Because it keeps governmental regulation and insurance companies in their rightful place, which is anywhere other than between you and your primary care provider.

Providers are increasingly burnt out and disenfranchised with the warped and increasingly dysfunctional healthcare system they must operate within. DPC allows for an untethering from this and provides a system for both providers and patients that is much more efficient and effective.

Patients have direct access to their provider, in a timely and efficient manner. There are also no hidden costs. Most patients report that their monthly fee is considered very good value for the care they receive.

It is estimated that 80-90% of patient’s healthcare is primary care. With DPC, this is covered by the monthly fee. Most patients will pay considerably more for primary care through high-deductible insurance plans. Through a DPC practice, patient cost is a known and affordable quantity. This transparency allows for reproducible line-item budgeting.

After providing pediatric care for 25 years, Dr. French has decided to focus only on medical and wellness care for adults.

There are many definitions of metabolism. In essence, it is the sum total reactions in the body involving the burning or storage of energy.

Historically, medical providers have looked at disease processes as distinct entities. For instance, cancer being very separate from heart disease or diabetes having nothing to do with Alzheimer's disease. What has become very clear to Dr. French is that most disease processes that humans will die of are metabolic in nature. Being metabolically unwell drives the risk of heart disease, stroke, numerous cancers, type 2 diabetes, obesity and Alzheimer's disease. What is also clear is that metabolically efficient humans have a dramatically lower burden of these diseases, or they develop them much later in life.

Dr. French is able to assess metabolic health through a detailed history, body measurements, and a series of lab tests.

Yes, he is board-certified in the specialty of Obesity Medicine. The disease of obesity directly causes over 200 other diseases. This makes enjoyably sustainable weight loss and the maintenance of that loss the single most important thing a patient with obesity could do for their health.

The “calories in, calories out” model of weight loss advice is deeply flawed and basically useless. Numerous metabolic factors need to be improved in combination with long-term metabolic/weight loss medication.

Through Whitefish Med, Dr. French will provide dietary advice and other recommendations that help weight disorders, but will not actively manage the disease of obesity with medication.

Instead, intense weight management is done through a separate arm of his practice, LWmed (Lifestyle and Weight Medicine).

The proper management of overweight and obesity is not like that of other disease processes. It requires numerous visits over an extended period.

All factors that affect metabolism (sleep, activity level, dietary content, mindfulness with food, timing of food consumption, relationships, mental health, bowel function, etc.) must be addressed and improved or the sustainable ability to burn fat tissue for fuel, and thus lean out over time is an impossibility.

With improved metabolism, in combination with weight loss/metabolic medication, patients are able to consistently burn fat, lean out, and feel very well in the process.

This entire process is not quick or easy. This is why very few providers are competently doing this work.

There are two possible LWmed patient scenarios:

1. If you are NOT a patient of Whitefish Med. You have a trusted primary care provider elsewhere and just want to work with Dr. French for weight loss.

   You would become an LWmed patient. Enrollment, payment, and scheduling is through the LWmed website www.lifestyleweightmed.com.

2. You ARE a patient of Whitefish Med. Dr. French is your primary care provider.

   You would still need to enroll as an LWmed patient for 3 months. This is the most intense period, with sometimes weekly visits and the initiation of weight loss medication.

   The monthly Whitefish Med membership fee will be deducted from the cost of LWmed.

After the 3-month Support Plan Tier I LWmed membership, further weight management could then occur through Whitefish Med, and continued LWmed membership would not be required.

Many kinds, on and off-label.

Phentermine and related medications are outstanding, inexpensive and safe for long-term use.

The GLP-1 agonists are prescribed extensively (semaglutide/Wegovy and tirzepitide/Zepbound). They can be compounded, which lowers cost significantly.

These medications are prescribed primary through LWmed. If Dr. French is your primary care provider, after 3 months of management through LWmed, ongoing prescribing can be done through Whitefish Med.

Yes. Dr. French does “consults” with patients that receive primary medical care elsewhere. They commonly are scheduled for purposes of weight loss advice and an overall interest in being healthier.

The cost is $225. This includes a 50-minute initial appointment and a 25-minute follow-up appointment. These consultations can occur remotely, for patients living not near Whitefish.

No. Patient intent to become a Whitefish Med patient, or schedule a consult, needs to be approved by Dr. French. The first step is to contact him by filling out our Getting Started form.

Your experience at Whitefish Med needs to be very favorable and enriching. Patients may have expectations, or complex medical issues that would be best managed elsewhere. Dr. French will determine this by assessing patient needs through the Getting Started form, and possibly through an email discussion and review of medical records.

No. These will need to be done through your pharmacy or at the County Health Department.

Yes. Dr. French trained in vast and remote Alaska for 7 years. He is very comfortable making decisions and providing care without a physical appointment.

Consultations can also occur remotely.

Dr. French will be in-office two days a week. Depending on the schedule, it is likely you could be worked-in (either in-person or via telehealth) if an urgent matter arises.

On non-office days, reach out to Dr. French by email, phone, or text. He will attempt to get back to you in a timely manner. If he is unavailable for a full day or more, an auto-reply message to this effect would occur.

• Phlebotomy (blood draw) and laboratory studies. Dr. French is working to provide phlebotomy services at Whitefish Med, directly sending samples to Labcorp. This significantly reduces the cost of lab studies. Utilizing laboratories in the area may be needed until Whitefish Med lab services are established. When this occurs, phlebotomy cost will be $10.

• Radiology studies (like x-ray, CT scans, mamogram, MRI, etc.) Cost determined by that facility.

• Pathology. If Dr. French removes a suspicious skin lesion, it will be sent for evaluation. Cost determined by that facility.

• Some Durable Medical Equipment. This includes only a few items like casting/splinting supplies. Cost $10.

• Swabs and cultures (wound and urine cultures. Cost determined by that facility; strep, influenza, COVID. Cost $10). A urinalysis is a covered test.

• Medication injections. Some medication injections will be available at Whitefish Med. Cost $10.

Yes, but limited. Medications available in-office include:

• Ibuprofen, acetaminophen, and aspirin

• Steroids (for joint injection)

• Lidocaine (for skin anesthesia)

• Cantharidin (for wart treatment)

• Ceftriaxone (injectable antibiotic)

• B12 injection

• Toradol (pain injection)

A credit card on file will be automatically charged for membership each month. Any service rendered that is not covered by the membership fee (as described above) will also be charged to the card on file.

It is advisable, to help with major medical expenses. Insurance might also help with the cost of lab tests, pathology charges, or imaging tests like x-rays or an MRI.

In general, high-deductible insurance plans are less expensive. This insurance can then be reserved for a major event (hospitalization, surgery, appointments with specialists) because your primary care needs are covered by Whitefish Med.

Yes. Dr. French does not provide the following services:

• Pediatric care

• Vaccinations

• Pap smears and pelvic exams

• Management of some complex cases

• Management of some chronic issues (Lyme disease, mold illness, heavy metal-related conditions)

• Medication dispensing (patients keep their pharmacy)

The vast majority of services and procedures are free of charge (fully covered) by Your monthly membership fee.

There are some tests and supplies that carry more than a nominal cost to the Practice.

Utilization of these services will result in a small charge to You. They include:

• Fiberglass splint and cast $10

• Medication injection (Toradol, Rocephin, B12, etc.) $10

• Influenza testing $10

• COVID testing $10

• Phlebotomy (blood draw) $10

• 2nd and subsequent no-show appointments $25