HELPcare Clinic Albert Lea

09/08/2026

PA Elizabeth Hedlund escaped the broken health care system to find a better way that lets her practice in the way she had always envisioned.

09/01/2026

We're delighted to have Elizabeth practicing in Albert Lea!

08/31/2026

What if you could see a cardiologist in days instead of waiting months?

In the newest episode of Take Charge with HELPcare, Lee Aase and Dan Hinmon talk with Dr. Christina Kang and Dr. Vikas Sharotri, co-founders of CardioVerseMD.

Their nationwide virtual cardiology practice helps patients get timely answers about concerns such as:
• High blood pressure
• High cholesterol
• Heart palpitations
• Heart attack and stroke risk
• Follow-up care after a heart attack or stent

CardioVerseMD also offers transparent pricing and access to diagnostic testing that may cost a fraction of hospital-based prices.

It’s a natural partner for direct primary care: local, relationship-based primary care combined with convenient access to specialists when you need them.

08/22/2026

We're glad to be serving the Albert Lea community! Read about Sara and her passion for helping our members improve their health.

A nurse practitioner working at Albert Lea’s new HELPcare Clinic said she is excited to be in a position to optimize people’s health and help set them up for su...

08/21/2026

DPC isn’t a magic wand.

It’s something more useful: a better front door to everyday care.

Insurance still protects against the big things. Direct Primary Care helps with the questions, checkups, follow-ups and everyday health concerns that shouldn’t have to wait until they become expensive problems.

Watch the reel, then read the final post in our series: https://helpcare.health/2026/08/21/dpc-isnt-a-magic-wand-its-still-a-big-deal/

08/21/2026

Direct Primary Care isn’t a magic wand.

It doesn’t make hospitals inexpensive, eliminate the need for specialists, or replace insurance for major medical events.

But it does solve one very important problem: it makes primary care easier to use.

That matters because when the front door to health care is hard to open, people often wind up using a more expensive door instead. With DPC, members can ask questions sooner, follow up more easily, and get help deciding what the right next step should be.

Insurance is still there for the big things. Direct Primary Care helps with the everyday things.

And getting the everyday things right can help the whole health plan work better.

Read the final post in our five-part series: https://helpcare.health/2026/08/21/dpc-isnt-a-magic-wand-its-still-a-big-deal/

It's the foundation of a health care strategy that gives you a fighting chance to control costs while making sure employees get the care they need.

08/20/2026

Better access to primary care can be good for employees. But with a self-funded health plan, it can also matter to the plan itself.

Direct Primary Care gives employees and their families a practical first place to turn. They can ask questions sooner, get help deciding what comes next, and use primary care without worrying that every visit will create another out-of-pocket bill.

That matters because health care decisions get expensive when they’re made at the point of crisis. Sometimes urgent care or the ER is exactly where someone needs to be. Often, a strong primary care relationship can help sort that out before the situation escalates.

For self-funded employers, the connection is important: better access can create better opportunities for smarter care decisions—and potentially lower claims costs over time.

Better for the patient. Better for the plan.

Read today’s post in our five-part series: https://helpcare.health/2026/08/20/how-direct-primary-care-and-self-funding-fit-together/

DPC gives employees a benefit they can actually use. Primary care with $0 out of pocket feels very different from having an insurance card paired with a deductible so high that people hesitate to get care.

08/19/2026

Self-funded employers have an opportunity most companies miss:

Stop thinking only about buying insurance. Start thinking about how care is accessed and purchased.

Better access. Smarter decisions. Lower-cost care when possible.

That’s a health care strategy.

Read the full post: https://helpcare.health/2026/08/19/why-self-funded-health-plans-create-a-different-opportunity/

08/19/2026

If your company is self-funded, there’s an important difference you should understand:

You’re not just buying insurance. You have a more direct stake in what health care actually costs.

That creates an opportunity.

Instead of limiting the annual conversation to premiums, deductibles and networks, employers can start asking better questions:
• How do we help employees get care sooner?
• How do we reduce unnecessary urgent care and ER use?
• How do we help people make smarter decisions about referrals, testing and next steps?

Those aren’t just insurance questions. They’re health care strategy questions.

Our latest post explains why self-funded plans create a different opportunity — and why Direct Primary Care can be such a natural fit.

Read the post at the link in the first comment.

08/18/2026

The front door to health care shouldn’t be hard to open.

Direct Primary Care gives members easier access to a primary care team whose job is to take care of them—not generate another billable transaction.

Primary care built around the patient, not the billing system.

Read the full post: https://helpcare.health/2026/08/18/direct-primary-care-a-better-front-door-to-the-health-care-system/