Melody Health Closed in December. Open Arms Opened in March. | Drs. Connolly, Poulin and Tressan

Dr. Shannon Connolly, Dr. Shayne Poulin, and Dr. Amy Tressan found each other inside Melody Health, a mission-driven primary care practice embedded within Planned Parenthood, serving more than 13,000 patients across seven health centers in Orange County, California. Then, with the passage of HR 1 and the defunding of Planned Parenthood, they lost it, in a matter of weeks.They opened Open Arms Primary Care on March 1st 2026. Melody Health closed in December 2025.In this episode, Dr. Connolly and Dr. Poulin share what it looks like to join forces and rebuild from the ground up - in four months, on a shoestring budget, in one of the most expensive zip codes in the country - and why DPC was the only model that made sense for the community they refused to leave behind.This is one of the most timely and honest conversations we have had on this podcast.What we cover:Why Melody Health closed and what that loss felt like for their patients and their teamThe phone call between Dr. Poulin and Dr. Connolly that sparked Open ArmsHow three physician co-founders structured equal ownership from day oneFunding a DPC startup with GoFundMe, retirement savings, and a lot of creative sourcingFinding 1,300 square feet of primary care perfection three doors down from another DPCTrauma-informed care, reproductive health, and gender affirming care as DPC superpowersThe JEDI committee, DPC advocacy, and why professional societies need to catch upWhat it felt like to see their first patient walk through the doorDr. Shannon Connolly, Dr. Shayne Poulin, and Dr. Amy Tressan are the co-founders of Open Arms Primary Care in Orange County, California. They are currently accepting new patients!Learn more at mydpcstory.com.Explore Hint's Marketplace today, an app-like experience connecting all your tools into Hint! CHIEF COMPLAINT COFFEE & TEA. Celebrating when nothing comes between you and your patient. NO PRIOR AUTHS. Literally, that's one of the coffees you'll find at CHIEF COMPLAINT COFFEE & TEA.Support the showGET your FREE MONTHLY BUSINESS TOOL DOWNLOADBecome A My DPC Story PATREON MEMBER! SPONSOR THE PODMy DPC Story VOICEMAIL! DPC SWAG!FACEBOOK * INSTAGRAM * LinkedIn * TWITTER * TIKTOK * YouTube