Dr. Laura Pennavaria announced the opening of Homestead Family Medicine, her Direct Primary Care (DPC) practice in Bend. The practice, located at 568 NE Savannah Drive, Suite 1, is the first “pure direct primary care” practice in Bend.
Dr. Laura Pennavaria is a family physician serving patients of all ages. She received her MD degree from the University of California, San Diego in 2001. She completed a residency in family medicine at Kaiser Permanente in Southern California, and is board certified in family medicine.
DPC is a model of primary care delivery that brings medicine back to its roots in the doctor-patient relationship by eliminating bureaucracy and middlemen. A pure DPC practice, like Dr. Pennavaria’s, does not accept any insurance whatsoever. Instead, the practice is financed by a very affordable monthly patient fee that covers extended visits, care management, video visits, phoning and texting the doctor directly, and even house calls when necessary. This arrangement allows physicians to direct their attention and time to caring for patients, rather than attending to the myriad of duties that come with the submission of insurance claims. Steeply discounted medication and laboratory prices are also a benefit of membership.
Dr. Pennavaria explained that DPC allows patients to develop deeper relationships with their primary care physician, who provides personal, affordable medical care. “It is important to me to spend time building relationships with patients so we can partner in their healthcare,” said Dr. Pennavaria. “Patients are empowered because they have a better understanding of their health issues, are able to take action on them sooner, and manage them effectively. In a regular practice, that is not always possible because of the volume of patients a doctor sees each day. When a patient calls my practice, I answer the phone. When a patient needs to see me, I can almost always see them the same day. I could already tell you story after story of how my patients have benefitted. It’s wonderful for me as a physician to be able to provide this level of service.”
Homestead Family Medicine opened its doors in October and continues to accept patients of all ages. For more information on the practice, visit the website at homesteadfamilymedicine.org, connect on Facebook (HomesteadFamilyMedicine) or give Dr. Pennavaria a call at 541-516-1705.
