Brian Forrest, MD

Dr. Forrest grew up in Raleigh, N.C. and graduated from NC State University with his Pre-Med Bachelor of Science Degree and a Minor in Music. He completed medical school at UNC Chapel Hill and internship and residency at Wake Forest University. He is currently CEO and Founder of the Access Healthcare Direct network of Direct Primary Care DPC practices. In 2001, he founded Access Healthcare, the first DPC family medicine practice in the country. He is a pioneer in DPC and organizer of the DPC National Summits. He has helped physicians in nearly every state to transition to new models of care over the last two decades. He has consulted for integrated health systems and health care industry companies and had taught classes for the UNC School of Medicine called New Models of Care and also the Disruptive Innovation in Health Care for the NCSU MBA program and has developed a DPC Residency Curriculum. He has been a featuredkeynote speaker at many national conferences including at 12 Gurus that was presented live on Broadway. He has made numerous TV and radio appearances and has been featured on the cover of several publications including Medical Economics and the Weekly Standard Magazine for his innovation. He was named a ChangeMaker in Medicine by Medical Economics Magazine in 2018. He has appeared in the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Health Affairs, Physicians Practice, and Kiplingers. He is the current President of the DPCMH Association DPCMH.org a not for profit dedicated to education about the DPC model and to providing scholarships. He was the Founder and first Chair of the American Academy of Family Physicians AAFP DPC Interest Group. He has helped shape policy on DPC and the DPC Toolkit and Workshops for the AAFP. He served as NC Academy of Family Physicians NCAFP President in 2012. He is an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Family Medicine at UNC, ECU, and Campbell and has taught medical students for 20 years. His practice is one of 33 National Cardiovascular Centers of Excellence since 2009 and he has been a national thought leader in cardiovascular disease with over 200 lectures on these topics. He authored the Chapter on Hypertension in the Textbook Essentials of Family Medicine and has been an ASH Certified Hypertension Specialist since 2009. He has served as President of the DPCMH Association DPCMH.org since 2012. He has published research on Quality Improvement in Cardiovascular Disease. He also served on the Cardiovascular Committee of the National Quality Forum which evaluates quality metrics for payers such as CMS and guideline organizations. As faculty, he has facilitated grant funded QI projects throughout the Southeast resulting in NCQA recognition of those practices as centers of excellence and resulting in publications COSMIC, AT GOAL. He served on the Justus-Warren Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention Task Force from 2012-2017 where he advised policy for the NC Legislature and he Chaired the Stroke Advisory Committee. In 2018 out of over 4500 physicians nationally he was presented the "Clinical Excellence Award." He Is Executive Producer and Host of the weekly Radio Show "Access Health Radio" on WPTF 680 WPTF.com. In his non-professional time, Dr. Forrest enjoys his family, composing music, organizing free clinics, placing Bibles as a Gideon, being an amateur magician, and teaching martial arts.

Note from Dr Forrest

I specialize in managing chronic diseases like diabetes, high blood pressure, and cholesterol while at the same time trying to prevent disease from occurring in the first place. I aim to keep all patients in the best health possible while providing welcoming and empathetic care I schedule plenty of time for each patient allowing 60 minute visits on average so that I can fully discuss all aspects of my patients health with them.