We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Dr. Alex Florence. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Dr. Florence below.
Hi Dr. Florence, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I grew up in the Austin area and went to Cedar Park High School (where I met my husband). I went to undergrad at UT Austin where I majored in Human Development and Family Sciences–and I will forever bleed burnt orange. I then went to Baylor College of Medicine in the Houston Medical Center (not in Waco!) for med school. I then moved all the way to North Carolina for pediatric residency at UNC in Chapel Hill.
I moved back in 2018 and have lived in Leander ever since.
I started my career at a traditional, insurance-based practice in town for 5.5 years. I became increasingly frustrated spending more time with my computer than with my patients and their families. I could not provide the high-quality care children deserve in the constraints of 15 minute visits dictated by insurance company reimbursements, quality metrics paperwork and boxes to check. I wanted to do better for my patients, myself, and my family and started daydreaming about a practice where relational, transparent, convenient and quality care was possible. I learned about Direct Primary Care (DPC) from a local physician group where there were a few practices doing this in the adult world. I knew this was the answer to save my love for medicine and practice medicine the way it was meant to be.
I do some of my best thinking while hiking and some of my most impactful conversations and life decisions have occurred on trails. While hiking with my husband, the idea for Happy Trails Pediatrics was born. I built Happy Trails around the most positive healthcare experiences I have had myself and how I would want my own children to be cared for.
I opened Happy Trails on April 10 and it has been everything I hoped it would be. It has brought the joy back to being a pediatrician and I have fun like I did back when I was an eager med student with extra time to spend with kids. My first home visits involved coloring with a toddler, getting a house tour, learning stuffed animal names, and being blown kisses shortly after administering vaccines. I get to spend more time with my family and my kids get to be a part of my business and take pride in their mom being both a doctor and a business owner. I have loved working on the business side of setting up my practice and also get to have creative outlets within my work.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The challenge has been getting families to understand the value of care provided in DPC when they are stuck in the traditional insurance mindset. DPC is a membership-based model of providing comprehensive, personal and relational medical care that focuses on the importance of trust, respect, and collaboration within the doctor-patient relationship. By cutting out the middleman, we are able to focus on quality over quantity and practice medicine in a way that is convenient, flexible and accessible for your family. Our goal is that it feels like you have a doctor in the family that is another advocate for your child. You still need insurance coverage for larger expenses, like an unplanned hospitalization. Ideally, due to our proactive, comprehensive care model, we are able to detect problems before or when they first present themselves and determine a treatment plan to help keep your child out of more expensive options like urgent care, the emergency room and the hospital. Transparency in our fixed pricing allows you to plan for your families healthcare needs ahead of time without having to worry about surprise bills, deductibles, copays, coinsurance or added charges such as form completion and after hours fees.
Families also have a hard time understanding why they would need a DPC membership if their child is healthy. Most of what we do as pediatricians is prevention and education and with longer appointment times you will get unrushed, face-to-face time with me. We will have plenty of time to discuss feeding, sleep training, nutrition, exercise, academics, and behavioral challenges where you can feel heard and respected.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Happy Trails Pediatrics offers concierge-style direct pediatric care in Leander, TX and surrounding areas. We deliver modern care the old fashioned way: direct, personalized, and convenient, all in the comfort of your own home. It’s like having a pediatrician in the family that you can rely on and trust, supporting your child’s health and well-being from infancy to young adulthood.
A unique feature of my practice is the in-home visits. Kids are most comfortable in their own home, which allows me to build a more trusting relationship with my patients. With in-home visits, I am able to take environmental and social factors into account and make a more comprehensive and personalized treatment plan for each child. Plus, it’s fun to do show-and-tell and see each child’s personality come to life.
Our monthly membership fee includes unlimited same day/next day visits, direct access to me via text/phone/telemedicine, extended appointment times (60-90 min), preventative care, behavioral support, mental health screening/treatment, chronic condition management, and home visits. Even in-house testing and minor procedures are included with no extra fees.
