We’re excited to welcome your family and start caring for your little ones with the time, attention, and warmth they deserve. Click here to enroll.

Direct Primary Care (DPC) is a more personal, accessible approach to pediatrics where families join through a simple monthly membership. This model removes the barriers and rush of the traditional system, giving you unhurried visits, same or next-day appointments, and direct access to Dr. Penland by text, phone, or video. There are no surprise bills or long waits—just steady, thoughtful care from a pediatrician who truly knows your child and is there when you need her.

Front Porch Pediatrics does not bill or contract with insurance. Your monthly membership covers all of your pediatric care with Dr. Penland—unlimited visits, same or next-day sick appointments, direct access by text and phone, after-hours support, and more. There are no copays, no deductibles to meet, and no surprise bills.

Even with the comprehensive care included in your Front Porch Pediatrics membership, insurance is still important for anything that happens outside our office. Most families pair their membership with a PPO, high-deductible plan, or health-share option—whatever works best for their needs. Here’s what insurance is used for:

• Hospitalizations, surgeries, ER & urgent care visits:
  While our 24/7 access often prevents unnecessary trips, true emergencies or hospital care will be billed to your insurance.

• Vaccines:
  We administer all vaccines in the office as part of your child's care. The cost of the vaccines themselves is billed to your insurance.

• Prescription medications:
  Medications sent to your pharmacy are billed through your insurance as usual.

• Specialist care:

  If your child needs a specialist, their services are billed directly to your insurance.

• Offsite labs & imaging:
  In-office rapid tests are included in your membership. For more advanced labs or imaging, your insurance is billed—but many families find that our negotiated cash prices are often significantly lower than insurance-based rates.

Your membership covers all day-to-day pediatric care with no copays, no surprise bills, and direct access to your pediatrician. Insurance simply steps in for the rare situations that happen outside the scope of primary care, giving your family a complete and predictable system for care.

Membership fees are billed monthly and are automatically charged to the debit or credit card you keep on file. Many families also choose to use their Health Savings Account (HSA) for membership payments. 

Our goal is to keep billing simple, predictable, and worry-free so you can focus on caring for your child, not managing paperwork.

Canceling your membership is simple. Just let us know, and we’ll cancel it right away— no penalties, no hoops to jump through. We want to make things easy for your family, whether you’re staying or moving on.

Absolutely! We love welcoming families before baby even arrives. You can enroll during pregnancy by paying a one-time enrollment fee to reserve your spot. This way, Dr. Penland is already part of your care team from day one — ready to schedule your newborn's first home visit and support your family from the very beginning. It's one less thing to worry about during those busy early weeks.

As a member, you can reach Dr. Penland directly by text or phone after hours for urgent questions or concerns. If something comes up in the evening or over the weekend, you don't have to wonder whether to go to urgent care or wait it out — just reach out and we'll figure it out together.

If your child needs care beyond what we provide in the office, Dr. Penland will help coordinate the referral and guide you through the process. We'll make sure you understand why the referral is being made, help you find the right specialist, and stay involved in your child's care throughout. The specialist's services are billed to your insurance, but Dr. Penland remains your child's primary point of contact and continues to manage their overall care.

No. Your membership includes unlimited visits — come in as often as your child needs. Whether it's a quick weight check, a sick visit, or a longer conversation about a concern that's been on your mind, there's no cap and no extra charge. We'd always rather see your child one too many times than one too few.

At Front Porch Pediatrics, our goal is to keep your care as simple and transparent as possible.

Labs: When labs are needed, you have the option to use your insurance for lab work, or take advantage of discounted cash pay pricing, whichever works best for your family.

Vaccines: Immunizations are administered right here in our office. Vaccines will be billed to your child's insurance or offered at a transparent cash pay price for families who prefer to pay directly.

Medications: When prescriptions are needed, we will work to find the most affordable option for your family, including generic alternatives and discount programs. Certain medications may be available directly through our office at cost.

Our commitment is always to be upfront about costs so there are never any surprises, just great care.