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You had a cough that wouldn’t go away. You waited three weeks for the appointment, got about ten minutes, and were told it was probably a virus. That was a month ago. You still have the cough.
Almost everyone in California has a version of this story. It isn’t that your doctor didn’t care. It’s that the way primary care gets paid for rewards volume, so the schedule fills up and everybody gets ten minutes whether they need ten or forty.
Direct primary care works differently. You pay your doctor a flat membership fee instead of running every visit through insurance, and what you get back is time. At SustainMD, that care happens by video and phone with Dr. Allison Barbee, a board-certified family medicine physician with extra training in obesity medicine, licensed here in California.
Every visit is virtual and Dr. Barbee is licensed statewide, so members join us from Los Angeles and the whole Southland, San Diego, the Bay Area, Sacramento, the Central Valley, and small towns where finding a local doctor is genuinely hard. No traffic, no parking structure, no burning half a vacation day on a fifteen-minute appointment.
Not much of it is dramatic. More than one in four adults in this state are living with obesity or high blood pressure, which makes them the two most common chronic conditions in California.
They also tend to show up earlier than people expect, and they bring friends. Researchers looking at California Health Interview Survey data found that among Black Californians in their late thirties and forties, close to one in five were already managing more than one chronic condition, usually high blood pressure and diabetes at the same time. By the mid-fifties, it was closer to half.
Then there are a few things you mostly only worry about if you live here:
Valley fever is a good example of what a rushed visit costs you. It looks like the flu. Fever, tiredness, a cough that hangs around. Nothing about it announces itself as a fungal infection you picked up from the air.
Catching it usually comes down to whether somebody thought to ask where you’ve been driving, working, or digging lately, and then ordered a test. It also used to be a Central Valley problem, and it isn’t anymore. Cases have been climbing in Sacramento, Stanislaus, and further north.
Ten minutes is not enough time to ask those questions. So you get sent home with a virus you don’t have.
Here’s something a lot of Californians never get told. The American Diabetes Association recommends screening Asian American adults for diabetes at a BMI of 23 rather than the usual 25, because sticking with the higher number misses roughly one in three Asian Americans who already have it.
In a state this diverse, a doctor applying one rule to everybody is going to walk past people who genuinely need help. Getting this right takes a physician who knows your background and has enough time to think about it.
A surprising amount of primary care never needed you in the room. SustainMD’s SimplyWell DPC Plan gives you ongoing, unhurried access to Dr. Barbee — not a one-time visit.
Blood pressure, monitored using a cheap cuff you keep at home
Type 2 diabetes, prediabetes, cholesterol, and thyroid problems
Weight and metabolic health, including keeping medications on track
Asthma and breathing symptoms that flare up in smoke season
Anxiety, low mood, poor sleep, and the usual coughs and infections
Prescriptions, refills, and someone explaining your results in words you can follow
Blood work is the one thing you leave the house for, and only for the few minutes it takes. Your doctor sends the order through electronically using Fullscript, you get drawn at whichever lab is closest to you, and then the two of you go through the results on a call.
That number comes from an analysis of preventable hospitalizations in California. Roughly 700 per 100,000 residents could likely have been avoided with decent chronic disease management and access to good primary care.
These weren’t rare diseases or freak accidents. They were people who ended up in a hospital bed over something a doctor could have sorted out months earlier in a conversation. The gap between those two outcomes is mostly just attention.
Dr. Allison Barbee is a board-certified family medicine physician with over 20 years of clinical experience and additional training in obesity medicine. She is licensed to practice in California and provides direct primary care entirely by video and phone — from Los Angeles and the Southland to San Diego, the Bay Area, Sacramento, the Central Valley, and small towns where finding a local doctor is genuinely hard.
Her approach is simple: know your history, take the time a ten-minute visit never allows, and be a message away instead of a three-week wait away.
