Rebuilding After the Hurricane: Community, DPC, and a Women’s Circle

When Hurricane Helene struck, RiverRock Clinic’s original location was left under three feet of water. In the midst of volunteering in the community and relocating the clinic, Dr. Lok experienced firsthand the strength of the Direct Primary Care (DPC) community.

Emerald Health DPC (emeraldhealthdpc.com), led by Dr. Ann Gonzalez, stepped in by donating supplies to support the recovery effort—an act of generosity that underscored how collaboration sustains independent practices.

Out of this season of rebuilding, Dr. Lok helped form the North Carolina DPC Women’s Circle. This group brings together female physicians across the state to share support and strategies, with conversations ranging from hiring and policy updates to the challenge of keeping overhead low so more patients can be served with personal, accessible care. We have been meeting since the near year and today had our biggest group of around 10 DPC physician owners present.

The result is more than the reopening of a clinic—it is the strengthening of a community. The Women’s Circle reflects the resilience of DPC and the power of physicians supporting one another so that both practices and patients can thrive.

If you are a woman or femme physician in North Carolina who has a DPC or are interested in starting one, we welcome you! Email DoctorLok@RiverRockClinic for more information