WHY I LEFT INSURANCE MEDICINE

Send us Fan MailNot every seizure shakes, and you can’t swallow your tongue. Neurologist and epileptologist Dr. Jessica Lowe, aka Dr. Brain Barbie, joins us to break down seizure first aid, the subtle seizure signs people overlook, and SUDEP, the epilepsy risk most families never hear about.We also get into how she built a following by making neuroscience fun, why patients are turning to social media and AI for answers, and why she believes physicians have to show up online: “If you do not show up there, someone else will.” Plus, the line between lived experience and medical expertise, and why every health creator should be upfront about what they know and what they don’t.Find Dr. Lowe at @doctorbrainbarbie on Instagram and TikTok. Learn more about Concierge Medicine of West Michigan at cmwestmichigan.com.This episode is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice.

Send us Fan MailWhat actually scares a doctor? Usually not what you’d expect.David and Dr. Lara Baatenburg count down the healthcare moments that genuinely worry clinicians. They cover the sudden “worst headache of my life,” dangerous lab results in people who feel completely fine, high blood pressure left untreated for years, and the jar of loose pills nobody can identify. They also dig into the newer risks: unverified peptides bought online, AI health advice, skipped follow-up, and relying on the ER instead of a primary care doctor.The takeaway: most scary health scenarios unfold over decades, not days. That’s what makes them fixable. Stay informed, not afraid, and talk it through with a good doctor.Learn more at cmwestmichigan.comThis episode is for educational purposes only and isn’t individual medical advice.

Send us Fan MailMuscle isn't vanity. It's medicine.Dr. Lara Baatenburg spent 15 years as a runner before walking into her first CrossFit class. That shift changed how she thinks about health as a physician. In this episode, she and David break down why muscle matters for blood sugar, bones, and aging well, and what actually builds it.They cover progressive overload, how hard to train (and why soreness misleads), how much protein you really need, protecting muscle on a GLP-1, why cardio isn't the enemy, and how to get started if the gym intimidates you.The challenge: picture who you want to be in 10 years, then make a plan today to get there.Learn more about Concierge Medicine of West Michigan at https://cmwestmichigan.comThis episode is for general education and isn't individualized medical advice. Talk to your doctor before starting a new exercise program or changing your diet.

Send us Fan MailDoctors are told to “suck it up, buttercup.” So are patients. Dr. Todd Otten is done accepting that.Dr. Todd Otten is a family physician, former Naval flight surgeon, and executive producer of the documentary Suck It Up, Buttercup: Trust & Betrayal — Healthcare in America. He joins Dr. Lara Baatenburg and David Roden to talk about his path through medical training and burnout, and how that led him to advocate for healthcare reform.We get into what’s really driving clinicians out of medicine: private equity, PBMs, administrative burden, and the learned helplessness built into the system. Dr. Otten explains why he chose direct primary care at Plum Health and what it took to make a feature documentary. He also covers what clinicians and patients can actually do to push for change.In this episode:Medical training, burnout, and “patients are not getting my best”Private equity’s impact on hospitals, including rural communitiesPBMs and the hidden economics of careDirect primary care and membership medicine as alternativesLearned helplessness in medicine, and how to break itThe story behind Suck It Up, ButtercupAdvocacy, public education, and the future of careLearn more:The film: https://gathr.com/vod/8f839814/suck-it-up-buttercup-trust-and-betrayal-healthcare-in-americaWant a doctor who has time for you? Learn about concierge care at cmwestmichigan.com.If you’re a clinician who is struggling, you’re not alone. Call or text 988.

