Zion Asher Family Physicians, Inc.

12/31/2025

📞 Part of a Day in Direct Primary Care 📞

Here’s a peek at the outgoing call log. Each call? Usually just 5 minutes or less—following up on test results, answering patient questions, or addressing a minor illness. (The 34 sec one was a call back that went to VM, Dr. Lauren is not that fast 😆)

What makes this so different from a traditional clinic?
In most practices, even something this quick requires:
- Taking off work
- Driving to the clinic
- Sitting in the waiting room (sometimes for who knows how long)
- Sitting in the exam room to wait for the doctor

All for a conversation that could be wrapped up in under five minutes.
In Direct Primary Care, we prioritize your time and convenience:
- Staff and patient messages provide context ahead of time, so calls are efficient
- Quick questions and follow-ups happen by phone or secure texting
- You spend less time commuting, waiting, and stressing—and more time living

Of course, some things need an in-person visit, and longer discussions are best face-to-face. But these small, simple touchpoints add up to saving hours—without sacrificing your care.

💡 Your time is valuable—your healthcare should respect that.

12/29/2025

🌿 𝐌𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐲: 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐒𝐞𝐥𝐟-𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐞 🌿

Real self-care isn’t always a massage or getting your nails done.
Sometimes it’s taking five intentional minutes to reset your nervous system:
🌬️ A few deep breaths.
🚶‍♀️ A short walk outside.
☕ Sitting quietly with your coffee as the sun comes up.

These small, simple moments don’t look impressive — but they matter. They lower stress, improve focus, and help your body and mind handle the rest of the day with more calm and clarity.

You don’t need an hour. You don’t need perfection.
Just a few minutes to yourself.

Start small. Do it daily. That’s real self-care.

12/25/2025

12/23/2025

Healthy Habits can be maintained during Holidays without missing out on the tasty treats too.

🎄 𝐇𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐁𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞, 𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐇𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐃𝐞𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 🎄

As we head into Christmas week, I want to encourage anyone who’s working on healthier habits; especially if food feels stressful this time of year.

You do not have to give up cinnamon rolls to make progress.
You just don’t need to eat four of them for breakfast 😉

This plate (pictured here from Thanksgiving morning) is a great example of what balance can look like—and it’s perfect for something like Christmas morning after gifts are opened:
• One small cinnamon roll (less than 140 calories, go light on the icing)
• ½ cup blueberries + ~⅓ of a banana
• One Chobani yogurt

Here’s the key lesson: 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚𝙨 𝙬𝙚𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙡𝙤𝙨𝙨 𝙞𝙨𝙣’𝙩 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙩𝙖𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙛𝙤𝙤𝙙 𝙖𝙬𝙖𝙮—𝙞𝙩’𝙨 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙖𝙙𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙧𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨.

The carb (the cinnamon roll) was already going to happen. Instead of skipping it and feeling deprived, I added:
✔️ Protein (yogurt)
✔️ Fiber, volume, and micronutrients (fruit)

This combination helps with:
⚖️ Blood sugar stability
😌 Satiety (you actually feel full)
🚫🍪 Fewer cravings later in the day

𝑬𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐𝒕𝒂𝒍𝒔 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒆:
Calories: ~350–380 calories
Protein: ~15 grams

👉 If you don’t love yogurt, you can absolutely swap it for two eggs, which is roughly equivalent in calories and protein.

Healthy eating during the holidays isn’t about perfection. It’s about 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞, 𝐛𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐞—learning how to enjoy festive foods without turning the whole day into a sugar crash.

Progress doesn’t stop in December.
Sometimes it just has a cinnamon swirl in it ❤️

12/23/2025

🎁 𝐌𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐲: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐁𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭 🎄

This week, let’s remember one simple truth: the best gift you can give this season is 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒆. 😉

The holidays aren’t about the perfect dinner, the perfect gifts, or the perfectly timed photos. They’re about being present with the people who matter most — friends, family, and especially little ones who grow up faster than we realize.

Moms, take a deep breath: wrapping paper on the floor? That’s okay. Missed a picture of someone opening a gift? That’s okay too — they still got to enjoy the moment.

