For Seekers of Wisdom, Community & Conversations That Matter
Voices With Vigor:
Rebekah Bernard
A Conversation on Direct Primary Care, Physician-Led Medicine & Reclaiming the Doctor-Patient Relationship
When Voices Come Together, They Create Light With Sound
Tuesday, June 16, 2026 | 1:00 PM Pacific Time (4:00 PM Eastern)
In our modern world, individual voices often feel lost in an endless sea of noise.
One voice may be drowned out by a symphony of others, or swallowed up in darkness.
Yet when voices gather with intention, something beautiful happens:
They resonate with calm, reason, and hope.
This is where Voices With Vigor begins.
Our next chapter features the theme "The Best Primary Care" as we celebrate the growing community of Voices With Vigor and Susan Baumgaertel's dedication to meaningful dialogue…
A fitting moment to expand the conversation from wellness to the future of primary care, the movement to restore the doctor-patient relationship, and all the voices that matter.
About Voices With Vigor: A New Kind of Conversation Series
Voices With Vigor represents something rare in our digital age:
A return to the art of meaningful dialogue.
Inspired by the great conversationalists like Terry Gross of Fresh Air and the beloved Magliozzi brothers of Car Talk, this monthly series brings together extraordinary voices for intimate, unscripted conversations.
Each month, we welcome guests from diverse backgrounds: physician innovators, visionary veterans, wellness advocates, courageous trailblazers, resilient innovators, leaders who inspire, and so many others who share common threads of curiosity, kindness, dedication, and resilience.
What makes VWV special:
• Authentic dialogue over polished presentations
• Diverse perspectives united by shared humanity
• No sales pitches or commercial agendas
• Intimate format that prioritizes genuine connection
• Community building that extends beyond the screen
Merriam-Webster defines vigor as "active bodily or mental strength or force; active healthy well-balanced growth."
We believe our voices can be vigorous in spirit, in love, in creativity, and in purpose.
Important note:
While our current series remains free as a gift to our community, future VWV conversations will transition to a premium format.
These foundational conversations will eventually live on the website menopausemenu.com, but the live, interactive experience—the chance to ask questions and be part of the dialogue in real time—that's happening now, and only now.
A Conversation That Matters
Join Susan Baumgaertel for an intimate afternoon conversation with family physician, author, and Direct Primary Care pioneer Rebekah Bernard…
A voice that challenges the corporatization of medicine, champions physician-led care, and proves that affordable, accessible, deeply personal primary care can thrive in today's healthcare landscape.
In this FREE 60-minute live gathering, we'll explore:
● From corporate medicine to Direct Primary Care – How years of practicing within hospital-affiliated systems and federally qualified health centers revealed the fractures in our healthcare model, and why opening Gulf Coast Direct Primary Care in 2016 became an act of both professional courage and patient advocacy
● What Direct Primary Care is (and isn't) – Dismantling the myth that DPC is "concierge medicine for the wealthy," and understanding how a simple subscription model can deliver unlimited access, unhurried visits, and genuine physician-patient relationships at affordable prices
● The moral injury of modern medicine – Why physicians are leaving corporate employment in growing numbers, how administrative burden and insurance bureaucracy erode the soul of practice, and what it looks like to step away from a broken system rather than break within it
● Physician-led care and patient safety – Lessons from her nationally recognized work on scope of practice, the systematic replacement of physicians by lesser-trained practitioners, and why patients deserve to know who is providing their care
● Reclaiming joy in medicine – How DPC restores what drew physicians to medicine in the first place: time with patients, clinical autonomy, meaningful relationships, and the ability to practice evidence-based medicine without corporate interference
Meet Our Featured Voice: Rebekah Bernard
Rebekah Bernard carries the rare ability to transform frustration with a broken system into a blueprint for something better…
As a board-certified family physician, owner of Gulf Coast Direct Primary Care in Southwest Florida, and nationally recognized author and speaker, she brings both the lived experience of practicing within failing systems and the entrepreneurial courage to build an alternative.