Send us Fan MailWhat changes when your doctor isn’t racing the clock?Dr. Lara Baatenburg spent years in a traditional insurance-based practice with a panel of roughly 3,000 patients before moving to concierge medicine. In this episode, David sits down with her to talk honestly about both sides: what patient volume does to a visit, how urgent problems and lab results actually get handled, and why “patients often feel like they’re pushed out the door” in a system built around throughput.We get into:What a day really looks like with thousands of patients, and what gets squeezed outHow urgent and same-day problems move through each modelLab results, patient anxiety, and the number nobody ever explainedHow technology and direct communication change follow-upWhy long-term relationships matter so much in primary careWhat Lara genuinely enjoys about practicing this way nowThe problem isn’t the doctors working inside the system. It’s how little time the system gives them.Learn more about Concierge Medicine of West Michigan at cmwestmichigan.comThis episode is for educational purposes only and isn’t individualized medical advice. Talk to your own physician about your care.

Send us Fan MailNearly four months into marriage, Lara and David get honest about what it actually takes to build healthy habits as a couple. One of them comes at health from the clinical side and the other from the anti-diet, biology-over-willpower side. Most of the time that works beautifully. Sometimes it turns into a negotiation over the snack cabinet.They cover workout routines and personal preferences, meal prep, handling sweets and snacks at home, the sleep boundaries that keep the peace, managing stress, and why shared values, including faith, make everything else easier. It's not a picture-perfect version of marriage. It's a real one, with routines that bend, chores that get divided, and a lot of growing along the way.In this episode:Building healthy habits in a brand-new life stageAligning values and handling differencesExercise routines, daily movement, and doing it your own wayFood choices, meal prep, and what happens when sweets are in the houseSleep habits and the boundaries that protect themStress, emotional health, and communicationSpiritual health and shared valuesStaying flexible with routines and household choresChapters 0:00 Introduction to Marriage and Routine Challenges 1:59 Creating Healthy Habits in a New Life Stage 4:08 Aligning Values and Managing Differences 7:06 Exercise Routines and Personal Preferences 9:59 Balancing Physical Activity and Daily Movement 13:10 Food Choices, Meal Prep, and Dietary Preferences 17:02 Handling Sweets, Snacks, and Food Accessibility 20:58 Sleep Habits, Boundaries, and Adjustments 25:10 Stress Management and Emotional Well-being 27:54 Communication, Spirituality, and Shared Values 31:59 Routines, Household Chores, and Flexibility 33:52 Reflections on Growth and Future Plans 35:05 Conclusion and Next Steps in the Journey of MarriageWhat's your household's biggest health disagreement? Tell us in the comments or leave a review on Apple Podcasts.Learn more about Concierge Medicine of West Michigan at cmwestmichigan.com.Vitals & Values is for educational purposes only and is not individualized medical advice. Talk with your physician about your own health.

Send us Fan MailHormones have become one of the biggest targets of health misinformation online.High cortisol. Low testosterone. Hormone imbalance. Estrogen dominance. Perimenopause.But how much can a blood test actually tell you — and when is hormone testing really necessary?In this episode of Vitals & Values, David sits down with Dr. Lara Baatenburg to separate hormone fact from social media fiction.They break down what cortisol actually does, why Cushing syndrome is far different from simply being “stressed,” what testosterone numbers can and can't tell us, and why diagnosing perimenopause isn't always as simple as ordering a hormone panel.Dr. Lara also explains an important principle that often gets lost online: medicine isn't just about treating a number on a lab report. It's about understanding the patient, their symptoms, their history, and the clinical context.In this episode:What cortisol actually does in the bodyWhy high cortisol doesn't automatically mean something is wrongCushing syndrome and why it's relatively rareWhen cortisol testing is actually appropriateTestosterone levels and misconceptions around TRTWhy a single hormone test doesn't always give you the full pictureHow physicians evaluate perimenopauseWhen hormone testing can help guide treatmentStress, obesity, and their relationship with hormone levelsWhy social media makes hormone health seem simpler than it really isChapters00:00 — The hormone testing myths taking over social media02:14 — What cortisol actually does05:17 — Cushing syndrome: what it is and how rare it is08:07 — Normal vs. abnormal cortisol12:12 — Testosterone, low T and TRT misconceptions17:28 — Perimenopause: symptoms, age and diagnosis22:39 — When hormone testing is actually necessary26:33 — Using hormone tests to guide treatment30:17 — Why hormones are more complicated than social media suggests36:19 — The misinformation problemVitals & Values — Science Over Hype, Values Over Virality.

