2023 Men of the Year: Dr. Luke Van Kirk

Dr. Luke Van Kirk’s career journey began with a bold choice to shatter conventions.

“Despite the allure of guaranteed salaries being offered by hospital systems, I knew if I wanted to treat my patients the way I would want to be treated, I would have to either join a like-minded physician at their private practice or start my own,” he says.

While many of Van Kirk’s peers sought the security of hospital employment, he recognized the need for greater autonomy in medical practice and started a direct primary care clinic, Command Family Medicine PC, in 2015. Van Kirk knew it was a financially risky move.

Direct primary care, according to the American Academy of Family Physicians, is a private health care model where patients and providers enter into a contract for a broad range of predetermined health services with their physician, usually paying a monthly fee and bypassing insurance.

“I feel my choice to go out on my own and have the autonomy I desired vastly outweighed being debt-free but having little control over how I practiced medicine,” he says.

Starting as a one-person operation, Command Family Medicine has evolved under his leadership. “I started Command having to do everything, and now I only have to do the things that I am the best at. I have helped develop our operations manager and clinical manager to give them autonomy in their position,” Van Kirk says.

Using guidance from People Centric Consulting Group LLC, Van Kirk says he has nurtured an organizational culture that encourages growth and effective communication.

“In today’s climate, physicians going into private practice (are) very rare,” he says. “A vast majority are hired by large hospital systems. I was able to influence others around me and now have three other graduates of my residency program working with me in my clinic and two others that have started their own independent clinics.”

He adds that he is in the process of hiring another physician for the practice.

Beyond his clinic’s walls, Van Kirk’s influence extends across the medical landscape. As a co-founder of the Direct Primary Care Alliance nonprofit membership organization, he plays an instrumental role in educating fellow physicians on how to establish and manage DPC practices nationwide. Serving on the board and contributing to the design and content of the alliance’s website, he ensures that the principles of patient-centered care are accessible to a broader audience. His dedication to mentoring new DPC doctors and speaking at conferences like the DPC Summit underscores his commitment to shaping the future of medical practice.

Looking forward, Van Kirk’s vision encompasses the expansion of patient-centered care through collaborations with medium to large businesses. He says 57% of his patients come from these business partners, and his clinic added over 500 patients in 2022 through a service agreement with Paul Mueller Co.

“I hope to continue to grow with similar-sized or even larger companies in the future to be able to liberate even more physicians to practice medicine this way,” he says. “I truly believe that the model of primary care I am practicing is not just a fad but a real solution to our health care crisis in America. I feel I am fortunate to have such a strong passion and belief in what I am doing and cannot wait to see what the future holds.”