Stop Practicing Small. Start Leading Like a DPC CEO.
One day in Fort Mill to conquer the fear, optimize your business, and build the practice you actually want. October 24th, 2026. Let's share, hope, and dream together.
Saturday, October 24th, 2026 - Fort Mill, SC
Stop Practicing Small. Start Leading Like a DPC CEO.
One day in Fort Mill to conquer the fear, optimize your business, and build the practice you actually want. October 24th, 2026. Let's share, hope, and dream together.
Saturday, October 24th, 2026 - Fort Mill, SC
DATE
Saturday, October 24, 2026
TIME
7:30am to 4:30pm
VENUE
New South Family Medicine, Fort Mill
DINNER
Optional dinners, Friday and Saturday night
For Doctors Done Playing It Safe.
Gain practical business know‑how to conquer the fear of running a practice and build real ownership in your career. Adopt a CEO mindset to lead your practice with confidence.
Real Talks. Real Connection. Real Momentum.
Focused business talks, practical frameworks, and dedicated social time to build real relationships that move your practice forward.
Business & Mindset
Own your leadership. Cut through doubt. Learn from others that have build successful DPC practices.
Location and details
October 24, 2026 - 7:30am - 4:30pm
LOOM Coworking, Gallery and Event Space
120 Academy Street, Fort Mill, SC, 29715
Hotel info below
Who This Is For
Doctors at any stage - pre-launch, newly open, or established - who are ready to lead.
Who This Is not For
Doctors looking for done for you or start up instruction
Agenda
Business-focused talks + real connection time.
Subject to change.
Dinner optional Friday and Saturday night
7:30 AM
Breakfast
8:00 AM
Welcome
8:05 AM–8:55 AM
Talk 1: Mindset: Overcoming Fear, Finding Mentorship
Amanda Pennington, MD
9:00 AM–9:50 AM
Talk 2: Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) & What's Your Exit Strategy?
Jessica Mendelsohn, MD
10:00 AM–10:50 AM
Talk 3: Political Landscape of DPC
Josh Umbehr, MD & Jerome Aya-Ay, MD
11:00 AM–11:40 AM
Talk 4: Corporate and Employer Contract Pitfalls and Red Flags
Shaunna Sanders, JD, MBA
11:50 AM–12:20 PM
Talk 5: Employer Benefits
Cristy Gupton
12:20 PM–12:30 PM
A few words from our Lunch Sponsor: US Bank
12:30 PM–1:30 PM
Working lunch with Q&A + social time
1:35 PM–2:25 PM
Talk 6: Know Your Numbers
Cass Ward
2:30 PM–3:20 PM
Talk 7: Taxes / Real Estate
Nate Goodman, CPA + Jessica Mendelsohn, MD
3:30 PM–4:20 PM
Talk 8: Building an Employer Pipeline for DPC
Anne Gonzalez, MD
4:20 PM–4:30 PM
Close
4:30 PM–5:30 PM
Optional: Special Presentation
Jessica Mendelsohn
Hosted by DPC doctors, for DPC doctors
Anne Gonzalez, MD
Emerald Health DPC & Aesthetics
Hickory & Morganton, NC
Jessica Kaiser Mendelsohn, MD
New South Family Medicine
Fort Mill, SC
Amanda Pennington, MD
Pennington Primary Care
Rock Hill, SC
Jerry Shane Purcell, MD
Direct Access
Anderson, SC
Sponsors
LUNCH SPONSOR
US Bank
U.S. Bank offers banking built for healthcare practice owners, from business checking and lending to financing for opening or growing a practice.
LUNCH SPONSOR
US Bank
U.S. Bank offers banking built for healthcare practice owners, from business checking and lending to financing for opening or growing a practice.
Virtuous Benefits
Virtuous Benefits is a DPC owned benefits company that educates DPC physicians across the country on the best ways to work with their local employer groups helping them grow their practices faster. VBDPC healthCARE insurance plans remove the greed from health insurance for businesses by creating DPC driven Open Access health plans with no network restrictions!