Her journey from rural Clewiston, Florida to the University of Miami School of Medicine, through residency at Florida Hospital in Orlando, and into service at a Federally Qualified Health Center in Immokalee marked a profound foundation…
Inspiring her to combine her deep commitment to underserved communities with an innovative practice model that delivers what patients actually need: affordable, accessible, unhurried care from their own personal physician.
A leading expert in scope of practice and physician wellness, Rebekah is the author of four books, host of two podcasts, and a frequent speaker on healthcare reform, physician-led care, and practice management.
She believes in the power of combining clinical excellence with practice autonomy and the necessity of addressing healthcare's systemic failures through physician-driven, patient-centered solutions…
A family physician who has distilled the best primary care down to its essence: a doctor, a patient, and the time to do it right.
Your Host: Susan Baumgaertel
Susan brings three decades of medical wisdom and a lifetime of curiosity to every conversation.
As an internal medicine physician with over 30 years of clinical experience, she has witnessed the full spectrum of human experience:
• The fragility and resilience, the fear and hope, the moments that break us open and the connections that hold us together.
• In 2021, Susan stepped away from direct patient care to expand her impact through myMDadvocate, a virtual consultation service that serves as a bridge between patients and the often-complex healthcare system.
• As a physician consultant, healthcare navigator, and medical advocate, she helps people navigate everything from referral advocacy to chronic condition management, from aging gracefully to supporting caregivers through their most challenging moments.
Her passion for supporting women through life transitions led to the creation of MenopauseMenu, a comprehensive resource offering evidence-based information and holistic support.
• This work culminated in her 2023 book, "The Menopause Menu"—an all-in-one guide that transforms medical complexity into accessible wisdom.
Recognition and impact:
• Featured speaker at prestigious events, including the STAT News Summit in Boston, the ICCR Conference in New York City, and the Doctors on Social Media (SoMeDocs) virtual Menopause Conference
• Recognized by Seattle Met Top Doctors, The Best Doctors in America, and multiple professional organizations
• Board President of Cancer Lifeline, recipient of their Inspirational Leadership Award and Volunteer of the Year
• Sought-after voice on national and international podcasts
Susan embodies the intersection of medicine and art, science and humanity, individual stories and universal truths.
She believes in the power of genuine conversation to illuminate what matters most.
"My aim is to weave the tapestry of my career in ways that support others, promote health, strengthen human connections, and enrich our collective voices."
What This Gathering Offers
This conversation comes to you as a gift…
No strings attached or hidden agendas.
Simply a family physician who rebuilt primary care from the ground up and an internist who walks alongside patients through healthcare's most challenging moments, sharing what they've learned about medicine, autonomy, and the courage to practice differently.
✨ Live afternoon conversation between two thoughtful voices in medicine, patient advocacy, and healthcare reform
✨ Interactive dialogue where your questions become part of the story
✨ Insights into finding purpose and hope when the system feels beyond repair
✨ Community connection with others who value authentic exchange
✨ Curated resources to continue your own journey of growth
Join This Circle of Voices
Event Details:
Date: Tuesday, June 16, 2026
Time: 1:00 PM Pacific Time (4:00 PM Eastern)
Duration: 60 minutes of meaningful conversation
Format: Live via Zoom (details sent upon registration)
Investment: Free—because some things are too important to put behind paywalls
Voices From Our Growing Community
“Thank you for the opportunity to talk about my leadership journey in healthcare. VWV is a wonderful venue for all to share our stories – so we can learn from each other and grow.”
— Lily H. (Augusta, GA)
"The ability of Susan to draw the speaker into meaningful dialogue was a sight to behold. Her knowledge of the industry and the in-depth knowledge of the speaker provided insights most would gloss over, while others would most definitely walk away with a broader and deeper knowledge of the challenges in the business side of healthcare delivery."
