Dr. Joel Foster, a double board-certified podiatric surgeon treating patients in Lee’s Summit, Missouri, and throughout the Kansas City area, has been in private practice for over 20 years. While he entered medicine to help people heal, the growing demands of insurance companies began to reshape his practice into something unrecognizable.
“I wanted to treat every patient in the chair like they were my mom, my dad, my brother, or my sister,” Joel said. “But I found myself running in and out of rooms in five minutes just to keep up.”
The pressure to document, code, and chase approvals was draining the staff and eroding the quality of care Dr. Foster could provide. When he turned to the Foster Consulting® team, we knew we could help.
“We hear the same frustrations that Dr. Foster—no relation, by the way—had from so many other podiatrists trying to grow their practice while also dealing with the draconian insurance companies,” Tom Foster, Foster Consulting® CEO/Founder, said. “Dr. Foster was so brave when he just ‘said NO’ to the insurance process and stopped taking patients who rely on insurance. He went to a cash pay only system and exploded after he corrected his marketing and his local brand exposure with our Perfect Practice System©.”
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Pivoting to a Direct Care Model to Put the Focus Back on Patient Care
For Dr. Foster and his team, the direct care, cash-pay model meant:
- Transparent pricing upfront
- No coding, billing delays, or insurance hoops
- Same-day or next-day appointments
- 100% focus on patient outcomes
The decision wasn’t just about finances—it was about ethics. “When you come to an office that doesn’t have to deal with insurance, the only thing everybody cares about is getting you better,” Joel explained. “That’s it.”
Using the Perfect Practice System© to Turn a Bold Pivot into Patient Confidence
To redefine how a podiatry practice could serve its community, Dr. Foster and his team had to overcome misconceptions, re-educate patients, and rebuild trust with a message that prioritized outcomes over insurance. With Foster Consulting® helping them to refine their strategy, the practice implemented a multi-channel marketing system that combined patient education, social proof, and local visibility into one cohesive story.
Senior Digital Marketing Strategist John Spare encouraged the team to start by asking one key question: ‘What is your biggest pain point?’ For Dr. Foster and his team, the answer was obvious: direct care can be a confusing term for the public. “When they hear direct care, they immediately interpret that to mean their insurance won’t be accepted,” John said. “That is an accurate assumption, certainly, as Dr. Joel’s practice does not work with the insurance companies, so our first goal was to educate the public on why direct care is a much better option not only to their wallet, but more importantly, to their overall health. I use the term ‘we’ as I always consider myself part of the practice or firm I work with.”
John’s commitment to finding the right path forward resonated with Joel, who said, “The real key to successful marketing to grow your practice is finding a partner or agency that treats your business like it’s THEIR business.”
1. Reframing the Message Around Patients, Not Insurance
Initially, Dr. Foster’s office found that many patients assumed “no insurance” meant higher costs or lower quality. Dr. Foster’s marketing needed to flip that perception—transforming potential objections into reasons to trust his practice. The revised messaging highlighted affordability, access, and genuine care rather than the absence of insurance.
- Clear website messaging with headlines like “Affordable Care Without Insurance”
- Myth-busting content that turned skepticism into confidence
- Ethical positioning that reframed direct care as the right way to practice medicine
2. Strengthening Local SEO
A firm believer in the value of local SEO, John worked with Dr. Foster’s team to optimize their website and online profiles. Within a few months, Dr. Foster’s practice moved from being hidden behind competitors to standing out as the go-to podiatry option in the Kansas City area. This shift ensured that patients searching for affordable, high-quality care could quickly find and trust his clinic.
- Google Business Profile overhaul with services, products, and treatment areas
- Expanded directory listings to strengthen consistency and map pack rankings
- Authority signals like keyword-rich CTAs and author tags for credibility
3. Amplifying Social Proof With Patient Voices
In healthcare, patients trust other patients more than they trust marketing. To harness this, Dr. Foster’s team turned testimonials into a powerful trust-building engine. Video stories of real patients were given prominent placement online, while staff were trained to capture testimonials consistently. By sharing authentic experiences across multiple channels, the practice built credibility that advertising alone could never buy.
- Pop-up testimonial videos that greeted website visitors
- Systemized testimonial capture with prompts, timing, and lighting tips
- Cross-channel repurposing for YouTube, email campaigns, and social media
4. Building Trust Via Content Strategy and Community Integration
Marketing wasn’t just about digital presence—it was also about embedding the practice into the community. Patients needed education, and the local market needed visibility into the value of direct care. By meeting patients where they live, work, and play, Dr. Foster established community trust—a cornerstone of PPS’s long-term growth model.
