http://www.EmpowerWellnessDPC.com/

Empower Wellness Direct Primary Care, 530 S. School Street, Ukiah, CA (2026)

01/21/2026

I remember the exact moment I realized I needed to leave traditional medicine.

I was sitting at my desk between appointments, looking at my schedule for the day.

Fifteen patients. Ten minutes each. Most of them dealing with chronic conditions that could have been prevented if I'd had the time and tools to catch them years earlier.

I was helping people manage their decline. Not preventing it. Not reversing it. Just managing it as gracefully as possible within the constraints of the system.

And I kept thinking: this isn't what I became a doctor to do.

I went into family medicine because I believed in prevention, in catching problems early, and in building real relationships with patients so I could understand their health history and help them optimize for the long term.

But traditional medicine didn't give me that. It gave me a panel of 2000 patients, ten minute appointments, and insurance companies deciding what care I could provide.

So I left.

I started Empower Wellness because I wanted to practice medicine the way it's supposed to work, focusing on longevity instead of just managing lifespan, preventing disease instead of reacting to it, and building real partnerships with patients through extended appointments.

That's what healthcare should look like. And that's what I'm building.

01/14/2026

It's a fair question.

You're paying out of pocket for something insurance is supposed to cover.

It feels counterintuitive.

But here's what I've noticed.

The patients who ask that question before joining never ask it again after their first few months.

Because once you experience what it's like to have a doctor who actually has time for you, who listens without rushing, who knows your health history and goals, the question answers itself.

You stop comparing the cost to traditional healthcare. You start comparing the experience.

And there's no comparison.

If you're wondering whether Direct Primary Care is worth it, book a free meet and greet.

Come see what my patients are talking about.

01/13/2026

Are you planning on including walking in your 2026 health plans?

12/30/2025

I had a patient tell me last month that she'd tried everything to lose weight.

Keto. Intermittent fasting. Expensive meal plans. Supplements that promised to "boost metabolism." She'd lose 10 pounds, then gain it back. Over and over.

When we sat down to talk, I asked her to walk me through a typical day. What she ate. How much she moved. How she felt.

And what became clear pretty quickly was that she didn't need another program. She needed someone to help her understand what her body actually needed and how to make that sustainable.

Most people approach weight loss like it's this complicated puzzle they need to solve. But the fundamentals haven't changed. Your body loses fat when you're in a caloric deficit, moving consistently, preserving muscle, eating enough protein, and fueling yourself with foods that actually support your energy.

The problem isn't that people don't know this. It's that they don't know how to apply it to their specific life, health history, and goals. And they're surrounded by noise telling them they need the latest hack or supplement to make it work.

You don't.

What you need is a physician who takes the time to understand your metabolism, your lifestyle, and your barriers. Someone who walks you through sustainable changes instead of handing you a generic plan and hoping it sticks.

That's what I do with my patients. If you're tired of chasing programs and want support that's actually tailored to you, let's talk.

Comment HEALTH and I will send you the link to book a free meet and greet.

12/29/2025

I've had too many conversations that start the same way.

"I thought it was just aging."

Low energy. Reduced s*x drive. Erectile dysfunction that came on gradually. Most men assume it's inevitable. Their previous doctor either dismissed it or wrote a prescription without investigating further.

But progressive ED isn't aging. It's a circulation problem. And if blood flow is compromised enough to affect erectile function, the same vascular issues are affecting your heart.

This is what most men don't realize: erectile dysfunction typically shows up three to five years before heart attacks and cardiovascular disease. It's an early indicator that your body's circulation system needs attention.

So when we address ED, we're simultaneously evaluating your heart health, metabolic function, and cardiovascular risk. Not because I'm being thorough for the sake of it. Because addressing one symptom without investigating the underlying cause means we're missing the opportunity to prevent heart disease, stroke, and diabetes.

Low testosterone, enlarged prostate, chronic fatigue. These aren't isolated conditions. They're often interconnected signals pointing to root causes worth investigating.

Early intervention changes outcomes. It's the difference between managing symptoms in your 50s and preventing hospitalizations in your 60s.

If you're in the Ukiah area and want a physician who approaches men's health as preventative medicine, click the link below or in my bio to schedule a free meet and greet.

https://bit.ly/3AeMsva

12/26/2025

I've been a physician long enough to recognize the pattern.

Early January, my schedule fills up with people ready to make changes. By March, most of them are gone.

Not because they didn't care. Because motivation fades, life gets busy, and when you're trying to change your health alone, it's easy to fall back into old patterns.

The New Year's resolution model sets people up to fail. It puts all the pressure on you to figure everything out and stay disciplined on your own.

And when it doesn't work, you blame yourself.

But sustainable health changes don't come from willpower or perfect timing. They come from having a physician who actually knows you, understands your barriers, and helps you build a plan that fits your real life.

The patients who make lasting changes aren't superhuman. They just have support. Someone checking in, adjusting their approach when things aren't working, and helping them stay consistent without the pressure of perfection.

If you've set the same health goals before and they didn't stick, it wasn't because you failed. It was because you were trying to do it without the right support.

12/22/2025

I had a patient ask me recently what the most important exercise was for longevity.

She expected me to say strength training or HIIT or something more complicated.

I told her: walking.

She looked disappointed at first. Like it was too simple to actually matter. But here's what most people don't realize about walking.

It's not just low-impact cardio. It's one of the most researched longevity interventions we have.

Studies show that getting 8000 steps per day is associated with up to a 50% reduced rate of mortality. It protects your brain through neuroplasticity. It improves cardiovascular health, regulates blood sugar, reduces inflammation, and supports metabolic function.

