Direct Primary Care · Eugene, Oregon · Soft Opening August 2026
Primary care without the rush.
I started Northward Health because I wanted to practice medicine the way it was meant to be practiced: thorough, unhurried, and built around knowing the person in front of me — not just their chart.
It works on a simple idea: a flat monthly membership instead of billing insurance for every visit. That changes the whole shape of an appointment. There's time to go through things properly — to understand your health goals, what you value, and what good health actually looks like for you — and to practice medicine that's grounded in evidence and built around you.
You can still use your insurance for specialists, imaging, labs, hospitals — all of that. This is just your primary care, handled differently. A doctor you can reach directly. The goal is to know you well enough that we're not just managing problems — we're staying ahead of them together.
This practice is in process of certification by the Department of Consumer and Business Services.
How It Works
What is Direct Primary Care?
Direct Primary Care (DPC) is a membership-based model that removes insurance from the primary care relationship. You pay a flat monthly fee directly to your doctor — and in return, you get unhurried appointments, direct access, and a physician who actually knows you.
About this practice
I'm starting Northward Health, with a soft opening planned for August 2026. Choosing a primary care practice is a personal decision, and I want it to be the right fit on both sides. If you're interested, leave your information below and I'll reach out to connect, answer your questions, and tell you more about the practice as founding spots open up.
Get in touch
Meet Dr. Elisabeth Lawler
Why I practice this way.
Over time, I felt the strain of the healthcare system that leaves little room for the kind of care I want to practice. I wanted time to know my patients well, what is important to them and their health goals.
I have spent more than a decade in family medicine, and I have loved most of it.
I grew up in Illinois and am bicultural — my mother is from Thailand, and I spent summers there growing up. That background shapes how I think about family, community, and care.
I always knew I wanted to be a doctor, but took a circuitous route — graduate school, research, community health work, then medical school. That path gave me a perspective I carry into practice every day.
I've also been on the other side of medicine — as an advocate and caregiver for close family members navigating serious illness. Even knowing the system from the inside, I still found it fragmented, overwhelming, and confusing. That experience has stayed with me and deepened my understanding of what my patients experience.
In direct primary care, there's no insurance billing standing between me and my patients. That means less paperwork, fewer rushed visits, and more time focused on what actually matters: your health.
I have been practicing medicine in Eugene since 2015, and this community has become home in every sense of the word.
I found Eugene to be a beautiful place and wanted to raise my family here. My two daughters keep me busy, and the Pacific Northwest gives us plenty of reasons to be outside.
Services
What's covered.
Your membership covers the full scope of primary care — from annual wellness visits to chronic disease management to same-day sick visits.
Full service list
Membership
Honest pricing. No surprises.
One flat monthly fee covers all your primary care visits.
Month-to-month. No contracts. Cancel anytime.
May be compatible with certain HSA arrangements — consult your plan administrator.
Common Questions
For Employers
Own a small business?
Employer-sponsored DPC memberships are a cost-effective way to offer meaningful healthcare benefits to your team — without the overhead of traditional group insurance. Your employees get direct access to a primary care physician; you get a benefit that actually gets used.
Get in touch to learn moreBe the first to know.
Northward Health is opening in small phases to make sure every patient gets the time and access this model is built on. Fill out the form below and I'll be in touch personally as spots become available.
No commitment. I'll be in touch personally.
Important Disclosures
- This practice is not insurance.
- Northward Health provides only the limited scope of primary care services specified in the retainer medical agreement. If you need services outside that scope, you may need to seek care elsewhere.
- You are responsible for payment for all services not specified in the retainer medical agreement.
- This practice is in the process of certification by the Department of Consumer and Business Services. For questions, you may contact consumer advocates at the Department of Consumer and Business Services at (888) 977-4894, [email protected], or www.insurance.oregon.gov.
- Cancellation and refund policy: Please refer to your retainer medical agreement for the full cancellation and refund policy.
- Fees: Your monthly membership fee covers all primary care visits as outlined in your retainer medical agreement. A one-time enrollment fee of $150 applies at the time of membership initiation. Labs, imaging, and services outside the agreement are billed separately.
- Services included in your membership fee are listed in your retainer medical agreement and in the Services section of this website.