— Ed B. (Atlanta, GA)
“Being on the Voices With Vigor talk show was a wonderful experience. Susan’s joy is infectious and my month’s topic was trauma redefined. Having been through trauma, to be interviewed by someone as professional, knowledgeable, and passionate as Susan really helped make me feel more comfortable in sharing my story. She walked me through the process every step of the way.”
— Blair H. (Boulder, CO)
Why This Moment Matters
We live in times when authentic voices feel increasingly rare.
When genuine connection seems harder to find. When the noise threatens to drown out what truly matters.
Voices With Vigor stands as a quiet rebellion against all of that.
This conversation with Rebekah Bernard happens once—live, unrehearsed, real.
Miss it, and you miss the chance to be part of something that can't be replicated or reproduced.
This Conversation Calls To:
✨ Patients frustrated by rushed appointments, insurance denials, and a healthcare system that has forgotten who it's supposed to serve
✨ Physicians ready for alternatives to corporate employment, seeking models that restore clinical autonomy and joy in practice
✨ Healthcare professionals interested in understanding how Direct Primary Care works—financially, logistically, and philosophically
✨ Anyone who has ever wondered whether affordable, unhurried, relationship-centered medicine is still possible in America
✨ People ready to add their own voice to a chorus of healthcare transformation and patient-centered reform
This Moment Won't Come Again
Registration closes when we reach our intimate gathering size or at 12:00 PM Pacific on June 16th.
The beauty of meaningful conversation lies in its limitations…
We can't accommodate everyone, but we can create something special for those who choose to join us.
Questions You Might Have
Q: What makes this different from other online events?
A: This follows the tradition of great conversationalists—genuine curiosity, thoughtful questions, space for real dialogue. No scripts or sales pitches, simply two people exploring ideas that matter.
Q: What if I can't attend live?
A: The recording captures the content, but the live experience—the ability to ask questions, feel the energy of real-time dialogue—that's irreplaceable.
Q: How long will we gather?
A: Sixty minutes, including time for your questions to become part of the conversation.
Q: Is this only for physicians or healthcare professionals?
A: Not at all. While some of our guests come from medical backgrounds, this conversation spans universal themes of access, affordability, autonomy, and the kind of care every person deserves. Whether you're a patient, a caregiver, a medical professional, or simply someone who believes healthcare can be better—this is for you.
Q: Will you try to sell me something?
A: Never. This is about paying it forward, the old-fashioned barter system of sharing what we know because it matters, not because it profits.
Q: I heard future events won't be free—is that true?
A: This "The Best Primary Care" conversation continues as a gift to our community. Future series may transition to different formats, but we believe these particular conversations are too important to put behind paywalls.
Q: How do I prepare?
A: Bring your curiosity and your favorite beverage. If you're drawn to Rebekah's work beforehand, her books offer powerful insight into her philosophy on physician-led care and practice transformation. Her website RebekahBernard.com and PatientsAtRisk.com are also excellent starting points. But neither is required—just come as you are.
Q: What about future conversations?
A: One to three voices join us each month, each bringing their own unique perspective to the themes that connect us all—resilience, creativity, purpose, community.
Your Choice, Your Voice
Two paths stretch before you:
One leads back to the familiar—the endless scroll of surface-level content, the webinars that promise everything and deliver little, the noise that drowns out what matters most. And later, when you realize what you missed, the opportunity to experience VWV in its founding spirit will have passed.
The other leads here—to a conversation that honors the complexity of human experience, that believes in the power of authentic voices to create light with sound. To a moment that won't come again, offered in a spirit that won't be repeated.
The choice, as always, is yours.
But this conversation happens only once, with these voices, at this moment in time, in this generous format.
Voices With Vigor – Creating light with sound, one conversation at a time.
Questions? Reach out at [email protected] or connect with Susan on LinkedIn.
We respect your privacy and protect your data. By registering for this event, you'll receive your free Zoom access link, be added to Susan J. Baumgaertel, MD's email list for updates about future Voices With Vigor conversations, and receive occasional wellness insights. You can unsubscribe anytime, and we never sell or share your information with third parties.
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