Today we’d like to introduce you to Katie Barger, MD
Hi Katie, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I’m a Memphis native and have been practicing general pediatrics here in town since I finished residency at LeBonheur in 2015. My husband, Daniel, and I met at church in 2017, and were married October 2018. I spent eight wonderful years as the pediatrician at Christ Community Health Services in Orange Mound (which will always have a piece of my heart), but once my two girls were born, I found work-life balance very difficult. Days in clinic were rushed, trying to see and take good care of my beloved patients, but also leave work in time to have enough time in the evenings with my girls. At the same time, I became more and more frustrated with patients being unable to reach me directly. With a patient panel of several thousand, I couldn’t give out my direct number without becoming overrun with messages (this is true of most insurance-based practices, not just CCHS), but patients were left leaving messages with call center staff that sometimes wouldn’t get to me until the next day. My schedule was so full, that patients often couldn’t get a sick visit until a week after their illness. Try as I might, I felt like patients weren’t getting my best, and neither were my girls as I was exhausted at the end of the day from trying to do it all.
Enter: Direct Primary Care. I discovered the direct primary care model while on maternity leave with my second in July 2023. As I snuggled my newborn and wondered how I’d be able to manage working and being a mom, I came across this model that allowed for smaller patient panels and DIRECT contact with patients. As my own boss, I could be more flexible with my schedule, so it was a win for my family, but what really appealed to me was that it was the way of practicing pediatrics I’d been dreaming about. Personal, accessible care where my patients and I could truly build relationship. I could even do house calls, something I’d dreamed of doing since medical school! So I decided to take the plunge, and launched Eden Pediatrics in March 2024 after leaving CCHS.
I chose the name “Eden” as a nod to God’s promise of one day restoring our broken world to its once-perfect form. There is much that’s broken in our healthcare system, and while my practice is by no means the perfect answer, I hope that for many it will be an oasis after trying to navigate the frustrations of the typical insurance-based practice. I know it is for me!
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The biggest obstacle has been the business side of the gig – I always said I would never own my own practice because I just wanted to take care of patients and not worry about the details. Well, here I am! It’s 100% worth it, because this allows me to practice the kind of medicine I always hoped, AND it’s much less cumbersome than dealing with insurance contracts, but it’s still been quite a learning curve! I mean, who knew I’d learn web design? And bookkeeping? My hope is to stay streamlined and automate many steps of the business so I can set things in motion and focus 90% of my time on patient care. My goal practice size is only about 200-250 patients though (so if you want in, join now!), so I will always maintain a super small, intimate practice and the business side should never become cumbersome.
One other challenge is finding office space. I don’t need much room, and in the effort to keep costs down for patients, I don’t want to spend a ton on rent. So for now, I’m doing a housecall-only model. I am on the lookout for a small 1-2 room space, or even an exam room so sublease in another medical office.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
My practice is a direct primary care pediatric care practice. I do not bill insurance, but instead charge a monthly membership fee that covers all care — well checks, unlimited sick visits, telehealth/texting. Families know exactly what their care is going to cost, and don’t have to worry about copays or surprise bills after sick visits. They get direct access to me as their pediatrician, and easy same or next day appointments that last 30min to an hour. No waiting room, no running behind. New moms get to stay at home with their newborns since I do in-home visits for newborns (which will continue even once I find office space). We still utilize insurance for prescriptions, vaccines, labs, imaging — all of that is the same. But care with me is covered by the monthly fee. This allows me to keep a small patient panel with extended 30-60minute appointments, instead of relying on a certain number of visits per day that a fee-for-service model requires.
I also do ear piercing for patients 2 months and up, both members and non-members. I use a medical ear piercing system with zero nickel (the studs are actually medical plastic), so it’s skin-friendly/totally hypoallergenic.
In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
Direct primary care is gaining popularity around the country for its unique convenience and accessibility for patients, and high satisfaction rates for physicians, compared to traditional practices. I hope others in Memphis join the movement!
Pricing:
- Newborn – 2 years: $150/month
- 3-6 years: $125/month
- 7-17 years: $100/month
- 8-22 years: $85/month
- Ear piercing: $97
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.edenpeds.com
- Instagram: @edenpeds