Patient12
Dr. Barbee listens to your concerns, is empathetic and knowledgable. Not once has she made me feel ashamed or less than. She gives practical, reasonable and most importantly, doable recommendations. She uses lifestyle interventions instead of immediately jumping to medications, but will also use medications if you and she believe
Patient11
Dr. Barbee has been a remarkable weight loss physician for me. She distinguished herself by customizing her approach to suit my individual needs. Throughout our sessions, she was incredibly attentive, understanding my specific health concerns and weight loss goals. Dr. Barbee excelled in explaining the details of the medications she
Patient10
Dr. Barbee is an extremely knowledgeable physician who I rely on with all my medical needs. Her bedside manner is impeccable and very friendly. She listens to all of my issues and gets to the bottom of any problem you may have. I honestly cannot say enough good things about
Patient9
Dr Barbee actually listened to me and was able to diagnose my symptoms and actually treat and control the issue. I can not thank her enough! She was super patient and kind. Something you don’t really see now a days.
A.M.
Dr. Barbee understands that health is not one-size-fits-all. She takes the time to listen, remembers details, and works collaboratively with me as things evolve. The most meaningful part of working with her is feeling truly heard and supported, not just during appointments but overall in my care.
Andrea
The best! I have been a patient of Dr. Barbee’s for years! She has guided and treated me in my worst and best days. Her professionalism is top notch, along with her knowledge of health. You cannot ask for any better care than Dr. Barbee!
Suzanne Layser
Truly a compassionate Doctor- I can’t say enough good things about Dr. Barbee. I felt truly cared for. Dr. Barbee was incredibly compassionate, took the time to really listen, and never made me feel rushed. She asked thoughtful questions and genuinely wanted to understand what I was experiencing. What impressed
Patient8
Dr. Barbee is an extremely knowledgeable physician who I rely on with all my medical needs. Her bedside manner is impeccable and very friendly. She listens to all of my issues and gets to the bottom of any problem you may have. I honestly cannot say enough good things about
Patient7
Great doctor- Dr. Barbee is a kind and caring doctor. She is the type of person you can talk to and really will listen. She understands your problems and will work with you to solve them. She is very thorough and make sure everything is looked at does not miss
Patient6
Thoughtful, caring and truly helpful-I have been a patient of Dr. Barbee for many years. I have always found her honest and helpful. She works hard to look at root causes, which can take a while to figure out. She is persistent, yet kind. As we age, our bodies change.
SustainMD’s membership is called the SimplyWell DPC Plan, and the pitch is fairly plain. Instead of your doctor being a three-week wait away, she’s a message away.
So when the cough is still there in week four, you don’t roll the dice at urgent care with someone who’s never met you. You message the physician who has your history in front of her, and she decides whether it’s time to test for something. It’s a flat fee, we don’t bill insurance, and there’s no copay to talk yourself out of.
Direct primary care isn’t health insurance. Most members keep a plan for hospital stays, surgery, and specialists, and use their membership for everything else.
You pay your doctor a flat membership fee for direct, unhurried access to everyday care, rather than billing each visit to insurance.
Yes, plenty of members are uninsured or self-pay, and we don’t bill insurance for anything.
Yes, Californians can absolutely get their everyday care this way.
She can spot the signs and order the test, and you get the blood draw done locally.
Yes, which is exactly why screening guidance differs by background and why an unhurried visit matters.
The order goes in electronically, you get drawn at a lab near you, and you go over the results together.
Both give you closer access, though direct primary care is usually simpler and cheaper, and it sticks to everyday care.
Physician Credentials
Care is provided by Dr. Allison Pope Barbee, MD, a board certified family medicine physician with advanced training in obesity medicine and metabolic health.
Educational Disclaimer
Information on this page is provided for educational purposes and should not replace medical advice from a qualified healthcare professional.
Not Emergency Care
SustainMD telehealth services are not intended for emergency medical situations.
Privacy and Security
All virtual visits are conducted using secure, HIPAA compliant telehealth platforms to protect patient privacy.
Take the first step towards a healthier, happier you. Whether you’re interested in our comprehensive medical weight loss program, our dedicated obesity management services, or our revolutionary direct primary care model, SustainMD is here to help.
