How Dr. Lauren Hughes Built a Practice That Actually Puts Patients First

What happens when a doctor realizes the system meant to care for people is actually getting in the way?In this episode, Dr. Lauren Hughes sits down with Priya Sudarsanam to unpack her decision to walk away from traditional healthcare and build something radically different.From starting her practice during COVID with three young kids at home… to challenging insurance-driven medicine… to becoming a trusted voice online for parents navigating misinformation—this is a conversation about courage, conviction, and creating a system that actually works.Dr. Hughes breaks down:Why the traditional healthcare model is burning out doctors and failing patientsHow Direct Primary Care (DPC) is changing the gameThe real reason she risked everything to start her practice from scratchWhat parents actually need to know (and what to ignore) in the age of Google and social mediaHow “trust, but verify” became her guiding principle for modern parentingThis isn’t just about medicine it’s about reclaiming autonomy, building systems that align with your values, and having the courage to do things differently when the status quo stops making sense.If you’ve ever felt like the system is broken—this episode will show you what’s possible when someone decides to rebuild it.