- Monthly educational themes for blogs, emails, and social clips
- Referral partner outreach with physical therapists, pediatricians, gyms, and nail salons
- Local presence through flyers, magazine ads, and event sponsorships
5. Utilizing Social Media as a Relationship Builder
Rather than treating social media as just another advertising channel, Dr. Foster’s team used it to humanize the practice and connect with patients. Posts showcased behind-the-scenes culture, shared quick educational clips, and leaned into trending formats that made the practice approachable. By encouraging reviews and engaging authentically, the practice turned social media into a direct line for building trust and driving new patient leads.
- Behind-the-scenes glimpses into practice culture
- Educational videos explaining conditions, treatments, and cost comparisons
- Trending formats and review-generation campaigns with QR codes
6. Optimizing the Patient Journey
Marketing doesn’t stop once a patient makes contact—it continues through every step of their care. Dr. Foster understood that every interaction is a form of marketing, from the first phone call to the follow-up after treatment. His team aligned operations with marketing promises, ensuring patients experienced the same transparency and care they had been promised online.
- Live-answering calls for immediate human connection
- Streamlined intake processes that reinforced efficiency and compassion
- Same-day and next-day appointments that matched marketing claims
Success & Impact
Dr. Foster’s transition to a direct care model, paired with a patient-centered communication strategy, reconnected with the practice’s original mission and achieved growth that surpassed expectations:
- Explosive growth in online visibility. Website traffic surged by more than 15,000 visits within months, driving a wave of new patient inquiries. On one day alone, six new patients booked appointments directly through the site.
- Financial relief for patients. A procedure typically priced between $20,000 and $25,000 in a hospital setting was delivered in Dr. Foster’s office for just $1,400—a dramatic cost savings that resonated deeply with patients.
- Improved patient access. With same-day or next-day appointments and 99% of phone calls answered live, patients experienced a level of accessibility and personal attention unmatched in traditional insurance-based practices.
- Expanded reach. The clear message and trust-building strategy quickly drew attention from patients beyond the Kansas City area. Patients from out of state began traveling to see Dr. Foster and sharing their positive experiences with friends, family, and neighbors.
- Renewed professional passion. Perhaps the most meaningful metric, Dr. Foster himself described feeling like a true doctor again—“not processing people, but treating patients.”
In honor of their accomplishments, Dr. Foster and his team, along with Foster Consulting® Senior Digital Marketing Strategist John Spare, were recently recognized as Marketers of the Year at the 19th Annual Top Practices Marketing and Management Summit held September 12-14, 2025.
Key Lessons for Your Podiatry Practice
Dr. Foster’s success with transitioning to a direct care model shows that meaningful growth doesn’t come from flashy tactics—it comes from clarity, consistency, and patient-centered strategy. Let’s look at some takeaways you can adapt to your own podiatry practice.
1. Educate First, Sell Second
Patients may not understand direct care or cash-pay models. Create clear, patient-friendly messaging that explains the benefits—upfront pricing, faster access, and better care—before they even call. Use myth-busting content (like Dr. Foster’s “Direct Care Myths” campaign) to proactively answer concerns.
2. Put Patient Experience Front and Center
From answering phones live to offering same-day appointments, every touchpoint should reinforce that your only priority is getting patients better—not satisfying insurance companies. Streamline intake, emphasize transparency, and empower staff to show empathy.
3. Leverage Social Proof
Dr. Foster’s “pop-up” video testimonials boosted credibility and gave prospective patients immediate confidence. Patient testimonials—especially videos—are powerful tools. Add them to your website, use them in social media, and repurpose them for email campaigns.
4. Think Local, Act Visible
Invest in local SEO and Google Business Profile optimization so patients in your area can find you first. Highlight your services, products, and service areas, and keep listings updated across platforms.
5. Build Community Connections
Dr. Foster’s team visited physical therapists, pediatricians, gyms, and even nail salons to spread the word. In-person networking reinforces trust and opens referral pipelines.
6. Consistency Is More Important Than Perfection
Train your team to spot testimonial opportunities, batch content creation, and keep communication flowing. Whether it’s monthly content themes, social media posts, or patient review requests—what matters most is showing up regularly with an authentic message.
Ready to Build Your Perfect Practice?
When you shift the conversation from insurance to patient outcomes, and back it up with consistent marketing, you don’t just stand out—you redefine the patient experience. At Foster Consulting®, we’ve developed the Perfect Practice System©—a proven framework that helps podiatrists attract the right patients, streamline operations, and build long-term success.
If you’re ready to take control of your practice’s future, schedule your free Practice Analysis and discover how the Perfect Practice System© can transform your business into the practice you’ve always envisioned.