The real magic happens when we slow down, soak in the laughter, the hugs, the little moments that can’t be wrapped up or scheduled. Treasure the presence, not just the presents. 💛

This week, give yourself permission to enjoy the season as it comes — messy, imperfect, and beautiful.

12/22/2025

🎄 Holiday Office Hours Reminder 🎄

Our clinic will be closing Tuesday, December 23rd at 1:00 PM and will remain closed through December 28th. We will reopen on Monday, December 29th.

💊 Medication Requests:
Please submit all refill requests by Monday, December 22nd at 4:00 PM to ensure they can be processed before we close for Christmas.

📞 After-Hours Care Reminder:
For our standard DPC membership, after-hours contact is reserved for urgent medical needs only while the clinic is closed.

Thank you for planning ahead and allowing our team time to rest and celebrate the season with family. Wishing you a peaceful and Merry Christmas! ✨🎄

12/19/2025

💸 𝐇𝐨𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓: 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐜𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐰𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐠.

This infographic was created by Goodbill, a company that reviews hospital bills to find errors, overcharges, and pricing that simply doesn’t make sense — like:
• Being billed for two appendectomies (you only have one)
• A $309 pregnancy test charged to a male patient
• A $20,000 chest CT when typical pricing can be a fraction of that ($200-600)

Goodbill helps patients by reviewing itemized hospital bills and negotiating directly with hospitals when mistakes or inflated charges are found.

👉 𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬:
Goodbill’s hospital bill review and negotiation service is available to our patients at 𝙣𝙤 𝙘𝙤𝙨𝙩.

👉 For everyone else:
Goodbill is still available to the public — there is simply a fee associated with the service.

Medical billing is confusing, opaque, and often incorrect. Tools like this exist because patients deserve transparency and fair pricing — not surprise bills that don’t add up.

12/17/2025

𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐃𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐞

Dr. Lyman and Dr. Lyman trained in a program that 𝘥𝘪𝘥 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 fellows (the doctors who train after residency). Because there were no fellows—and in some cases, no specialty-specific residents—they trained directly with the attending specialists on a daily basis.

For example, there were no orthopedic residents or fellows, so during Dr. Lauren's intern year she learned orthopedic exams and procedures one-on-one with the Chief of Orthopedic Surgery. This setup meant she had the chance to learn many hands-on procedures (like joint injections) that residents in programs with fellows often don’t get to perform themselves, because those cases usually go to fellows.

𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒎𝒆𝒂𝒏𝒔 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒂𝒔 𝒂 𝒑𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒕:
🔹 We are able to evaluate and manage a wide range of orthopedic, other specialty and general medical issues, which can often save you an extra trip to a specialist.
🔹 We always practice within our scope and training, and when something needs specialty-level care, we refer to the trusted specialists who have consistently served our patients well or the one that takes your insurance.
🔹 In some situations, we can even request an “AtlasMD consult.” This is a quick, doc-to-doc conversation with a 𝐁𝐨𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐂𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐞𝐝 𝐌𝐃/𝐃𝐎 𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭 to confirm a diagnosis and/or the best next step in your care. Turnaround time is usually 1-3 business days.

At Zion Asher our goal is always to provide safe, thorough care and connect you with the right resources when needed.

12/15/2025

🌿 Motivational Monday 🌿
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲
In a world where shortcuts can seem tempting and small compromises feel harmless, integrity stands as the quiet foundation of strong communities and lasting relationships.

Integrity isn't just about grand gestures—it's the daily choice to align our words with our actions, even when no one is watching.
One act of dishonesty can ripple outward, eroding confidence and creating distance.
But. . .
Consistent integrity builds unbreakable bonds—fostering deeper connections, mutual respect, and a sense of safety that allows everyone to thrive.

Integrity's impact goes deeper than relationships—it affects our bodies, too. Research shows that living with dishonesty or guilt triggers chronic stress responses:
- Elevated cortisol levels, increased heart rate, and higher blood pressure.
- Over time, this can contribute to anxiety, weakened immunity, inflammation, and even long-term health risks.

Conversely, aligning with our values through honest living promotes inner peace, better emotional regulation, and overall physiological calm.

