What happens when you combine farm-kid work ethic, three college degrees, surgical experience, wound care expertise, and personal experience caring for parents with Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s?

You get Karen Popp, CNP.

And we’re grateful she’s part of the HELPcare Clinic team.

On this episode of Take Charge with HELPcare, Dan Hinmon and I had the chance to introduce Karen — our newest nurse practitioner — and talk about why she chose HELPcare, what surprised her most, and what she’s excited to bring to our members.

Here’s what stood out.

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From Farm to Operating Room to Primary Care

Karen grew up on a farm near Byron, Minnesota — the youngest of four kids. Farm life instilled what she describes as a strong work ethic and a love for the land.

Her first career? Animal science. She worked at the Minnesota Zoo and originally planned to become a large animal veterinarian.

Then life changed.

Budget cuts ended that chapter. At the same time, her parents’ health declined. With a strong family history of nursing — her mom, aunt, and great aunt were all RNs — Karen pivoted.

Three degrees later, she became a nurse practitioner

And along the way, she:

• Worked medical-surgical nursing
• Assisted in orthopedic surgeries
• Served in wound care
• Practiced in nursing homes and assisted living facilities
• Became a solo primary care provider

That’s breadth.

But what shaped her most wasn’t clinical.

It was caring for her parents through Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. She described it simply:

“You can’t learn it in a book.”

That experience deepened her empathy. It gave her perspective on:

• Role reversals between parents and children
• The weight of medical decision-making
• The reality of navigating the system

That matters in primary care.

Because primary care isn’t just labs and prescriptions.

It’s people.

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Why HELPcare?

Karen had heard of direct primary care — but hadn’t practiced in it.

What caught her attention?

Two things:

1. The direct primary care model
2. The values alignment

She talked about how, in traditional systems, patients often have insurance but avoid care because of deductibles and cost uncertainty.

They wait until they’re sick.

They delay.

They hesitate.

In the old system:

• Insurance drives decisions.
• Providers are constrained.
• Time is short.
• Costs are unclear.

In our model:

• Membership replaces insurance billing.
• Time expands.
• Conversations deepen.
• Costs are predictable.

No surprise bills.

That got her attention.

She also appreciated the collaboration. In her prior role, she was practicing independently and missed the ability to bounce ideas off colleagues. At HELPcare, she’s already collaborating with Danae, Kristen, and Dr. Strobel — and learning new approaches in just her first two weeks

When you have:

• 5 nurse practitioners
• 1 physician assistant
• 2 physicians

…all thinking outside the box, everyone gets better.

That means YOU get better care.

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The Big Surprise: We Actually Test.

One of the most revealing moments in the episode came when we asked Karen what surprised her most.

Her answer?

Our lab panels.

She’s used to practices where you order the bare minimum.

Thyroid? Check a TSH.
If it’s “normal,” move on.

But at HELPcare?

We run full panels.

She said she was surprised at how comprehensive our testing is — especially for thyroid and hormone evaluation.

In previous settings, she described a common struggle:

If the patient didn’t clearly “meet criteria,” why order it?
Who’s going to pay for it?
Will insurance reimburse it?

Those constraints shape care.

We remove them.

Because we’re membership-based, not insurance-based.

That means:

• We don’t ask, “Will this be reimbursed?”
• We ask, “Will this help you?”

That’s a big difference.

And it’s freeing for clinicians.

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More Time. Deeper Conversations.

Karen spends up to 60 minutes with new patients

Think about that.

An hour.

In traditional systems, primary care visits are often 15 minutes — sometimes less.

When you’re managing 2,000–3,000 patients, you don’t have a choice.

At HELPcare, we limit panels to around 600 per practitioner.

That means:

• More time.
• More listening.
• More follow-up.
• Real relationship.

Dr. Strobel often says, “The visit isn’t over. We’re just done for now.”

That’s continuity.

That’s what membership makes possible.

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What Karen Loves to Treat

Karen focuses on adult and geriatric patients and enjoys chronic disease management — especially when lifestyle medicine plays a central role.

She’s passionate about:

• Weight management
• Visceral fat reduction
• Habit-building
• Wound care
• Pre- and post-operative care

She talked about how helpful it is to go beyond height, weight, and BMI — using body composition analysis to explain what’s actually happening in the body.

That means:

You’re not just a number.

You’re a whole person.

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A Healthy Outlet: Farm Life and Corgis

When Karen leaves the clinic, she heads home to her hobby farm.

Horses.
A goat.
A garden.
And Pembroke Welsh Corgis (which she notes are proven stress reducers).

She described the importance of detaching from electronics and being present outdoors.

That’s lifestyle medicine lived out.

Not just prescribed.

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Why This Matters

Healthcare is full of burnout.

Full of constraints.

Full of “that’s just the way it is.”

Karen chose HELPcare Clinic because she saw something different:

• Collaboration.
• Freedom to test comprehensively.
• Time with patients.
• Faith-aligned mission.
• Predictable costs.

Most of all?

She saw a model that lets providers practice the way they were trained — and the way they wish they always could.

That benefits our members.

Because when clinicians are empowered, you get better care.

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If You’re in Austin (or Rochester or Albert Lea)…

Karen is currently based primarily in our Austin clinic, serving adult and geriatric members.

If you’ve been:

• Frustrated with access
• Tired of rushed visits
• Wondering if there’s more to your fatigue, weight gain, or lab results
• Looking for a provider who listens

This might be your moment to Take Charge.

Text us.
Call us.
Or schedule a meet-and-greet.

No insurance hurdles.
No surprise bills.
Most of the care you need — covered in your membership.

Welcome to the team, Karen.

And welcome to a better way to do primary care.

Here's the full episode:

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If you're a medical professional looking for a different way to practice, check out our HELPcare Careers page.