Independent Physician Spotlight: Shane Purcell

New feature! We put out a call to celebrate independent physicians, and we’re featuring a different doctor who’s decided to go (or remain!) independent to restore their autonomy and provide better patient care. This week, meet Shane Purcell, a Direct Primary Care (DPC) physician and the Treasurer of the Direct Primary Care Alliance. You can connect further with Shane on LinkedIn.

1. Shane, give us a little background on you and your practice. I graduated from Mercer University Medical School in 1999, then did my residency in family medicine at ANMED Family Medicine Residency in Anderson, South Carolina in 2002. I worked in a private family practice group for two years, and then did urgent care work for a few years while building a new cash pay clinic in 2005. I provided direct cash pay primary care for a few years, doing urgent care on the side. Then, right in the middle of the stock market crash of 2008, I bought and refurbished an old urgent care on the "other side of the tracks" in town, where healthcare was limited.

I built an urgent care and primary care clinic for several years, then changed the primary care clinic over to a Direct Primary Care (DPC) model in 2015. I went full DPC in 2019 and sold my urgent care in October 2019, just before COVID hit. Now, we have 5 clinicians (4 physicians and 1 PA), all doing DPC with several employers, and about 60% of patients are employee-based, while the rest are individuals. I wrote a book in 2020 about DPC and employers called Magic, Pixie Dust, and Miracles: A Guide for DPC & Employers. Around that time, I was also a founding member of the Direct Primary Care Alliance, which I currently serve as Treasurer. At our DPC office, we continue to grow and help many physicians learn about the DPC model and how to work with employers.

2. What do you see as the biggest challenges to physicians going or staying independent? Fear. Doctors are afraid of economic issues: not understanding the business model of healthcare and not making enough money. These all lead to fear of failure. Many are so worried that they cannot run a business.

However, doing cash-based primary care like DPC makes it so much easier to run a practice. You got expenses and revenue (cash in). So many people we meet every day own and run businesses, why can't doctors? I mean, I have a guy who cleans my pool and sends me email bills. I click a button and pay him. Now, I work with and promote the DPC Alliance organization to teach physicians how to start medical clinics, including all the business aspects. Entrepreneurship training is what doctors need in order to believe in themselves and jump in. At the DPC Alliance, we do these incredible Masterminds 101 weekends to expand physicians' business know-how and overcome this fear.

3. What are the biggest benefits for going independent? Why should more physicians consider this path? Autonomy, purpose and passion. Build your dream practice, operate it the way you want, and help patients the way you want. Make your schedule your own. These allow you autonomy and to grow your passion in practice, which fulfills your purpose in your career. You cannot help patients the right way, unencumbered by administrators or regulations, without your autonomy and passion fulfilled. Happy docs are best for patient care.

4. What's your advice to anyone who's thinking about making the leap or deciding what path to take straight out of training? Find a mentor. In the DPC world, lots of doctors are willing to share their stories and help out. Also, attend a direct care conference if you can. The DPC Summit in New Orleans in the summer of 2026 will be a great one. Finally, the DPC Alliance (to toot our own horn) does a jam-up Mastermind 101 weekend on how to start a direct primary care from scratch or transition one.

5. Are there any resources you can recommend to help physicians who are considering this pathway? The DPC Summit, the Free Market Medical Association meeting, and the DPC Alliance is a great national physician organization for direct care. They have classes and training on starting and running your DPC practice. Many books can also help get you started, such as Dr. Doug Farrago's Official Guide to Starting Your Own DPC.

6. How can other physicians who are inspired support you? You can support me by supporting the DPC Alliance. Partner with the alliance as a vendor, speaker, or a sponsor. Also, seek a DPC doctor near you and sign up for regular care.

Connect with Shane on LinkedIn and learn more about the DPC Alliance here.

Resources Referenced in This Interview

Here's Shane's list of resources for anyone who wants to go independent or remain independent as a physician.