Why I Created My Own Healthcare System — Andrew Beard

In this episode of WKRP Montrose, we sit down with Andrew (Andrew “Drew”) Beard, a longtime Montrose resident and former nurse practitioner who made the bold decision to step away from traditional healthcare and open his own business, Montrose Direct Primary Care. Andrew shares his journey from working emergency and internal medicine—most recently caring for large patient panels—to choosing a business model that gives him more control, flexibility, and purpose in how care is delivered.Andrew explains why the current healthcare system pushed him toward entrepreneurship, describing the burnout felt by both patients and providers in insurance-driven medicine. He breaks down how productivity metrics, rushed appointments, and corporate pressures led him to seek a different path—one where relationships, time, and quality of care come first. That search ultimately led him to the direct primary care model, where patients pay a simple monthly membership for direct access, longer visits, and personalized care. The conversation also explores what direct primary care really looks like in practice, how it differs from traditional insurance-based care, and why Andrew believes this model brings healthcare back to its roots. From capped patient panels to same-day visits and even home calls, Andrew makes the case for why becoming a business owner wasn’t about leaving medicine—but about practicing it the way he believes it should be done.