In this episode of Health Literacy IRL, I’m joined by Byron Jasper, MD, MPH, founder and CEO of Byja Clinic in Louisiana, to break down what DPC is, what it isn’t, and why the model naturally creates more space for people to understand and use health information in real life.

We talk about:

• What DPC looks like day-to-day (and why “if you’ve seen one DPC practice, you’ve seen one DPC practice”)
• How time becomes a health literacy intervention (think: hour-long visits, fewer rushed decisions)
• How transparent pricing and fewer “insurance hoops” can help patients become better healthcare consumers
• Why access (texts/calls, same-day help) reduces “bargaining with your health”
• What equitable DPC can look like—including creative approaches like scholarship care and nonprofit support
• Real stories of breakthrough moments for patients

If you’ve been curious about DPC — or spending time thinking about how to improve health outcomes or health literacy through innovation — you'll certainly want to tune in!

Connect with Us

Host – Megan Freeland, PharmD

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/megan-n-freeland/

Guest – Byron Jasper, MD, MPH

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/byron-jasper-03bt04/

Byja Clinic on FB: https://www.facebook.com/byjaclinic/

Byja Clinic on IG: https://www.instagram.com/byjaclinic/

What happens when a pharmacist becomes part of a direct primary care (DPC) clinic?

In this episode of Health Literacy IRL, I sit down with Ellen Jones, PharmD, a pharmacist and faculty member who practices inside a DPC clinic in Arkansas. We dig into how the direct primary care model — and pharmacist-led services — can transform health literacy, medication management, and the patient experience.

In this episode, we cover:

• What direct primary care (DPC) is and how it differs from concierge medicine
• How Ellen built a role as a pharmacist in a DPC clinic while serving as pharmacy faculty
• The day-to-day responsibilities of a DPC pharmacist
• Health literacy-friendly characteristics of the the DPC model (e.g., longer visits, unlimited follow-ups, text access)
• Why time, emotions, and readiness to learn are essential for effective patient education
• The impact of administrative “bloat” on traditional primary care — and what changes when you step outside that system
• Creative ways pharmacists and DPC clinicians can partner, even when budgets are tight

Connect with Us

Host – Megan Freeland, PharmD

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/megan-n-freeland/

Guest – Ellen Jones, PharmD

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ellenjonespharmd/

If this episode helped you understand direct primary care, pharmacist roles in primary care, or health literacy better, hit Subscribe, give the video a thumbs up, and share it with a pharmacist, clinician, or health leader who needs to hear this.

Following on the heels of part 1, we'll continue discussing how to not only bring health literacy out of hiding within your health org, but how to connect disparate programs, initiatives, and materials more intentionally for the advancement of patient outcomes.

In part 1, we discussed the first step: Identify. Listen to part 2 for the remaining 5 steps.

Know someone who'd be an excellent guest? Complete the guest recommendation form: https://forms.gle/T67gHNChCiLU5x3p7