Dr. Laura Lindner

Homegrown Pediatrics

www.homegrownpediatrics.net

Last year, while camping over Labor Day weekend with her daughters and Scout Troop 809, Dr. Laura Lindner had an epiphany.  Sitting around the campfire, Laura and her friend, Dr. Margaret Zeballos, started discussing Alamo Heights Direct Primary Care and how much Margaret loved this direct care model.  Suddenly, Margaret said, “Laura, you can do this!”  This is where the idea was born.

Realizing this was an opportunity to practice medicine in a different way and a chance to offer more personalized experiences to her families, Laura decided to start Homegrown Pediatrics.  With the practical experience that five children and an exchange student provides, Laura knows firsthand it is hard to administer medicine and get your kids to eat their broccoli.  Dr. Lindner understands the reasonable expectations of what is possible in life.  Laura sums it up perfectly, “This is where kids and families grow up.  Our homes are the center of all the love, and that is where I wanted this practice to start: from my home to theirs, sharing some of that experience.”

After graduating high school in Boerne, Texas, Laura attended Texas A&M University at College Station, where she met and married her sweetheart soon after they graduated.  Because Laura’s late husband lived on Normandy Avenue with his family growing up, Patrick and Laura decided to return to his childhood home to take advantage of the opportunity to live in the attached apartment and enjoy reduced rent as they both attended medical school in San Antonio.  Tragically, Laura was widowed in 2013.  Laura and her children felt firsthand the love and support of the entire Alamo Heights Community in amazing ways throughout this difficult time.  Laura’s family has lived in Alamo Heights for over 20 years and counting now.  She loves being a part of this great community!  “It’s a small city harnessing all the amenities of a large metroplex while maintaining that wonderful small-town feel; I could talk about this compassionate community forever!”  A true testament to the warmth and kindness of Alamo Heights.  Now, Laura and the kids are part of a large, blended family happily ensconced in the Alamo Heights community.  As Laura says, “It is a great place for kids to grow up, thrive and get involved.  We are loving life here and everything it has to offer to everyone.”

Upon completing medical school and residency at The University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio, Laura worked for a group practice, where she had the opportunity to learn more about the business side of a medical practice.  She is grateful and appreciative to have learned from and collaborated with these colleagues and terrific mentors along the way.  Those experiences helped enable Laura to confidently embark on a new model, Direct Primary Care.  Dr. Lindner is among the first to offer this model of pediatric care in San Antonio.  

It is time for families to think differently about medical care.  Homegrown Pediatrics is a membership-based, concierge-style collection of services utilizing modern communication and offering personalized, exceptional care.  What does that mean?  Let’s dig in.

Laura’s partner Brandon Smoot, who owns a concierge wealth management practice with UBS Financial Services, was instrumental in teaching Laura the concierge model and, most importantly, maintaining a smaller client panel while providing unparalleled custom services.  With respect to pediatric health care, Direct Primary Care (DPC) is everything every family could want:  comprehensive, personalized care, relaxed and unhurried visits, and direct access to your physician utilizing modern communication.   DPC practices do not accept insurance and instead have a monthly or annual membership cost.  Families can plan for a predictable health care expense that includes all typical services like well visits, sports physicals, sick visits, routine testing, vaccinations, and all the forms needed (camp, school, sports) at no extra charge.  Simple transparency enables families to know up-front what their pediatric health care will cost.  Families will enjoy private access to Laura because she has a limited patient panel resulting in a more collaborative experience for each family.  For example, average well visits with Laura could be 45 minutes to an hour compared to an appointment with insurance-based practices where families are lucky to have 10 minutes with their qualified medical doctor.   Insurance coverage is still encouraged for things like emergency room visits, specialist appointments, imaging, lab tests and vaccines — just like car insurance is needed for unexpected accidents.  Vaccines are commonly the most expensive part of any pediatric practice; that is why Laura uses a third-party company for the billing of vaccines to a patient’s insurance.

Taking advantage of technology, Laura embraces many of today’s various forms of communication.  Care can be provided over text, video chat, phone call, house call or an office visit.   “Texting is so easy; we text for everything in our lives!  I want to provide this service because it is practical for families.  Texting provides more convenient care.  Instead of parents searching Google, they can go straight to the source for accurate information from their personal pediatrician who knows and cares about their child.”  We all know how busy everyone’s lives are these days! It is difficult to take time off from work to take a child out of school or daycare for a doctor’s visit.  It is important to Laura to facilitate convenience and time-saving efforts so that families can get back to the things they want to do most.  This kind of premier personal care hearkens back to the days of Little House on the Prairie and that “small-town” feel.  Dr. Laura Lindner is excited and thankful to offer that level of care to the people of our community.

If you are wondering if Direct Pediatric Care at Homegrown Pediatrics is right for your family, picture this:  you’ve just had your first newborn, and it’s time for your very first visit with your doctor.  You want to be on time for your appointment, but you’re overwhelmed with changing your baby, who at this moment needs a clean diaper, and the prospect of using that new car seat and then heading into traffic is making you anxious.  As a member of Homegrown Pediatrics, Laura will see your baby in your home for the first month.  Have bag, will travel!  Laura will bring all the tools to you just as if you were in the clinic.  It’s OK for the baby to keep feeding and for mom to stay in her pajamas.  And if Grandma just stopped by, she doesn’t have to leave.  It’s important to Laura to start the family partnership early on.  Laura recognizes that every age offers new challenges.  Newborns are tough, and teenagers might be even more difficult.  She finds it a “lovely thing to take care of a family over time, helping them through all the joys and all the challenges.”  With membership-based care Dr. Lindner can remain your pediatrician even when your insurance changes.

Homegrown Pediatrics is conveniently located inside STAAMP Allergy and Asthma in Olmos Park at 341 East Hildebrand.  Schedule a “meet and greet” at www.homegrownpediatrics.net and become a part of the family at Homegrown Pediatrics!