Navigating New Frontiers in Healthcare: Insurance, Care Models, & Physician Journeys | Roundtable
What if your doctor’s visit wasn’t limited to 15 minutes? What if your care team truly communicated with each other? What if your lived experience was valued as much as your lab results?
In this powerhouse roundtable discussion, Dr. Kara Wada brings together three pioneering physicians who have all stepped outside the traditional insurance-based system to build something better. Join Dr. Bonnie Feldman, Dr. Brittany Panico, and Dr. Zach Spiritos for an honest conversation about the limitations of conventional medicine for complex chronic illnesses like Sjogren’s. They discuss the challenges of time, reimbursement, and siloed specialties, and share their vision for a future of integrated, patient-centered care.
Tune in to hear how these innovators are navigating new frontiers in healthcare and get their best advice on how you can become the CEO of your own health journey.
SESSION IN A GLANCE
00:00 Introduction and Panelist Overview
01:17 Dr. Bonnie Feldman’s Journey and Insights
02:52 Dr. Brittany Panico’s Approach to Rheumatology
04:33 Dr. Zach Spiritos’ New Practice
06:34 Challenges in Traditional Healthcare Models
09:37 Innovative Diagnostic Approaches
14:28 Holistic and Interdisciplinary Care
18:27 Building Effective Care Teams
21:58 Practicalities of Implementing New Models
29:31 Breaking Down Medical Silos
30:24 Understanding Sjogren’s and Mast Cell Overlap
30:49 Green and Red Flags in Building Your Health Team
31:21 Challenges in Payment and Reimbursement
34:33 The Reality of Cash-Based Practices
43:59 The Importance of Patient Narratives
50:07 Future Directions and Patient Advocacy
52:20 Final Thoughts and Advice for Patients
ABOUT DR. BONNIE FELDMAN, DDS, MBA
Dr. Bonnie Feldman is the founder of Your Autoimmunity Connection (DrBonnie360). Driven by personal and professional passion, she uses 21st Century technology to raise awareness about the invisible autoimmune epidemic and to build bridges across the abyss of slow diagnosis and disappointing treatment. Her multiple careers as a dentist, Wall Street equity analyst, and digital health consultant give her a unique multi-lens viewpoint.
CONNECT WITH DR. BONNIE FELDMAN
LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/bonniefeldman/
ABOUT DR. BRITTANY PANICO, MD
Dr. Brittany Panico is a Board Certified Rheumatologist and founder of Summit Rheumatology. She specializes in treating rheumatologic diseases like Sjogren’s, RA, and lupus, offering patients treatment options that fit their lifestyle goals. She does not believe a rheumatologic diagnosis should define a person and strives to use medications and lifestyle changes to treat the whole person where they are.
CONNECT WITH DR. BRITTANY PANICO
Website → summitrheumatology.com
ABOUT DR. ZACHARY SPIRITOS, MD, MPH
Dr. Zachary Spiritos is a Duke-trained neurogastroenterologist and founder of EverBetter Medicine. He specializes in treating patients with complex, chronic conditions like POTS, MCAS, EDS, and gastrointestinal dysmotility. He is passionate about working with patients who have felt dismissed and takes a whole-person approach, integrating conventional medicine with interventions targeting sleep, stress, movement, and nutrition.
CONNECT WITH DR. ZACHARY SPIRITOS
Website → https://everbettermedicine.health
Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/drzacspiritos/?hl=en
ABOUT DR. KARA WADA
Dr. Kara Wada is a 4x board certified pediatric and adult allergy immunology, functional, and lifestyle medicine physician. She is also a Midwest mom of 3 kids and an elder millennial who loves a bit of pop punk music and has a rebel energy that is looking for ways to come out to play along with her very kind, loving, and compassionate nature.
She uses a 4 R framework in her work: Recognize, Reclaim, Rebel, and Rise, which echoes throughout her work. Additionally, she talks a lot about the “perfect storm” in contrast to the focus on finding a single “root” cause of a person’s symptoms. She opened a direct care practice which allows her to practice medicine on her terms, and she is passionate about making this ideal type of care accessible to all.
CONNECT WITH DR. KARA WADA
Website → https://www.drkarawada.com/
LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/karawadamd/
Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/immuneconfidentmd/
Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/KaraWadaMD
Twitter → https://twitter.com/CrunchyAllergy
TikTok → https://www.tiktok.com/@immuneconfidentmd
ABOUT THE VIRTUAL SJOGREN’S SUMMIT
The Virtual Sjögren’s Summit is an annual patient-led online event dedicated to providing accessible, high-quality education and fostering a supportive global community for everyone touched by Sjögren’s. Our mission is to build networks of support, knowledge, and hope.
7 Comments
That's just how I felt when I went I went to the dentist about three decades ago. I was told that she could not find anything wrong with my teeth. She had no idea what to do. She referred me to a neurologist,. The neurologist was worrying about how I would pay 0 insurance matters. He told me that it was mental. The dentist was my former classmate and she understood my situation and she continues to work with me today. I do know that many do not understand the symptooms.
What a medical dream team This is! Thanks to each of you for all the invaluable information.
In Canada, my rheumatologist mentioned that rheumatology units receive significantly less funding compared to cancer centres. Although they want to work within a multidisciplinary or interdisciplinary framework, the structure of the healthcare system makes that difficult to achieve. As a patient, that’s deeply frustrating—and I imagine it’s equally disheartening for the practitioners. On top of that, my neurologist and gastroenterologist dismissed many of my symptoms as part of Sjögren’s, which added to the feeling of being unheard. Thanks for the conversation! Cristina Montoya
Can we address why not many drs recognize Early Sjögren’s panel…?
Unfortunately, educating on myself on conditions using appropriate medical language tends to put off medical providers. I get passive aggressive questions such as, Do you work in the medical field? Then the gaslighting begins.
The sound is not right. People are talking at the same time. Don’t want to miss anything
What a great conversation – exposing and elaborating on the many challenges of not only the system but trying to create better models outside the system where insurance discourages quality care through appreciating that the patient has the answers if we are given the time and support to prioritize listening. Very cool to have a dentist with such a unique perspective, and I agree that it makes zero sense that we separate organs and the mouth from the body!