And it's sustainable. Most People can walk at 70, 80, 90 years old. You can't say that about most high-intensity workouts.

The longest-living populations in the world aren't doing complicated fitness routines. They're walking. Consistently. For decades.

In my practice, the patients who age best are the ones who prioritize daily movement. Not because they're training for something. Because they understand that longevity isn't about intensity. It's about consistency and protecting your body over the long term.

Walking does that better than almost anything else.

If you're focused on living a long, healthy life, this is where I'd start. Not with the latest fitness trend. With the simplest, most sustainable form of movement we have.

12/17/2025

I hear this all the time: "I knew something was wrong, but I kept putting off calling because I didn't have the energy to deal with it."

Not the energy to get care. The energy to coordinate it.

That's where we are with healthcare right now. A recent survey found that Americans spend 8 hours per month just trying to schedule appointments, navigate insurance, and coordinate their care. Eight hours. That's a full workday every month before you even see a doctor.

And 44% of people have delayed or skipped care they needed in the past two years. Not because they didn't want help. Because the system made it too exhausting to access.

This is what happens when healthcare is built for volume instead of people. You wait weeks for an appointment. You get 10 minutes with your doctor. Then you start the cycle all over again next time something comes up.

It doesn't have to be this way.

Direct primary care removes all of that. Same or next day appointments. Direct access to your doctor when you need it. No phone trees, no coordination burden, no waiting a month just to be seen.

If you're tired of healthcare feeling like a part time job, book a free meet and greet.

Let's talk about what care looks like when it's actually built around your life. Click the link in my bio!

12/15/2025

Here's something that drives me crazy.

When patients feel like they need to apologize before mentioning something they learned online.

Why?

Your primary care doctor should be the first person you talk to about wellness content, supplements, or health advice you come across. Not the last person.
Not someone you avoid mentioning it to.

If you're curious about a supplement, I need to know so I can check if it's safe with your current medications.

If you're following health advice from social media, bring it up. Let's evaluate it together and see if it actually makes sense for your situation.

These aren't annoying conversations. They're essential ones.

And honestly, I find them valuable. Patients introduce me to research, trends, and perspectives I haven't explored yet. We both learn. That's how this is supposed to work.

The issue is that most people don't have a doctor with enough time to actually explore these topics. So they stop bringing them up. They try things on their own. And important information gets left out of the conversation.

That's why I built my practice differently.

You shouldn't have to edit what you tell your doctor based on whether they have five minutes or fifty. You should be able to discuss everything that matters to your health without feeling rushed or dismissed.

If that's the kind of care you're looking for, I'd love to connect.

Book a free meet and greet by clicking the link below!

https://bit.ly/3AeMsva

12/12/2025

A patient told me last week: "I finally feel like I'm in the best shape of my life."

Then we looked at her DEXA scan results.

Her visceral fat was higher than expected. Not crisis level, but trending the wrong way. And she was shocked because everything looked fine on the outside.

This is why I push for advanced testing. The metrics most people use to measure health (weight, how clothes fit, even basic bloodwork) don't show you what's happening metabolically.

Your body can look healthy and still be quietly building risk.

If you want to know what's actually going on inside, not just what you see in the mirror, book a free meet and greet. Let's talk about whether testing like this makes sense for you.

12/09/2025

I had two appointments back to back last week that reminded me why I do this work.

First patient: 72 years old, just got back from a hiking trip in Colorado. We spent most of the visit talking about her plans to visit her daughter in Europe and fine-tuning her labs to keep her energy high.

Second patient: 71 years old. Came in exhausted.
Three specialist appointments in the last month. New medication added to an already long list. Frustrated because no one seems to be listening.

One year age difference. Worlds apart in how they experience life.

And here's what most people miss: the difference wasn't luck or genetics. It was the approach to healthcare they chose years ago.

The first patient didn't wait for problems to get worse. She prioritized prevention. She made time for her health before it demanded her attention.
And she had a doctor who gave her more than 10 minutes.

The second patient did what most of us are taught to do: wait until something feels really wrong, then go to the doctor. Treat symptoms as they show up.

That's not her failure. That's the system.

Traditional primary care wasn't built for prevention. It was built for volume. Get people in and out. Move to the next patient.

But prevention requires time. Advanced testing that insurance won't always cover. A physician who knows your history well enough to catch problems early.

This is why I started Empower Wellness. I wanted to give people access to care that keeps them healthy, not just manages decline.

Your future isn't predetermined. But it is being shaped right now by the choices you're making and the kind of care you have access to.

If you want to thrive at 70, you can't wait until 70 to start caring about it.

https://bit.ly/3AeMsva

12/05/2025

You watch a 60-second video from someone with a nice smile and good lighting who says they "healed themselves naturally." They're selling you supplements, cleanses, or fear. And you believe them because they're more accessible than your doctor.

I've seen patients stop medications, try dangerous detoxes, avoid necessary testing, and waste thousands on useless supplements, all because an influencer told them to.

**At Empower Wellness DPC, I've solved this problem.**

When you see something on TikTok and think "Is this true?" you text me. You get real medical advice from YOUR doctor, not someone selling products.

My patients don't fall for misinformation because they have direct access to accurate information. From me. Anytime they need it.

I also create content to counter the nonsense online. So my patients (and hopefully others) have a trusted medical source in their feed.

Healthcare misinformation thrives when doctors are inaccessible. Make doctors accessible? The problem shrinks.

You deserve a doctor who's as reachable as TikTok but actually qualified.

Empower Wellness Direct Primary Care

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