Send us Fan MailFall is here — which means chili, fresh Michigan apples, pumpkin baked goods, roasted vegetables, pot roast…and apparently a butternut squash plant that has completely taken over our garden.In this lighter episode of Vitals & Values, Lara and David share the fall foods they look forward to most, debate the foods that might be a little overrated, and talk about why eating seasonally can be both fun and good for adding more variety to your diet.They also get into food fear, why enjoying pumpkin bars or cobbler doesn’t make your diet “bad,” the benefits of shopping local and eating fresh produce, and why David still feels personally attacked by Lara’s opinion of people who eat the same foods every day.From chili and Honeycrisp apples to pumpkin bars, butternut squash and pot roast, this one is less about creating the perfect diet and more about enjoying food, embracing variety, and making room for the foods that make each season great.What fall food did we miss?

Send us Fan MailIn this episode, Dr. Todd Chassee, Dr. Lara Baatenburg and David discuss the innovative model of Right Care Clinic, its benefits over traditional emergency rooms, and how it aims to transform healthcare delivery in West Michigan. They share personal experiences, the clinic's unique features, and insights into healthcare cost management. In this episode, we explore the innovative model of Right Care Clinic, its challenges, and future plans. Our guests share insights on healthcare delivery, marketing, insurance complexities, physician wellness, and the impact of media on medical practice.Key  TopicsThe origin and mission of Right Care ClinicDifferences between urgent care, ER, and the Right Care modelCost savings and patient experience improvementsThe clinic's unique features like expanded labs and imagingPhysician ownership and its impact on care qualityChallenges and surprises in launching the clinic The model and growth plans of Right Care ClinicChallenges with insurance reimbursement and patient billingPhysician burnout and wellness strategiesMarketing and community outreach for healthcare servicesPartnerships with specialists and hospital systemsMedia influence on perceptions of emergency medicineFuture expansion and sustainability of healthcare clinicsChapters00:00 Introduction to Right Care Clinic and its mission00:01 Introduction to Right Care Clinic and Guests01:57 Dr. Chassee's background and the clinic's origin03:58 How the clinic differs from traditional emergency rooms04:13 The Model and Growth Plans of Right Care Clinic06:53 Personal experience with the clinic and cost comparison08:06 Challenges with Insurance and Patient Billing10:01 Services offered and conditions treated at the clinic11:53 Physician Wellness and Burnout in Emergency Medicine13:02 Financial model and insurance considerations15:59 Surprises and lessons learned after two years of operation16:14 Marketing Strategies and Community Outreach17:53 Marketing, target audience, and future plans20:00 Partnerships with Specialists and Hospital Systems23:52 Media Influence on Emergency Medicine Perceptions27:57 Future Expansion and Sustainability of Healthcare Clinics

Send us Fan MailIn this episode, we explore the complexities of vaccine information, media portrayal, and public perception, focusing on the MMR vaccine and recent debates. Our experts clarify misconceptions, review historical data, and discuss the influence of social media and political figures.Key TopicsHistory of the MMR vaccine from 1963 to presentVaccine efficacy and safety data over 50 yearsMisconceptions and misinformation about vaccinesThe influence of social media and political figures on vaccine perceptionRecent changes and proposals in vaccine recommendationsThe importance of reading full research and contextHow headlines can mislead public understandingThe role of healthcare professionals and public accountabilityChapters00:00 Introduction to vaccine misinformation and headlines01:53 History of the MMR vaccine and its development03:58 Vaccine efficacy, safety, and common misconceptions06:06 The influence of social media and political figures08:02 Recent changes in vaccine recommendations and proposals09:58 Misinterpretation of research and headlines12:02 Current measles outbreak and vaccination rates14:05 The importance of reading full research and context16:09 Public trust, media portrayal, and accountability18:01 Healthy skepticism versus misinformation20:01 How to critically evaluate vaccine information21:55 Final thoughts on vaccine communication and trust