Hidden Gems: Meet Poorvi Pfenning of Vital Roots Direct Primary Care

Today we’d like to introduce you to Poorvi Pfenning.

Hi Poorvi, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Opening my own direct primary care practice has been my dream since I first learned of the model in medical school. But I’m a first-generation immigrant who graduated medical school with several hundred thousand dollars of student loan debt, so I decided to start my career in a large academic corporate health system to get my financial house in order and create stability for my family.

Turns out, I was actually pretty skilled at the fee for service model of care, and quickly became one of the highest performers in the system. But I was absolutely miserable inside. I was constantly being forced to choose between preserving the quality of the care I knew I was capable of providing and preserving myself. It was becoming clear that it was impossible to do both at the few minutes/patient pace that corporate medicine expects. And despite the fact that I was making more money than I even knew was possible in primary care, and spending so much of it on frequent self-care-motivated luxury vacations, spa treatments, etc. – none of it was working to buy my life force back. So finally, after years of fear-based decision making, I chose to take a bet on myself for the first time in my life and pursue my dreams.

In building Vital Roots Direct Primary Care, I’m doing more than just building my dream medical practice, I’m crafting my own version of “The American Dream” and what it means to be a successful physician, mother, wife, and –most importantly – human.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
There were moments during every single step of the path on this journey that I thought of giving up- when I had to withdraw out of Honors Organic Chemistry in undergrad because I bombed 2/4 exams of the course; in medical school when I struggled under the intense competitive environment and constantly changing hours, rules and expectations during 3rd year clinical rotations; during intern year of residency, when I struggled with deep despair and (thankfully short-lived) suicidal thoughts.

Many people don’t know this but female physicians die by suicide at a rate 2.27x higher than the general female population.

Thankfully I had an incredible support system that helped me overcome each hurdle.

As you know, we’re big fans of Vital Roots Direct Primary Care. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
At Vital Roots Direct Primary Care, I offer an innovative and accessible approach to primary care. I pride myself on being a one-stop-shop for my patients, providing much broader scope primary care services than what most Family Medicine docs here in the Atlanta area offer. I am an expert in women’s health across the entire age spectrum, mental health, dermatology, obesity medicine, and sports medicine. I’m also board-certified in Lifestyle Medicine, a specialty focused on empowering physicians with the knowledge and skills to teach patients how to eat, exercise, and live to help reduce the need for medications for diseases like diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and obesity.

And by practicing in the direct primary care model, my patients can enjoy accessing my services unencumbered by the limitations of insurance-based practice.

I’m specifically really proud of my “Shop with a Doc” experience that my Lifestyle Medicine members enjoy. After their initial Lifestyle Medicine intake, I sit down with them and craft personalized nutritional interventions and meal plans, perform a pantry consultation to help set them up for success, and go grocery shopping with them to allow them the time and space to ask their trusted physician all the questions they may have about produce, the million yogurt options, etc.

What does success mean to you?
Success to me is meaningfully serving and connecting with members of my community to reduce their suffering, all while providing a comfortable life for myself and my family and being meaningfully present for my children, husband, friends, and extended family.

Pricing:

• Essential Primary Care average $75/month
• Essential + Lifestyle Medicine average $125/month

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.vitalrootsdpc.com

Image Credits
Christina McKeeby