Today we’d like to introduce you to Dr. James Pinckney II.
Dr. Pinckney, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I grew up in Plano, TX, a product of Plano Senior High School where basketball was my life. Broke my leg in high school and ended any chances of playing Division I basketball, went to Wake Forest on an academic scholarship and solidified my childhood dream to become a physician.
Maintained an exceptional academic resume and received a scholarship to attend Baylor College of Medicine (a top ten medical school) in Houston. Traveled to the west coast to pursue a career in surgery at Cedars Sinai in Los Angeles but quickly realized the life of a surgeon was not my cup of tea.
Switched gears and decided that my mission in life was to transform healthcare delivery in America. Transferred to family medicine to develop a model that is currently known as Direct Primary Care (affordable concierge medicine). I moved back to Dallas to pursue my healthcare dreams and struggled mightily to find funding for my venture.
Nine different banks denied my affordable concierge medicine concept until a bank said yes on the same day I met my wife in October of 2012. Officially opened our first Diamond Physicians location in May of 2013 and we haven’t looked back. Diamond started out as a concierge medicine practice that offered a better product at a better price. But we have evolved into four different brands offering concierge medicine for everybody.
Diamond Direct Care, Diamond Physicians, Diamond Luxury Healthcare, and Diamond Pediatrics offers something for everyone. We also have developed a state of the art executive physical program called Diamond 360 that gives us the ability to truly save lives by finding inflammation in the body before it manifests into heart attack, stroke, diabetes, digestive issues, etc.
We now have four locations in the DFW metroplex, and the Diamond, Direct Care network, stretches across the country offering exemplary primary care for less than a cup of coffee a day. I am blessed with an amazing wife and a 20-month-old son. I am a family oriented Christ follower who injects Christian values into everything I do.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Tremendous struggle to find financing. I should have told the banks I was starting a traditional family practice and I wouldn’t have had any issues. The first two years were very challenging. We almost went under twice. I was making payroll with the last bit of our personal funds after we blew through our initial loan.
An article about our practice hit the newspaper stands. We are on the front cover of the Dallas Morning News Dec 13, 2013, and the phone lines exploded. The following spring a Vistaprint commercial featuring our business aired nationally, and another tremendous surge of potential clients ensued.
It is very difficult to rewire 30 years of insurance ideology. We have been utilizing medical insurance the wrong way for decades. Insurance is a risk mitigation tool, it should be used for catastrophic issues (hospitalization, surgery, cancer treatment) only.
When you use insurance every day for primary care, it no longer becomes a risk mitigation tool because it is utilized too often. The price of simple primary care items like flu shots and cholesterol checks skyrocket via our third-party payor system with markups at multiple points. We should utilize our health insurance like our car or home insurance.
When you fill up your car with gas or need new tires, you pay cash. If you are in an automobile accident that crushes the rear of your car, you file an insurance claim and pay your deductible. That is the proper way insurance should be utilized and allows premiums to remain low.
When potential clients entered our doors, we had to literally undo decades of misinformation and convince them to pay cash for primary care and utilize insurance for what it was designed for – catastrophic coverage! It is also very hard to sell an experience, let alone an experience consumers aren’t used to.
We emphasize customer service, no wait, and 24/7 access to the doctors at Diamond, a completely foreign concept to most consumers and something that does not exist in the traditional insurance model.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Diamond Physicians story. Tell us more about the business.
Diamond Physicians revolutionary healthcare delivery model removes insurance and price fixing from the equation. Simplifying primary care lowers costs and dramatically improves the patient experience. Enjoy direct access to your doctor for less than a cup of coffee a day. We leverage technology to streamline your primary care experience and deliver services in the most efficient manner on our HIPAA secure platform DrLink.
As a direct medicine family practice, we have eliminated relationships with insurance companies. Our clients pay a monthly or annual membership fee based on age and receive unlimited visits, 24-hour access to a physician, 24-hour access to our urgent care facility, all acute office medications, and all acute procedures we can perform in house.
Diamond also offers 90% discounts on labs and imaging studies. By limiting the number of patients in our practice, we deliver unparalleled access and exponentially better care compared to traditional models. We are also able to spend quality time with our patients at each office visit.
We do not require our clients to carry insurance; however, we recommend clients supplement Diamond Care with a catastrophic high deductible plan to cover potential hospitalization. We have insurance specialists available to assist our clients free of charge. Specialist visits and hospitalizations are not covered by our membership.
As your Healthcare CEO, your Diamond Physician coordinates expedited hospital admission through a trusted team of hospitalists at all local inpatient facilities. Our Diamond Network guarantees office visits with preferred specialists within 48 hours compared to six-eight weeks.
How Diamond Pediatrics Works:
One monthly fee covers most of your child care needs. Direct access to your Board Certified Pediatrician via our HIPAA Secure App DrLink 24/7. Same day visits, Unlimited visits, and Unlimited Urgent care, Deeply discounted prices on labs, imaging, and generic prescriptions. Use your insurance for vaccinations in our office, all other services within our four walls are included with your membership.
Executive Physicals:
The best executive physical on the planet tailored to each and every Diamond 360 participant. We have spent the last seven years formulating an integrative and functional approach to executive medicine focusing on the prevention of heart attack, stroke, and diabetes. Our program is system based and perpetually evolving based on your individual needs and results.
I’m most proud of the care we deliver to each and every one of our members. We put patient care first, and I believe that is the key to our success and rapid growth. What sets Diamond apart is the experience our members have when they walk through the doors of any of our locations. The staff, the physicians, are all incredible and truly care. We are like a big family, and Diamond members are part of our family.
Employer Solutions:
We redesign your employee healthcare experience to increase engagement, improve outcomes, and drive costs down. Diamond Physicians Business Solution is a seamless adjunct to your existing benefits plan that transforms your organization.
Your health insurance stays in place for catastrophic issues like surgery, hospitalization, and cancer treatment – and your workforce benefits from 24 -hour in-person doctor accessibility, proactive treatment plans, and unlimited urgent care proven to increase engagement and lower your healthcare spend.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
I don’t believe in luck. Prior preparation prevents poor performance, the harder you work, the more good things happen. I do believe in Divine Intervention, and the two scenarios in which we featured in the Dallas Morning News and on a National Vistaprint Commercial were gifts from God.
Pricing:
- Diamond Fort Worth and Diamond North Carrollton: $100-$200 per member per month based on age
- Diamond Pediatrics: $150 per month < 2 and $125 per month > 2 years old
- Diamond Dallas: $100-$300 per member per month based on age (Dr. James and Dr. Lyssy – traditional concierge medicine prices call for details)
Contact Info:
- Address: 8222 Douglas Ave Suite 700 Dallas TX 75225
4323 N Josey Ln, Suite 300 North Carrollton, TX 75010
6049 Harris Parkway Fort Worth, TX 76132
900 E Southlake Blvd, Suite 200 Southlake, TX 76092 - Website: www.diamondphysicians.com
- Phone: 214-395-3491
- Email: info@diamondphysicians.com
- Instagram: @diamondphy @the_drjames
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DiamondPrivatePhysicians/
- Twitter: @diamondphy @the_drjames
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/diamond-physicians-dallas
- Other: https://www.youtube.com/user/DiamondPhy
Image Credit:
Maryna Matorina
Getting in touch: VoyageDallas is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