This Monday, let's commit to integrity not just because it's right, but because it strengthens our community and protects our well-being.
Small choices today build the trust we all rely on tomorrow.

12/14/2025

Direct Primary Care isn’t a replacement for insurance. Many of our patients carry coverage and use DPC to lower everyday costs, avoid delays, and get care that isn’t rushed.

𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐝𝐨𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬.
And sometimes, that’s when the system teaches you the most.

All of my babies have been delivered by C-section due to high-risk pregnancy issues. My first was born in California while my husband and I were working there. At the time, we had employer-based 𝐀𝐧𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐁𝐥𝐮𝐞 𝐂𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐬 𝐁𝐥𝐮𝐞 𝐒𝐡𝐢𝐞𝐥𝐝—arguably one of the “better” insurance plans in the country.

After a complicated delivery and discharge from the hospital, several prescriptions were sent to the pharmacy: pain medication, antibiotics, and prescription-strength iron due to blood loss. My husband took our insurance card to the pharmacy and paid a little 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 $𝟔𝟎.

After he showed me the receipt, I did what doctors do—I ran the numbers.
Had he not handed over our insurance card and instead used GoodRx coupons, the total would have been 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 $𝟒𝟎.

Fast forward to today. Now that I run a 𝐃𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐚𝐧 𝐢𝐧-𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐩𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐜𝐲, 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐦𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 $𝟏𝟖.
That is a $42 savings just on that one set of prescription medication.

𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐞’𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐢𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐩𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐭:
“𝘙𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦” 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶’𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘺—𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘥𝘢𝘺 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘦.

To be clear, insurance absolutely has its place. When disaster strikes—cancer, major trauma, a car wreck—hospital bills climb into the six figures fast. Even my C-sections were each over $60,000. That’s why we’ve always carried some form of coverage for catastrophic events.

But for day-to-day care?
Labs. Medications. Routine medical needs?

Personally, we pay cash.

Those services are often far less expensive out of pocket than people are led to believe—and paying cash allows us to save significantly each month by pairing Direct Primary Care with a health-sharing or high-deductible plan.

𝐀𝐥𝐥 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐚𝐲:
Even with excellent insurance, I paid more for my medications through insurance than I would have paying cash—or through my own DPC practice.

That should make you pause and think.

Not about abandoning insurance—but about using it wisely, and understanding when it actually helps… and when it quietly costs you more.

𝐌𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 & 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐫:
This post is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute medical, legal, or insurance advice. Direct Primary Care (DPC) is not insurance and does not replace the need for health insurance or catastrophic coverage. Patients are strongly encouraged to maintain appropriate insurance or a health-sharing plan for unexpected, high-cost medical events such as hospitalizations, surgeries, trauma, or serious illness. Coverage decisions should be made based on individual medical and financial circumstances in consultation with appropriate professionals.

12/12/2025

🌟 Urgent Care Services — Included in Your DPC Membership 🌟
Because healthcare shouldn’t be confusing or expensive.

As part of your Direct Primary Care membership, you have access to same-day, in-office urgent care — handled by a physician who has real acute-care experience.
Dr. Lauren trained in a Level II trauma center in California, which means she knows exactly what can be safely treated in the clinic, what needs imaging, and what truly requires ER-level care.

🩺 What We Can Take Care of In-House:
• Respiratory infections, fever, flu, strep, RSV
• UTIs & abdominal/GI symptoms
• Rashes, allergic reactions (non-anaphylactic), asthma flares
• Headaches, migraines (can give the "ER cocktail" in house)
• Wound care & laceration repair (stitches)
• Incision & drainage of abscesses
• Evaluation for minor fractures or sprains
• Foreign body removal (skin, ear, nose—case by case)
• Simple burn care
• Tick removal + prophylaxis
• Ear irrigation
…and much more.

👶 Real-world example:
A child swallows a foreign object.
Dr. Lauren can determine what will likely pass safely, what needs outpatient imaging, and what requires ER intervention (sometimes with pediatric GI).
This kind of triage keeps families safe and avoids needless hospital trips.

Your DPC membership isn’t just “primary care.”
It’s comprehensive, responsive care — from routine visits to the unexpected moments life throws your way.