A unique offering is my 4th trimester package. I struggled with my breastfeeding journey with my oldest and did not realize how hard it was going to be, even for a pediatrician. I felt encouraged when my newborn would latch and feed beautifully in the lactation consultant’s office, and would quickly become discouraged when I could never seem to replicate that feed at home. The chair would be different, the pillows weren’t the same, the temperature was too hot or too cold, there were distracting noises all around the house and I felt like I needed 3 extra sets of hands. Through those struggles, I developed a passion for helping mothers and babies going through similar journeys with the empathy of having been there myself. I had the great fortune of having a close pediatrician friend that was also a lactation consultant who came to my home to help and answered my thousands of questions throughout my breastfeeding journey. I pursued my certification in order to better understand my gaps in knowledge, proven strategies to help mother and baby, and the science of breastfeeding medicine. After earning my IBCLC certification, I tried to weave lactation pearls into my office visits with newborns, but there just wasn’t enough time to cover everything in the traditional practice setting. I started offering lactation-specific visits for my newborn patients that were struggling and received overwhelming positive feedback from those families and gratitude for my time and expertise. I found myself so refreshed and fulfilled by these visits, but it left me wanting more. That led me to the creation of Happy Trails Pediatrics and the idea of in-home lactation and 4th trimester care. The comfort of not having to take your newborn to an office with other sick children, not having to pack up a diaper bag only to forget the actual diapers, and being able to stay in your pajamas and work on breastfeeding with my professional guidance is what sets our 4th trimester package apart. My 4th trimester package includes a prenatal visit, a hospital visit, lactation visits, maternal screening, and unlimited newborn visits for the first 3 months of life. I do also offer stand-alone lactation visits for families that already have a pediatrician, but are looking for extra lactation support.
Additionally, I have a passion for working with athletes of all ages on injury prevention, concussion management, and rehabilitation. I completed extra electives in sports medicine, participated in concussion research, and participated as a medical volunteer through sideline management, race events and school clinics. I offer a sports medicine package that includes an athlete’s sports care from prevention to recovery for 1 year. I also offer a-la-carte sports medicine visits for concussion and other injuries.
Lastly, I also offer medical grade ear piercing services. I use a system that is only available through medical professionals, and is designed to minimize risk of infection, trauma to the tissues, and development of contact allergies. Age preference for this procedure is 4-8 months or greater than 6 years old and I have numbing cream available to decrease pain and anxiety.
Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
My family has been so supportive in encouraging me to take the leap of faith to go out on my own. They continue to cheer me on as my practice grows and support me no matter what.
I have my patients to thank because many have believed in me and followed me from my previous practice. It is a testament to the importance of relationships in pediatrics and your child feeling comfortable around and knowing their doctor. They have been so understanding of the change and have been supportive of me making decisions for my work-life balance and quality of care.
There are 4 other pediatricians with DPC practices that have been mentors and teammates in this journey. Juniper Pediatrics, Blue Monarch Pediatrics, Jolly Giant Pediatrics and Prickly Pear Pediatrics, I would not have been off to such a successful and enjoyable start without y’all. They have made this journey not as lonely as I expected and have helped cover me when needed for vacation and illness. If anyone is in other parts of Austin, you should check out these other great practices!
One of my favorite aspects of my practice is the welcome baskets I get to put together for new members. I get to use the creative part of my brain while also supporting other local, small businesses. I have received donations and resources from many local businesses that are helpful for new parents or children of different ages. I have received donations from daycares, therapists, doulas, midwives, dietitians, parenting groups, and more. The birthing community and healthcare entrepreneurs in the greater Austin area are amazing and I’m so happy to be a part of it.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Www.happytrailspediatrics.com
- Instagram: @happytrailspediatrics
- Facebook: https://Www.facebook.com/HappyTrailsPediatricsDPC
- Other: email info@happytrailspediatrics.com
Image Credits
Megan Blumen Photography by Megan Blumentrath
Alyssa Martin Photography
