Longer Appointments
Time to discuss your concerns, your history, your goals and the options in front of you — instead of one issue per visit.
Irvine, California
Direct Primary Care in Irvine, CA
Imagine having a primary care doctor who actually has time to know you.
At TruFamilyMD, direct primary care is designed around a stronger doctor-patient relationship: longer appointments, easier access and personalized care without the rushed feeling of traditional primary care.
Care for You, Like Family.
Primary Care Shouldn't Feel Rushed
You call for an appointment and it is days or weeks away. You sit in a waiting room. The visit itself moves quickly, and much of it is spent explaining your history again.
Then you leave with a referral, another appointment on the calendar and a few more questions than you walked in with.
This is not a failure of the clinicians inside those offices. Many excellent physicians are asked to deliver thorough care inside schedules that make it genuinely difficult.
But primary care can be structured differently — and that is what direct primary care does.
What Is Direct Primary Care?
Direct primary care, often shortened to DPC, is a membership-based model in which patients pay a predictable monthly fee for enhanced access to primary care, rather than building the relationship around individual insurance-billed office visits.
Because routine care is not tied to insurance billing, TruFamilyMD can put its attention where it matters most for patients: time, accessibility, continuity, prevention and the physician-patient relationship itself.
Learn more about how direct primary care works, including membership details, comparisons and common patient questions.
Why TruFamilyMD
A Different Kind of Primary Care in Irvine
Direct Physician Access
Members can message the practice directly, so a question between visits does not require a new appointment to get answered.
Same-Day or Next-Day Access When Available
Members have priority scheduling, with same or next-day appointments when the schedule allows.
In-Person and Virtual Care
Come into the office when an exam matters, or use telehealth when it is clinically appropriate for the concern.
Continuity With One Physician
You see Dr. Pham. Your history stays with the doctor treating you rather than starting over each visit.
Prevention and Healthspan
Attention to metabolic health, cardiovascular risk and healthy aging as part of ordinary care, not only today's symptom.
Your physician
Meet Trung Pham, MD
Medicine works differently when your doctor knows more than your medication list.
Dr. Pham is a board-certified internal medicine and obesity medicine physician whose background includes academic internal medicine. He created TruFamilyMD around the belief that better primary care starts with listening, understanding the person behind the chart and building a relationship over time.
Care and conversations are available in English and Vietnamese.
- American Board of Internal Medicine Diplomate
- American Board of Obesity Medicine Diplomate
- Fellow of the American College of Physicians (FACP)
- Certified menopause practitioner and member of the North American Menopause Society (NAMS)
- Associate Professor of Medicine — University of Missouri Kansas City
Fit
Is Direct Primary Care Right for You?
Direct primary care is not the right fit for everyone. It tends to suit people in situations like these:
- You want more time with your physician.
- You value continuity with the same doctor over the years.
- You have several medical concerns you want considered together.
- You want easier access to primary care when something comes up.
- You prefer proactive, preventive care rather than reactive visits.
- You are focused on metabolic health and healthy aging.
- Rushed traditional visits have been frustrating for you.
- You want a long-term relationship with a primary care physician.
Areas we can help with
Primary Care Built Around Your Health
Preventive Care
Screening, risk review and the everyday habits that protect your health over time.
Annual and Routine Care
Your yearly visit and the ordinary questions in between, with a physician who already knows you.
Chronic Disease Management
Consistent follow-up for ongoing conditions that do better with regular attention than one-off appointments.
Diabetes and Metabolic Health
Blood sugar, insulin resistance and weight reviewed together rather than as separate problems.
Blood Pressure and Cholesterol
Ongoing management, medication review and follow-up on the numbers that shape long-term risk.
Weight Management
Physician-guided weight care informed by your history, labs and medications. Dr. Pham is board certified in Obesity Medicine.
Menopause and Midlife Health
Time to talk through perimenopause and menopause symptoms and options. Dr. Pham is a certified menopause practitioner and NAMS member.
Cardiovascular Risk Reduction
A look at the factors that add up over decades, and a plan you can actually follow.
Healthy Aging and Longevity
Care aimed at the years ahead — function, strength and independence, not only lab values.
Acute and Sick Visits
When something comes up, you contact a physician who already knows your history.
Medication Management
A periodic review of what you take, why you take it and whether it still fits your situation.
Lab Review and Follow-Up
Results explained in plain language, with a clear next step rather than a portal notification.
These are areas the practice can help with, not a list of services automatically included in membership. What your membership covers is explained clearly during your Meet & Greet, and some care, testing and medications are billed separately or through your insurance. See how the direct primary care membership works.
Direct Primary Care for Irvine and Orange County
TruFamilyMD cares for patients in Irvine and the surrounding Orange County communities. In-person visits take place at the practice office at 250 N Golden Circle Dr, Suite 109, Santa Ana, CA 92705 — a short drive from Irvine. Patients from Tustin, Santa Ana, Costa Mesa, Fountain Valley and nearby cities are welcome as members as well, with telehealth used where it is clinically appropriate.
