have dedicated DPC groups: - State-specific networking - Local legislative advocacy - Regional events

Find local groups: - Ask in national DPC communities - Check the DPC Alliance for state contacts - Search "[Your State] Direct Primary Care" - Start with the kit's own state guides and DPC Frontier's state pages

Online Communities

DPC Frontier

Website: dpcfrontier.com

A DPC resource website founded in 2015 by Phil Eskew, DO, JD, MBA. It is a website, not a Facebook group.

What They Offer: - DPC Mapper (over 1,300 practices listed as of 2026-09-23) - State-by-state law pages and regulatory explainers (Medicare opt-out, HIPAA, tax) - Blog, recordings and discussion forums - Events calendar and job listings

Cost: Free to read.

Facebook Groups

Two physician groups were confirmed on 2026-09-23:

Direct Primary Care Alliance Group - Run by the DPC Alliance; open to physicians, membership in the Alliance not required to ask

Direct Primary Care Physicians - Private physician group; practice advice, peer support, vendor experiences

How to Join: Request to join and answer the screening questions (physician status is usually verified).

Names you may see elsewhere

A group called "DPC Docs" could not be found under that name on 2026-09-23; the groups above are the ones that resolve. "DPC Nuts and Bolts" was the name of a DPC conference (last reported in 2024), not a discussion group; the DPC Alliance's current entry-level events are the Frontline Bootcamp and Masterminds sessions.

Other Online Communities

  • Reddit: r/medicine (occasional DPC threads)
  • X (Twitter): #DPC, #DirectPrimaryCare
  • LinkedIn: DPC networking groups

See DPC Communities for more on how to use these.

Conferences and Events

Organizers and seasons verified 2026-09-23; dates change every year, so check the organizer's site.

DPC Summit

Organizer: Co-hosted by the AAFP, the American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians (ACOFP), the DPC Alliance and the Family Medicine Education Consortium (FMEC) Frequency: Annual, usually mid-July; location rotates Website: dpcsummit.org Focus: DPC education, networking, vendor exhibits

Value: - Multi-day immersive learning - Networking with hundreds of DPC physicians - Vendor expo - Recorded sessions sold afterwards as DPC Summit On Demand CME

Who attends: DPC physicians at every stage; many attend before opening.

AAFP Family Medicine Experience (FMX)

Organizer: AAFP Frequency: Annual, usually autumn Website: aafp.org/cme-and-events/in-person/fmx Focus: Family medicine (includes DPC sessions)

Value: - CME - Practice management - Some DPC-specific content - Broad family medicine community

Other DPC Events

Find events: Check the DPC Alliance, DPC Frontier's calendar, state medical associations and the Facebook groups. The kit's Conferences and Events page has more detail on getting value from them.

Educational Resources

Podcasts and News

My DPC Story (podcast, host Maryal Concepcion, MD) - Interviews with DPC physicians (300+ episodes) - Varied practice models and perspectives

DPC Frontier recordings - Recorded talks and CME sessions

DPC News (news site, Douglas Farrago, MD) - Near-daily articles, opinion and practice tips; not a podcast

A "DPC Docs Podcast" could not be found under that name on 2026-09-23. See Podcasts and Media for the fuller list.

Books

"The Official Guide to Starting Your Own Direct Primary Care Practice" — Douglas Farrago, MD and Debra Farrago (2016; updated edition 2021) - Step-by-step startup guide from a practising DPC physician

"Direct Primary Care: The Cure for Our Broken Healthcare System" — Paul Thomas, MD (2018) - Overview of the model with case examples

Two titles listed here previously ("The Direct Primary Care Doctor: The Definitive Guide" and "The DPC Report") could not be found in print on 2026-09-23 and were removed. See Recommended Reading for the fuller list.

General Healthcare Business: - Various practice management books apply to DPC

Online Courses and Training

DPC Alliance (dpcalliance.org) - Masterminds cohorts (for example "Establishing Your Practice 101") - Frontline Bootcamp - Member library and recordings

AAFP - DPC Summit On Demand (paid CME)

Practice Management Courses: - Various organizations offer courses applicable to DPC - Check AAFP, state associations

Mentorship and Networking

Finding a Mentor

Options: - DPC Alliance Masterminds (member mentorship and peer groups) - Reach out to local DPC physicians - Connect through Facebook groups - Conference networking

Questions for Potential Mentors: - How long have you been practicing DPC? - What model do you use (pricing, structure)? - What were your biggest challenges? - Would you be open to occasional questions?

Visiting Established Practices

Many DPC physicians welcome visits from aspiring DPC doctors: - Shadow for a day - See different practice models - Ask practical questions - Build network

Etiquette: - Respect their time - Come prepared with questions - Follow up with thanks - Offer to reciprocate when you're established

Vendor Resources

DPC-Focused Vendors

Several companies specialize in serving DPC practices. The kit endorses none of them; this is a partial list of names you will hear, in alphabetical order.

Membership billing and practice management: - Atlas.md (EMR plus membership billing) - Hint Health (membership management)

EMR: - Atlas.md - Cerbo (formerly at cerbo.com; the site is now cer.bo) - CharmHealth - Elation Health

See: EMR Selection Guide for detailed options and evaluation criteria.

Checklist: Getting Connected

Immediate

  • Decide whether DPC Alliance membership is worth the dues for you; its public pages and directory are free
  • Join one of the physician Facebook groups above
  • Read DPC Frontier's state page for your state; add your practice to the mapper once you open
  • Follow DPC voices on social media

When Starting

  • Attend DPC Summit or regional event
  • Connect with local DPC physicians
  • Find a mentor
  • Join state medical association

Ongoing

  • Stay active in communities
  • Attend annual conference
  • Mentor others as you gain experience
  • Stay informed on legislative developments

Resources Summary

Resource Type Cost Useful For
DPC Alliance Membership organization Paid ($500/year practising physician, as stated 2026-09-23) Mentorship, forum, directory
DPC Coalition Advocacy coalition Paid membership (dues not published) Policy, model legislation
DPC Frontier Website Free Mapper, state law pages, news
Facebook physician groups Community Free Peer support, advice
State Medical Assoc. Organization Membership fee State-specific resources
DPC Summit Conference Registration fee Learning, networking
Local DPC physicians Networking Free Mentorship, practical advice

Next Steps

Read through and figures checked on 2026-09-23.