Today we’d like to introduce you to Christina Casas.
Christina, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I was born in San Diego to teen parents and immigrant grandparents. My mother and step-father were in the military and I ended up moving with them to Washington state in my teen years. It was there in high school that I fell in love with anatomy and physiology and that spark inspired me to become a physician. I went to undergraduate school at the University of Washington in Seattle, holding down 2-3 jobs while completing a double major and volunteering at the affiliated hospital. I realize now that I had bitten off more than I could chew and ultimately did not get into medical school the first time around. I worked for a year as a research scientist at a microbiology lab where I published a paper on antibiotic resistance genes in the journal FEMS microbiology letters. That year taught me a lot and my passion to attend medical school grew. The following year I got accepted to the Drexel Pathways to Medical School which is a Masters of Science program that if you complete with a certain grade and score on the MCAT you were admitted into the medical school. So I packed up everything and sold my car to move to Philadelphia, PA. I met the requirements to get into medical school but I knew there was no way I could afford it. So I enlisted into the health professions scholarship program with the US Army. They paid for my medical school and equipment plus a small stipend to live off of. It was in medical school that I met my husband. After 4 years in Philadelphia I got placed in pediatric residency program in Fort Sam Houston, TX. It was a challenging and very educational experience. After 3 years of a pediatric residency I graduated and was accepted into an Army Pediatric Neurology program at Walter Reed Medical Center in Bethesda, MD. However, I just had my oldest child and the demands of the program and my love of general pediatrics ultimately led me to leave the program in good standing. I was transferred to Fort Irwin, CA and finished my active duty time there. I also had my second child on Fort Irwin. With 2 children I knew I could not continue to move around in the Army. So I retired and we settled down in Santa Clarita. My first job after the military was in the Antelope Valley at a private practice as a contract pediatrician. While I respected my employer and owner of the practice, this was not how I wanted to practice medicine. Insurance-based medicine was frustrating to both myself and my patients. I felt that I did not have the time to get to know my families and provide compassionate care. Then the pandemic hit and all the things I did not like about insurance- based medicine got infinitely worse. I started looking for an out. That was when I came across the concept of Direct Primary Care: a growing group of physicians taking back medicine. The concept is a low, monthly membership to cover overhead costs, allowing for smaller empanelment sizes and better doctor patient relationships. This also allowed us to negotiate cash prices for our patients, often making their healthcare better, cheaper, and definitely more transparent. So, it was with the support of my husband that I opened up my own practice in September of 2019.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I think it is the struggles that define us. I would not be the person I am today if I did not have these bumps along the way. Having young divorced parents taught me from an early age to be a good listener and mediator. Doing without so many things as a child made me appreciate when I am now able to get things easier. I fought tooth and nail for my education and I feel its value at my core. These experiences help me relate to my families as well. Because there were moments when if I just would have had someone be who was understanding during my bad times and hold my hand, it would have made all the difference. So, now I get the privilege of doing that for my families. I have often felt at various points in my life that things lined up the way it was meant to be. During my undergraduate years I had to work a lot to afford the cost of my education and my grades and MCAT scores reflected that. However, it made me realize that when I did get into the DPMS program at Drexel I needed to work on myself and focus on the learning. I made sure to see counseling for test taking anxiety, I took out personal loans to avoid the need for another job and my sole focus was on my grades. I finally learned how to study effectively. My residency programs, as most residency programs are, was difficult and time consuming but I have seen and learned things there that were crucial in becoming a good doctor. In pediatrics we often know right off when a kid is well or unwell and often this is a feeling that occurs after seeing so many kids in various stages. A gestalt if you will that comes from the hours of experience. I may not have started my own business if I didn’t feel first hand the struggles of primary care pediatrics in the insurance based world.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
I started Daisy Pediatrics in 2019 after I could not see myself continuing in insurance based medicine. What I saw was administrative road blocks, barriers to care, and restrictions on my time with patients. It did not feel like good medicine. During the pandemic I started searching for alternatives to these insurance based clinics or corporate hospital medicine. This is when I came across Direct Primary Care. This business model allowed for the focus to be on the patient and family. To provide compassionate and personalized care and to help repair the broken trust in doctor patient relationships. I am proud to tell my families that the only money I receive is directly from my patient’s families. This is important to build trust. I am hoping that by doing this I am not only providing better care but in my own way I am helping to stem the tide of misinformation that is surrounding us. How this model works is I charge the family directly a low monthly fee thereby covering my overhead costs and allowing me to keep my total number of empaneled patients low. Everything that I can do in the walls of my office is covered with no additional costs for visits. I also provide one free home visit a year and access via telehealth to myself pretty much when you need it. This often saves families from costly urgent care visits and booking time off of work. I try to discuss my parents concerns thoroughly and allow for parent autonomy which further builds trust in our relationship. I negotiate cash prices for imaging, medications and labs often coming in cheaper than insurance coverage for these items. Most of all I know my families and help in more ways than just medical.
If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
As a child I was shy, introverted, intensely critical of myself and overall an emotional child. As I got older I started to find myself and gained confidence in my abilities which helped tremendously. I was always interested in science, writing and marine biology but I fell in love with how the body works and helping people. When I got into medical school it felt like I was finally where I was meant to be. I clicked well with most of my peers and it felt like I could change the world. Now as a middle aged woman with tons of experience under my belt I have the confidence in myself that I wish I had when I was younger. I may not be able to change the world but I can make the health of the children in my community better.
Pricing:
- $100/month for kids 0-4
- $80/month for kids 5-23
- Discounts for siblings $10/month off per child
- Cap for family for 5 or greater $350/month
- Discounts for paying 6 months and 1 year in advance
Contact Info:
- Website: https://daisypediatrics.health/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Daisy_Pediatrics
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DaisyPeds
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@daisypediatrics
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/daisy-pediatrics-santa-clarita