If you live nearby, read about direct primary care in Tustin, Santa Ana, Costa Mesa and Fountain Valley.
Irvine is a commuter city, and one of the practical realities of primary care here is that a weekday appointment can cost half a day. A membership relationship changes that math: many questions can be handled by direct message or a virtual visit, and when an in-person exam is needed, scheduling is a conversation rather than a queue.
Care and conversations are available in English and Vietnamese, which matters when a medical decision needs to be understood clearly by a patient and their family.
Office
Where to find us
The Georgetown Building250 N Golden Circle Dr, Suite 109
Santa Ana, CA 92705
A short drive from Irvine, near the 55 and 5 freeways.
Get directions to the TruFamilyMD office on Google Maps →Hours & contact
By appointment only
- Monday to Friday, 9:00am – 4:00pm, by appointment only
- Phone: 714-559-3846
- Email: info@trufamilymd.com
- No walk-ins, please.
Prefer to ask first? Use our contact page to request a free Meet & Greet, or estimate your direct primary care costs and potential savings.
Comparison
What Makes Direct Primary Care Different?
| Traditional primary care | TruFamilyMD direct primary care | |
|---|---|---|
| Appointment length | Visit length is often shaped by the schedule the practice has to keep, and visits can feel rushed. | Visits are planned around the conversation your concern actually requires. |
| Access | Appointments may be days or weeks out, and new patients may face a waitlist. | Priority scheduling, with same or next-day appointments when possible. |
| Continuity | Continuity varies; some practices offer it, others rotate clinicians. | You see Dr. Pham, visit after visit. |
| Communication | Contact typically routes through a front desk or portal queue. | Direct messaging with the practice is part of the membership relationship. |
| Membership model | Routine primary care is generally billed through insurance, with copays or deductibles. | A flat monthly membership paid directly to the practice. |
| Preventive focus | Prevention competes for time with the reason you came in. | Prevention and long-term risk are part of the ongoing conversation. |
| Relationship with physician | The relationship depends on what the visit structure allows. | The membership exists to fund the relationship itself. |
Practices differ, and many insurance-based practices in Irvine provide excellent care. This comparison describes common differences in structure, not a judgment about individual physicians.
Membership
Simple, Relationship-Based Primary Care
Membership funds the primary care relationship itself. It includes:
- Unrushed visits with Dr. Pham
- Direct messaging with the practice
- Priority scheduling, with same or next-day appointments when possible
- Telehealth where clinically appropriate
- Flexible hours
Direct primary care is not health insurance. Membership does not cover hospitalization, emergency care, specialists, imaging, procedures or other services outside the practice. Everything included is reviewed with you at your free Meet & Greet before you decide.
FAQs
Direct Primary Care Irvine FAQs
What is direct primary care?
Direct primary care is a membership model of primary care. Patients pay their practice a predictable monthly fee for an ongoing relationship and a defined set of primary care services, instead of the practice billing insurance for each routine visit.
How much does direct primary care cost in Irvine at TruFamilyMD?
Membership at TruFamilyMD is $150 per month, plus a one-time enrollment fee of $150. Exactly what your membership includes is reviewed with you during a free Meet & Greet before you decide anything.
Does direct primary care replace health insurance?
No. Direct primary care is not health insurance and does not replace it. You may still need coverage for hospitalization, emergency care, specialists, imaging, procedures, surgery, expensive medications and other services that are not part of the membership.
Can I keep my health insurance if I join a DPC practice?
Yes, and many members do. The membership covers your primary care relationship while your insurance stays in place for care outside of it.
What does the TruFamilyMD membership include?
Membership covers the ongoing primary care relationship: unrushed visits with Dr. Pham, direct messaging with the practice, priority scheduling and telehealth where clinically appropriate. Some testing, imaging and medications are arranged separately at cash or wholesale pricing, or billed through your insurance. The specifics are explained at your Meet & Greet.
Can I see my doctor virtually?
Yes, when telehealth is clinically appropriate for your concern. Some situations need an in-person exam, and Dr. Pham will tell you when that is the case.
How quickly can I get an appointment?
Members have priority scheduling, with same or next-day appointments when possible. Availability depends on the day, and urgent or emergency situations should go to urgent care or 911.
Is direct primary care the same as concierge medicine?
They are related but not identical. Both involve paying a practice directly for greater access. Direct primary care practices typically do not bill insurance for the membership relationship, and the monthly fee is generally intended to be more accessible. Arrangements vary from practice to practice.
Who is direct primary care best for?
It tends to suit people who want more time with a physician, value continuity, have several concerns to consider together, or want a proactive focus on prevention and metabolic health. It is not the right fit for everyone, and a Meet & Greet is the best way to find out.
How do I get started with TruFamilyMD?
Schedule a free Meet & Greet. You can ask questions, hear how the practice works and decide afterwards. There is no obligation to join.
This page is general health information, not medical advice. Read our medical disclaimer. If you have a medical emergency, call 911.
What If Primary Care Felt Personal Again?
More time. More access. More continuity. And a physician who has the opportunity to actually know you. Discover a different approach to primary care in Irvine.