Frontline Physicians for ME/CFS

After 2 years of intense focus on treating patients with ME/CFS, I have now reached a point in my practice where I am no longer able to take new patients and retain the high standards of care I expect for both my patients and my self. I always knew that my ability to help the ME/CFS community through care of individual patients was limited and that patient care was only one step along my journey.

It is now time for phase 2 of the Master Plan.

It's time for me to take what I have learned from my patients and my mentors and use it to grow a movement of physicians across the country. It is my goal that there be at least 1 physician in each of the 50 states who will be plugged in to my Frontline Physician community.

The community that I am growing will be dedicated to learning about and treating ME/CFS.

The physicians in my community will have shared background knowledge, shared conceptual structure and a shared language around ME/CFS that will make it possible to exchange ideas and grow our collective knowledge. My clinical and lived experiences are now a starting point that will give the community a foundation from which to learn and grow together, achieving insights and patient outcomes that I could never hope to achieve on my own.

Where will we find these doctors?

I will be happy to welcome in any health professionals who can order labs and prescribe medications. My suspicion is that Direct Primary Care (DPC) doctors are going to be the most interested in joining this community.

DPC is an alternative medical model where the doctor partners with the patient directly rather than billing insurance. The fee is usually around $100 per month and cost of appointments is included.

DPC doctors left the mainstream system because they wanted to spend more time with their patients and provide higher quality care. They need marketable skills that will attract patients to their clinics even though they are "out of network."

DPC and ME/CFS are a match made in heaven.

DPC doctors need patients who will value them enough to pay out of pocket for their services while ME/CFS patients need doctors who have the time and curiosity to learn new things and who value patient care over making money.

For this reason, I recommend calling around to DPC doctors in your area and asking if the doctor would be willing to consult with me to help manage your ME/CFS care. You can look up local DPC doctors using this website. Many DPC doctors are comfortable with virtual care so don't let lack of proximity keep you from reaching out if they are in your same state.

I am currently working on a book which will act as a foundational guide for physicians who want to join this community. I recommend you and your doctor sign up for my newsletter to be kept up to date on the progress of the book and when it will be published.

If your doctor is interested in doing a peer-to-peer with me on your case, you can have them email me at brown@gsdpc.com.