WORD OF MOUTH: The Coffee Named for How Patients Actually Find a Doctor

By Maryal Concepcion, MD, FAAFP · 6 minute read

Most patients still find their physician the way they always did: someone they trust said a name. WORD OF MOUTH is a single origin Chiapas, Mexico coffee named for that, medium roasted, with lemon, brown sugar, and dark chocolate in the cup. This post starts with the name, then covers what is in the bag and how to brew it.

Why it is called WORD OF MOUTH

Most people still find their doctor the way they always did. Someone they trust said a name.

Every physician who has ever opened a practice knows this. You can buy the ads, list on every directory, and optimize the website, and the first twenty patients still come from a nurse at the hospital, a patient's sister, and the pharmacist who got tired of calling the old office. Word of mouth is not a marketing channel. It is what happens when the care was good enough to talk about.

In a system built around networks, that is a strange thing to celebrate. A referral in insured medicine is a form, a code, and a question of whether the receiving office is in network. The recommendation from a friend has no field to be entered in. It is the oldest signal in medicine and the one the system has the least use for.

That is the version I advocate for: a physician and a patient who chose each other, with no one in between deciding whether the relationship is covered. Direct Primary Care runs on that signal almost entirely. Practices grow one recommendation at a time, and the physician answers to the patient who made it.

Dr. Matthew Hitchcock, MD, MBA, of Hitchcock Medical Group in Chattanooga, said it plainly on My DPC Story, episode 256. The biggest fear he sees in physicians thinking about leaving insurance is not the medicine. It is patient acquisition, because insurance used to drive the patients to you.

"Having to market yourself is a huge jump for a lot of physicians."

His answer to that fear, forty minutes later in the same conversation, is the whole thesis of this bag:

"Strip it down, start with the doctor patient relationship."

Everything else follows from that. So does the next patient. Listen to episode 256 of My DPC Story.

What is in the bag

Single origin from Chiapas, Mexico. Grown between 1,400 and 1,900 meters, fully washed, from Typica, Catimor, and Bourbon trees. Medium roast.

The cup. Lemon up front, brown sugar in the middle, dark chocolate at the finish, with a creamy body that holds it all together. Medium acidity. It is a coffee that tastes like it was made by someone who knew what they were doing and did not need to show off.

The bag. 12 ounces, ground or whole bean. Roasted in frequent small batches based on customer demand, so it is not produced far in advance or held in storage. The label is ours. The coffee is the same lot that leaves the roaster under any other name.

The price. $22.99. Ships free at $50.

How to brew it

Drip. This is the coffee's natural home. Standard grind, 1 to 16 by weight, water just off the boil. The brown sugar note shows up best here.

Pour over. Slightly finer than drip. The lemon brightens and the chocolate steps back. Good for the morning you want to actually taste something.

French press. Coarse grind, four minutes. The body gets heavier and the chocolate takes over. Order the coarse grind if this is your method.

Cold brew. It works, but THE SLOW TAPER was built for that and does it better.

Who this coffee is for

The physician who opened their own practice. You know how you got your first patients. This bag is for the mornings before the phone started ringing.

The nurse who sends people. Every clinic has one. They have never been paid a referral fee in their life.

The patient who found a doctor the old way. Someone told you a name. You called. It worked. Give this to the person who told you.

Frequently asked questions

Is WORD OF MOUTH a single origin coffee?
Yes. It comes from Chiapas, Mexico, one growing region, fully washed, grown between 1,400 and 1,900 meters. The roaster lists the varieties as Typica, Catimor, and Bourbon.

What does it taste like?
Lemon, brown sugar, and dark chocolate, with a creamy body and medium acidity. It is a medium roast, so it is neither bright and tea-like nor heavy and oily. Most people describe it as balanced.

Which grind should I order?
Standard for a drip machine or pour over. Whole bean if you grind at home. Coarse if you use a French press. All three are the same coffee and the same price.

Is it flavored?
No. The lemon, brown sugar, and chocolate are tasting notes from the bean itself, the way a wine has notes. There are no added flavorings. The ingredient is coffee.

How fresh is it when it arrives?
It is roasted in frequent small batches based on customer demand and ships from the roaster in a sealed bag. It is not produced far in advance or held in storage.

What is Direct Primary Care?
Direct Primary Care is a membership model where patients pay their physician directly, usually a flat monthly fee, for primary care. There is no insurance in the middle of the visit, so there are no claims, no prior authorizations for the care the physician provides, and no network deciding who you can see. Physicians tell their own stories of building these practices on the My DPC Story podcast.

How do I find a Direct Primary Care doctor near me?
Search The DPC Directory, a free listing of Direct Primary Care practices by location. Most practices also grow by word of mouth, which is how this coffee got its name, so asking a nurse or a friend who has one is still the second best way.

Why is a coffee company writing about how patients find doctors?
Because Chief Complaint Coffee & Tea is owned by a practicing Direct Primary Care physician, and every product is named for something in the daily life of people who work in medicine. The name is the point. The coffee has to be good enough to earn it.

Does buying this coffee support Direct Primary Care?
It supports a physician-owned business with no outside investors, no board, and no private equity. It does not fund any practice or organization. If you are curious about Direct Primary Care as a model, the resources below are a better place to start than a coffee bag.

More resources from My DPC Story

The My DPC Story Podcast. Three hundred episodes of physicians describing how they opened, grew, and run Direct Primary Care practices, in their own words.

The DPC Directory. Find a Direct Primary Care physician near you.

My DPC Story, episode 256 with Dr. Matthew Hitchcock. A physician who left the military health system, opened pure Direct Primary Care with no building, and now runs a cash imaging center and pharmacy alongside it. The patient acquisition conversation is at 18:57.

Shop this coffee

WORD OF MOUTH, 12 oz · $22.99, ground or whole bean

Part of THE DIFFERENTIAL, the six best sellers in 2 oz packs, and THE PAYER MIX.

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