Sana Siddiqui wants women to feel at their best.
Matriarchs are the hearts of their communities, she said, and Siddiqui wants to “help the mothers who are helping everyone else.”
In her eight-year medical career, Siddiqui has practiced as an internal medicine physician across several different healthcare systems. She grew dissatisfied with how “transactional” corporate medicine has become and decided to branch out on her own with a new model.
“The visits are getting smaller, patients are frustrated, there’s no continuity of care, the old patient-physician relationship that used to be is no longer there,” she said. “It was no longer aligning with my values.”
She built her new practice around a few core principles: Direct doctor-patient communication, no hidden fees and a more relaxed clinical environment. She even gives her patients her cell phone number.
She decided to leave Concord Hospital in 2024 and embark on her path forward: establishing a women-centered direct primary care clinic in Concord focused on intentional patient relationships.
Siddiqui opened VitalCare Internal Medicine four months ago, based out of the second floor of 244 North Main St. The space is meant to feel far from clinical — warm light from the tall windows pours into the patient room, which holds a round table for one-on-one conversations. Cotton swabs, bandages, strep kits, pregnancy tests and other clinic essentials line the shelves of Siddiqui’s office.
While other clinics cater to the health needs of aging women, Siddiqui takes a family-medicine approach that provides individualized health plans for each patient.
Thinking about services she wanted to provide, direct primary care stood out the most. She said it goes back to “old-fashioned” office visits, allowing patients to schedule appointments whenever they need and talk to a doctor for as long as they want.
“Because you’re getting good care, you’re not ending up in the [emergency department]. You’re not ending up in the urgent cares, and you’re not frustrated,” she said. “I feel this is what I wanted to do.”
The direct primary care model differs from traditional medicine by charging a flat membership fee to directly access doctors and services, often not requiring insurance for care. Siddiqui said it’s like paying a gym membership for your health.
The model cuts out the billing middleman and gets rid of copay stress. VitalCare charges a monthly fee of $100 for ages 20 to 44 and $125 for ages 45 and up, with some extra costs associated with lab work.
The number of practices in direct primary care and concierge care — another membership-based model — has grown by 83% between 2018 and 2023, according to a 2025 study in the journal Health Affairs. The same study found that the number of clinicians who work in these models grew by 78%.
Kristin Wells began receiving care from Siddiqui in 2020 when the doctor began employment there. Wells moved with her to the new clinic because of Siddiqui’s easy-going nature. Although she still goes to Concord Hospital for her yearly check-ups, she feels like the doctors are “untouchable” because of how many other patients they have to see.
At the clinic, Wells said she feels comfortable and heard. Her favorite part about Siddiqui’s new practice is the direct communication.
“A lot of doctors aren’t allowed extra time in their practice to be able to follow through with a patient the way that the healthcare is set up,” Wells said. “They don’t even have a minute for themselves, let alone be able to reach out to a patient themselves … But Sana, with her new practice, is able to reach out herself to see how I’m doing, so it’s nice to be able to talk one-on-one with the doctor who actually saw me about the issue.”
The model doesn’t work for everyone.
Patricia Edwards, a former patient of Siddiqui at Concord Hospital, had an easy time connecting with her through their shared work as physicians. Edwards is a Concord-based pediatrician and had talked with Siddiqui about the benefits of a private practice.
Although Edwards enjoyed her care with Siddiqui, she chose not to transition to VitalCare. The clinic only treats what a standard primary care office can handle — such as preventative care, disease management and acute infections — and any emergency medicine or specialized care needs to be outsourced.
Edwards said she’s still glad Siddiqui was able to start her own practice and work more closely with patients.
“I have already recommended her to some people who would be able to afford that type of care,” she said. “If we could go back to private practice, I think all the doctors and patients would be happier.”
Siddiqui is now looking into menopause certification, expanding her care to include Pap smears and mammograms. She said women have come to expect a substandard level of care — to wait for referrals, be stuck in phone trees and have short appointments — but she wants them to know that other options are out there.
“In current healthcare, women have felt that they’ve lost a connection to their physician. They feel that the doctor no longer knows them,” she said. “What I’m building is a trust and long-lasting relationship with them.”
Information on how to book an appointment at VitalCare is available on www.vitalcaremedicine.com. An informational session to learn more about the clinic will take place on Thursday, July 23 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at its office at 244 North Main St., Unit 201.
