What if pediatric care were built around relationships instead of billing codes? In this episode of TEDMED Conversations, host Theresa Santoro speaks with Dr. Lauren Hughes, founder of Bloom Pediatrics, about direct primary care and why she chose to step outside the insurance system to better serve families. Dr. Hughes shares how this model allows for deeper access, lower costs, and more proactive care—while restoring autonomy and purpose to clinical practice. Together, they explore what this approach reveals about the future of pediatric healthcare.

Key Discussion Points & Timestamps

From Kitchen-Table Medicine to Modern Pediatrics (00:00)

The Residency Moment That Changed Everything (01:22)

What Direct Primary Care Is—and What It Isn’t (04:34)

Running a Practice Without Insurance (07:45)

The Shockingly Low Cost of Care Without Middlemen (13:57)

Community, Collaboration, and the DPC Movement (19:22)

Preventing ER Visits Through Proactive Care (23:48)

Scaling a Relationship-Based Model of Pediatrics (26:49)

“I got in trouble for taking care of a patient… and I was told, ‘You will never keep the lights on if you practice medicine this way.’”

— Dr. Lauren Hughes

“Direct primary care was the way I could practice medicine old school—without the moral failures I felt in the current system.”

— Dr. Lauren Hughes

“When you can’t think creatively, you end up with tunnel vision—and that’s become the standard in healthcare.”

— Theresa Santoro

About Lauren and Theresa

Dr. Lauren Hughes

Dr. Lauren Hughes is a board-certified pediatrician and founder of Bloom Pediatrics in Kansas City. She pioneered one of the region’s first pediatric direct primary care practices, offering families unlimited access, transparent pricing, and deeply relational care outside the traditional insurance system.

Theresa Santoro

Theresa Santoro is a healthcare executive and CEO of RVNAhealth, with decades of experience leading mission-driven organizations across home health, hospice, and community-based care. Her work focuses on sustainable care models that prioritize dignity, access, and outcomes for patients and providers alike.

Connect with the Guests

Dr. Lauren Hughes, Founder & Pediatrician, Bloom Pediatrics

🌐 Website: https://www.bloompediatricskc.com

📝 Writing (Substack): https://drlaurenhughes.substack.com/

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laurenhughesmd 

Theresa Santoro, President & CEO, RVNAhealth

🌐 Organization: https://rvnahealth.org

🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/theresasantoro 

Join the Conversation!

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