UBCNews - Business - Why Wholistic Family Doctors Matter More Than PCPs In A Pandemic

Episode Date: December 1, 2025

Welcome back, everyone. Today we're talking about something that really hit home during COVID—the difference between having a true family doctor versus just a primary care provider. And honestly, I think a lot of us learned this lesson the hard way. Mercy Family Health City: DuBois Address: 531 Delarme Road Website: https://www.americastruehealth.com

Welcome back, everyone. Today we're talking about something that really hit home during COVID, the difference between having a true family doctor versus just a primary care provider. And honestly, I think a lot of us learned this lesson the hard way. You know, that's such an important distinction. The concept of the primary care provider, usually not a doctor, the PCP, really shifted health care toward a more fragmented model. Before that evolution, we had family doctors who practiced holistic medicine, meaning they looked at the body, mind, and spirit together. They didn't just treat symptoms and send you off to a specialist. Right, and during the pandemic, we saw how different approaches played out.

Some practitioners who were willing to think beyond just following official guidelines explored different strategies. Why do you think having that independence of thought mattered? Well, it comes down to three things, experience, wisdom, and courage. A family doctor with decades of practice, like someone who's been doing this for over 40 years, has seen patterns. They've challenged conventional wisdom when it didn't align with actual science or patient outcomes. During COVID, family doctors played an essential role, especially in rural areas, though they face significant challenges, including limited resources and new obstacles to practicing during the pandemic.

That's fascinating, so they had to think independently if they wanted better outcomes than the miserable outcomes that were the norm at the time, and work through really difficult circumstances with a limited infrastructure? Exactly. They had to sort through the science themselves, apply traditionally effective strategies, and stand firm when guidelines didn't always align with what they were seeing. That takes courage. And honestly, having a doctor like that is insurance against the next, next bad epidemic that's likely coming around. Or you could just stockpile hand sanitizer and hope for the best. But I wouldn't recommend that approach. I mean, when you put it that way, it's almost like we need doctors who can think critically, not just process patients. Have you ever wondered what

would happen if more people had access to that kind of care before the next crisis hits? That's the thing. We need to rebuild that model. Family doctors used to care for entire families, all ages with continuity across generations. They knew your family history, your lifestyle, your stressors. That integrated view meant they could offer informed counsel based on everything they knew about you. I remember one patient I worked with years ago who'd been bounced around specialists for months. Nobody had asked about her work stress or sleep patterns. Once we addressed those foundational issues, her symptoms improved dramatically.

So it's prevention, its relationship. It's addressing root causes instead of just symptoms. Makes sense. Definitely. And this ties directly into another shift happening. Direct pay health care models. That point about breaking free from insurance control sets up our next piece, how payment structures affect care quality.

But first, a quick word from our sponsor. At Mercy Family Health in Dubois, Pennsylvania, Dr. Stanley Lang brings over 45 years of medical experience. joined by nurse practitioner Sherry Lang. Together, they offer holistic family medicine using a direct pay model that focuses on personalized care addressing body, mind, and spirit, helping patients reverse chronic conditions through lifestyle-based treatment plans. The practice also offers telemedicine appointments and stem wave therapy for pain management

and controlling urinary incontinence. Learn more at www.org.orgatom. Picking up on breaking free from insurance control, How does the direct pay model actually reshape what doctors can do for patients? It fundamentally changes the dynamic. When you eliminate insurance companies from the equation, you get three major benefits, transparent pricing, reduced administrative overhead, and no external interference in medical decisions. Patients know exactly what they're paying for, no hidden costs.

And since insurance isn't paying for the visit, they get no say in the recommended treatment. Mm-hmm. Interesting. And doctors can spend their time on care instead of fighting with insurers. They can integrate strategies like nutrition counseling, stress management, even alternative therapies that insurance wouldn't cover. That's true integrative medicine, blending complementary therapies with conventional medicine in a personalized care plan. It's about removing the barriers between the doctor and the patient.

Or to put it another way, it's about letting the doctor practice medicine without a middleman dictating what's allowed. So to everyone listening, this means your doctor can actually recommend what's best for you, not just what an insurance company will approve. That's huge, especially for chronic conditions where lifestyle changes might be more effective than just medication. And what is not appreciated often is that pharmaceutical companies have control over a lot of what the insurance company is deciding.

Absolutely. Sometimes the answer isn't another prescription. It's addressing sleep, diet, or emotional stress. That's powerful. Now, you mentioned rural areas earlier. What specific challenges affect health care access in places like rural Pennsylvania? Rural Pennsylvania has a perfect storm of issues, an older population, higher rates of chronic health conditions, financial disadvantages, and severely limited access to care.

Primary care physicians are concentrated in the most populated counties, leaving rural residents facing workforce shortages, geographic isolation, transportation difficulties, and limited access to specialty care. Wow, that's a pretty stark divide. How does telemedicine fit into solving this? Telemedicine offers real convenience and accessibility. Patients can receive care from home, which eliminates travel and waiting rooms. It's ideal for routine checkups, follow-ups, managing chronic conditions, even addressing acute concerns. For people with mobility issues or busy schedules, it's a lifeline. Unfortunately, a lot of health systems don't use it because they don't get the reimbursement that comes from a physical office visit. In a direct pay model with a monthly subscription, the way an insurance company might pay or not pay is completely irrelevant to how care is provided.

Right. Makes sense. But it works best when it supplements in-person visits as part of a broader relationship with a family doctor. You still need that hands-on care sometimes. But for ongoing management, telemedicine keeps people connected to their doctor without the barriers. And what about innovative treatments? I've heard about shockwave therapy for pain management and urinary incontinence. How does that fit into this whole person model? Stemwave therapy uses low-intensity electro-hydraulic shock waves to stimulate healing deep

tissues. It's non-invasive, improves blood flow, reduces inflammation, and has been reported to reduce pain, improve mobility, and strengthen tissue healing. It's particularly useful for conditions that resist traditional therapies. This is the kind of breakthrough strategy that independent practices can offer without waiting for insurance approval or hospital system bureaucracy. Hospitals are usually reluctant to offer services that insurance companies have not agreed to cover. So we've established that holistic family doctors bring experience, independence, and innovative options. Why should families prioritize finding this kind of care now before the next crisis? Because the next pandemic or health crisis will come, and you want a doctor who can think

independently, who knows your complete health picture, and who has the courage to challenge questionable guidelines when necessary. Family doctors are skilled generalists. who provide thorough primary health care and are closely connected to the families they serve. That relationship and that breadth of knowledge, it's your best defense. And honestly, even outside of pandemics, having someone who treats you as a whole person

rather than a collection of symptoms just makes better sense for long-term health. Thanks so much for breaking this down today. My pleasure. Together, we're gonna need to rebuild this kind of medicine if we want healthier communities. Thank you.