DINNER SPONSOR
DINNER SPONSOR
Virtuous Benefits
Virtuous Benefits is a DPC owned benefits company that educates DPC physicians across the country on the best ways to work with their local employer groups helping them grow their practices faster. VBDPC healthCARE insurance plans remove the greed from health insurance for businesses by creating DPC driven Open Access health plans with no network restrictions!
Goodman CPA
A team that already gets Direct Care - one that understands how your practice actually makes money, and helps you build it, grow it, and keep more of what you earn.
BREAKFAST SPONSOR
Ardor Commercial Advisors
At Ardor Commercial Advisors, we understand that buying or selling commercial property is a significant step in your journey. We are more than just your agents; we are your lifelong partners, committed to guiding you through every transaction and beyond.
Lantern Health
Lantern Health is a Direct Primary Care (DPC) practice providing personalized and comprehensive primary care services to individuals, families, and employers at two locations in Asheville.
Harmony Ops CRM for DPC
A CRM (Customer Relationship Manager) built for DPC by a DPC doctor. We provide systems, marketing and growth support for DPC practices, helping physicians attract patients and grow with less effort and guesswork.
New South Family Medicine
Located in the heart of Fort Mill, SC, we combine the science of modern medicine with the warmth of a neighborhood clinic. We’re redefining healthcare by offering Direct Primary Care (DPC) and MedSpa services under one roof - making it easy for you to feel your best, inside and out.
Magic, Pixie Dust, and Miracles
Shane Purcell, MD
The book is written from the DPC physician perspective to learn how to approach employers, work with them and their benefits advisors. In addition, there are specific sections for employers and benefits advisors to learn about DPC and how, together, all three groups can work to achieve some magic and miracles.
Prenuvo
Prenuvo is a proactive healthcare company offering full-body MRI scans designed to help provide a look at multiple organ systems in under an hour. Every scan is read by board-certified radiologists. Prenuvo works with direct primary cares building practices around longer relationships and richer baseline data. Prenuvo's mission is to enable earlier identification of potential conditions and a deeper understanding of human health and aging.
Thea Health
Thea Health lets direct primary care doctors send curbside consults to specialists in more than 125 specialty and subspecialty areas without leaving the patient's chart. Answers usually come back within hours and one flat monthly fee covers unlimited specialist consults.
Sunlight Health
Sunlight Health is a benefit plan that rewards employers for choosing direct primary care and helps employees spend their healthcare dollars wisely with guidance from their DPC physician. Members and their families pay $0 out of pocket when they use their DPC, community pharmacies, and the plan’s built-in guidance toward high-quality care.
Tiger Diagnostics Laboratory
TIGER Diagnostics is built to be better. We know that behind every test is a real person, and delivering timely and accurate results is essential to quality care.
DPC Marketing Playbook
Douglas Farrago, MD
A practical, no-fluff walkthrough of what's working right now for physicians who built thriving DPC practices with no ad budget, no marketing degree, and no in-house team.
NEARBY HOTELS
Hampton Inn & Suites Fort Mill
1520 Carolina Place Drive, Fort Mill, SC 29708
(803) 578-2600
NEARBY HOTELS
Hampton Inn & Suites Fort Mill
1520 Carolina Place Drive, Fort Mill, SC 29708
(803) 578-2600
Good to know
Good to know
Who is this for?
Doctors at any stage; pre-launch, newly open, or established, who are ready to lead. Not a fit if you are looking for done-for-you or start-up instruction.
Is lunch included?
YES. Lunch from 12:30 to 1:30 PM is a working lunch with Q&A and social time.
Where do I park?
Parking will be marked and someone will direct you to the venue location.
What should I bring?
Please bring a laptop or notebook, a phone charger, and a layer in case the room runs cool.
Still have questions?
Email us at [email protected]
Questions? Email us at [email protected]
© 2026 Carolinas Direct Primary Care Summit