Gulf Coast Direct Primary Care

03/30/2026

We're looking for a part-time therapist to join our practice!

Gulf Coast Direct Primary Care

03/25/2026

Sharing a sneak peak of our Gulf Shore Business feature coming soon!

03/24/2026

03/24/2026

I love this photo with our newest physician Dr. Kelly Fontana and of course, our amazing office manager, Lili! And yes, we are finally taking new patients - call today to meet Dr. Fontana 239-322-3860 or visit GulfCoastDPC.com to learn more.

03/11/2026

Why pay 5 different online subscriptions for healthcare?

Weight loss. Anxiety meds. Hormones. Thyroid care. ED treatment.

Many telehealth companies charge separate monthly fees — often for protocol-driven visits with non-physician providers.

At Gulf Coast Direct Primary Care, you get one physician who manages everything.

$99/month (

03/03/2026

Dr. Fontana is accepting a limited number of new patients - learn more GulfCoastDPC.com

02/26/2026

Meet Dr. Kelly Fontana, now accepting new patients at Gulf Coast DPC.

02/26/2026

Meet Dr. Kelly Fontana, joining Gulf Coast Direct Primary Care and now welcoming new patients

02/09/2026

Affordable, high-quality primary care—from a physician who actually knows you. No insurance barriers. No rushed appointments. Limited openings available.

Learn more at https://gulfcoastdpc.com or call 239-322-3860.

Gulf Coast Direct Primary Care - Family Doctor in Estero Fort Myers providing complete medical care at an affordable monthly rate

02/09/2026

Dear Patients,

You may have heard on the news that there have been at least 20 cases of measles identified in Collier County (in the community of Ave Maria). This is really hard for me to hear and understand, given that I have never seen a case of measles in my career of nearly 25 years.

Measles is one of the most contagious infectious diseases, with a basic reproduction number (R naught or Ro) of 12–18. This means a single infected person can transmit the virus to 12–18 susceptible people. It is much more contagious than COVID-19 and even Ebola! If one person has measles, up to 90% of susceptible people around them will become infected. An infected person can spread the virus from 4 days BEFORE the rash appears to 4 days after.

Measles is a serious disease! It causes high fever, cough, and pneumonia, often requiring hospitalization, and can have all sorts of immediate and long-term consequences. I met a fellow traveler on vacation a few years ago who became legally blind after being infected with measles as a child, before vaccines were available. One of the most concerning things about measles is that it seems to impact your entire immune system, making you more susceptible to all sorts of other infections as well.

Although I know that most of you are vaccinated, I am writing this to ask you to please share with your friends, family, and community, and urge anyone who is not vaccinated to immediately get an MMR vaccine. Ideally, get the vaccine BEFORE exposure, but getting vaccinated even within 3 days of exposure can help prevent or lessen the severity of measles.

MMR vaccines are available at the Lee and Collier health departments, at most pharmacies, and we do have them in stock at our clinic for $100 (our cost - despite what some doctor-critics have said, physicians do NOT 'profit' off of vaccines - most doctors LOSE money on them!). If you had 2 MMR vaccines as a child, you should be fully protected - but if you aren't sure if you were fully vaccinated, you can get a blood test to check your titer/ immunity level).

Other advice:

- Recognize the symptoms - Measles symptoms typically appear 7–14 days after exposure, starting with a high fever (>104), cough, runny nose, and red/watery eyes (conjunctivitis). A characteristic blotchy red rash develops 3–5 days after initial symptoms, starting at the hairline / face and spreading downward. Tiny white spots (Koplik spots) may appear inside the mouth before the rash.

- Isolate Immediately: Anyone with symptoms should isolate instantly and call ahead before visiting a doctor to prevent spreading it in waiting rooms.

- Hygiene Practices: Cover coughs and sneezes, wash hands frequently with soap and water, and avoid sharing utensils or cups.

Thanks so much for reading and sharing this information. - Dr B

Rebekah Bernard MD
Gulf Coast Direct Primary Care
17595 S Tamiami Tr #204 Fort Myers, FL 33908
239-322-3860 (office phone)
239-437-4548 (fax)

11/24/2025

Dear Patients and Friends,

Thank you for being members of Gulf Coast Direct Primary Care. I am truly, truly thankful for each and every one of you.

When I started this practice nearly ten years ago, I didn't know if I would be successful. What I DID know was that the healthcare 'system' assembly-line model of 10 minute visits, triple and quadruple booking, running more than an hour late all day long, and charting long into the night wasn't good for me OR for my patients. I decided to take a chance--I told myself I would try my own practice for a year, and if it didn't work, I would go back and take a job with one of the big hospitals or groups again. Because of YOUR trust, I didn't have to do that. I'm so proud and thankful to be able to offer affordable and accessible care to nearly 600 of you (we have had as many as 800 patients, but that doesn't allow me enough time to serve on boards and committees and do the writing that I also enjoy). I couldn't do it all without my amazing right-hand office manager, Lili, and I'm also grateful for our incredible in-house psychotherapist Dr. Cynthia Davey (who has been with me for 9 years), and our 'personal' massage therapist Lori.

All of these individuals share my vision of providing affordable, high quality care without gimmicks or false promises. That's why you will never see our practice offering non-evidence based procedures or treatments. I hope you will consider this when you see the numerous advertisements out there promoting various tests and treatments. Ask yourself (or ask me): Why doesn't MY doctor do that? The answer is generally going to be: Because it doesn't work, it wastes your money, and/or it can cause you harm. If I'm recommending a test or treatment to you, I want you to know that it's because I believe in it based on my understanding of the underlying science and my interpretation of the balance of risks, benefits, and side effects - and most importantly, it's something I would want for myself or those I love.

DPC AND INSURANCE UPDATES

Those of us in the DPC world are very excited that the current administration has clarified and codified the use of HSAs - health savings accounts- for direct primary care. You can pay up to $150/ month per person for a DPC using your HSA. We hope (very much hope) to see some true catastrophic insurance plans start to come out that can be paired with a DPC membership to cover health emergencies like serious illness, hospitalization, or surgery. I haven't found any TRUE catastrophic plans yet, but I am watching very closely and will let you know if I find one.

Some people are using indemnity plans or health sharing ministries - those generally pay you back or 'share' your expenses with a community. They are less expensive but riskier. There are short-term major medical insurance plans which are much less expensive, but unfortunately you can only get them for 36 months (expanded from 12 months during the last Trump administration). Once I ran down my 36 months, I switched to a high deductible health plan with an HSA but unfortunately, the premiums are quite expensive. I'll update you as I see other options.

OFFICE HOLIDAY CLOSURE

We'll be in the office today, but I'm going to close the office Tuesday-Friday to give Lili some much-deserved vacation time. You can still text and email me - and Lili will answer and return phone calls throughout the week.

Thank you again, and have a wonderful Thanksgiving! - Dr. B

Rebekah Bernard MD
Gulf Coast Direct Primary Care
17595 S Tamiami Tr #204 Fort Myers, FL 33908
239-322-3860 (office phone)
239-437-4548 (fax)
GulfCoastDPC@gmail.com

09/29/2025

Patients often ask me what they can do to prevent memory loss - here's one important step!