Do you need a Nurse Practitioner or a Doctor

Local Talent: Local Business - Episode 24 This episode contains references to suicide When medicine is a business, what does it mean to take care of a patient? And how do you do it without sacrificing your own well-being and your bottom line? On this episode of the newly rebranded Local Business podcast, Jason talks to nurse practitioner Sean Dittman about his medical practice, Affinity Family Care, based on Brite Road in Cibolo. Sean tells Jason how he qualified as a nurse practitioner and about the journey he went on from working for someone else to setting up his own practice. Sean gets honest about the mistakes he made early on in the business and says what he would do differently today. He also shares some great insights into being a business owner and dealing with the risks that come with the entrepreneur life. Jason and Sean have an honest discussion about the state of healthcare in the U.S., examining both the patient and the practitioner’s point of view. You’ll learn what the difference is between a doctor and a nurse practitioner, as well as Sean’s thoughts on the epidemic of child mental health issues. Listen out for Sean’s advice on staying healthy and taking care of yourself—and your family. Subscribe to the Local Talent podcast to find out everything you need to know about local business, local politics and what’s going on in the Cibolo area. Timestamps [0:31] Sean gives Jason his elevator pitch and explains how he opened his family care clinic [4:17] How the business grew and got its first address [6:40] “I can’t do both”: Deciding to leave WellMed [10:58] What’s the difference between a doctor and a nurse practitioner? [17:12] Medicine as a business and what Sean would change if he had to do it all over [21:23] “We’re starting to have an impact”: Why Sean doesn’t run a cash-only practice [23:12] Sean’s experience of hiring his first employees [25:12] The biggest mistake that Sean made as a nurse practitioner [29:49] Why “Be present” is the best advice that Sean’s ever received [31:05] How we see the child mental health crisis playing out today [36:52] Lightening Roooooouuuuuuundd!! [39:19] The brains vs. the mind and Sean’s holistic approach to mental health [46:45] Sean breaks down how much he gets paid by insurance companies [50:04] Why you shouldn’t skip your physicals [54:03] The healthcare issues you need to be aware of in the Cibolo area [59:53] How to avoid catching the flu and how to top up your vitamin D levels [1:02:02] Facts vs myths: What’s the biggest myth about being a nurse practitioner? [1:04:58] Sean’s parting words of wisdom [1:10:04] Why thinking “You can always close down tomorrow” actually keeps you going Highlight Quote “‘Be present’ is the best advice I’ve ever received. Make a practice of being present. It’s a simple thing, it’s not very easy, especially today. Our attention span is 10 seconds on the Reel, TikTok, or whatever it is. So often we miss what’s going on. Especially in my job, I’ve got to be present with each patient encounter and it’s hard to do sometimes”. Sean Dittman, Local Business podcast, (29:49) Links https://affinityfamilies.com/ https://txlocaltalent.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/txlocaltalent/ https://www.facebook.com/txlocaltalent https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1tzUASELeq89GBm1yeHIkw/featured https://open.spotify.com/show/7N1EFqBxTHi7oHUAWEqCOE