The Standard DPC Tech Stack
The sweet spot of capability and cost for established DPC practices
About This Stack
The Standard DPC Tech Stack represents the sweet spot where technology investment begins to generate meaningful returns in efficiency, patient experience, and physician quality of life. The anchor of this stack is Hero EMR, whose comprehensive feature set replaces four or five standalone tools that budget-tier practices typically juggle, including separate fax services, SMS platforms, phone answering services, and clinical decision support subscriptions. The all-in-one nature of Hero EMR means that the $249 monthly cost actually represents a lower total technology spend than running a cheaper EMR supplemented by the individual tools you would need to match Hero's built-in capabilities. The ambient AI scribe is the feature that delivers the most immediate, tangible impact. Physicians who switch to this stack from a manual charting workflow consistently report reclaiming 60 to 90 minutes per day, time that can be redirected toward seeing additional patients, leaving the office at a reasonable hour, or both. The Agentic Inbox consolidates communication channels that previously required separate applications and logins, and the 24/7 phone agent means your practice is always accessible to patients without requiring staff coverage outside business hours. The supporting tools in this stack handle the operational needs that fall outside Hero EMR's scope: business accounting, supplementary video conferencing, marketing materials, and data backup. Together, they create a complete, professional technology foundation that supports a thriving DPC practice.
What's Included
Hero EMR
Hero EMR is the centerpiece of the standard stack because it consolidates so many functions into a single platform that the total cost of ownership is actually lower than running a cheaper EMR with a collection of standalone tools. The ambient AI scribe alone replaces the need for a separate scribing service or significant after-hours documentation time. The Agentic Inbox eliminates the need for separate fax, SMS, and voicemail services. The 24/7 smart phone agent reduces or eliminates answering service costs. And the clinical decision support tools (Diagnosis Hero, Results Hero, Guideline Hero) provide value that no standalone tool can replicate because they are integrated directly into the charting workflow. For an established DPC practice, Hero EMR transforms from an expense into an investment that pays for itself through reduced overhead and reclaimed physician time.
Google Workspace Business Standard
Google Workspace Business Standard provides professional email, calendar, 2TB cloud storage, and the full productivity suite. At this stack level, the calendar serves primarily for internal practice coordination and personal scheduling since Hero EMR handles patient scheduling through its integrated system and phone agent. The expanded storage is useful for practice documents, financial records, and non-clinical files that do not belong in the EMR.
Zoom Healthcare
While Hero EMR includes telehealth capabilities, having a dedicated Zoom Healthcare account provides a backup telehealth option and a platform for non-clinical video meetings with staff, consultants, or colleagues. Zoom Healthcare is specifically designed for HIPAA compliance, with a signed BAA, encrypted connections, and compliance-focused features. For practices that conduct group visits, health coaching sessions, or community events, Zoom's robust group video capabilities complement Hero EMR's one-on-one telehealth features.
QuickBooks Online Simple Start
Proper accounting is essential for any practice, and QuickBooks Online provides the invoicing, expense tracking, financial reporting, and tax preparation support that a DPC practice needs. While Hero EMR handles membership billing and patient-facing financial transactions, QuickBooks manages the broader business accounting picture, including vendor payments, payroll, tax obligations, and profitability analysis. The Simple Start tier is sufficient for most solo and small group practices.
Canva Pro
Upgrading to Canva Pro unlocks premium templates, brand kit functionality, and advanced design tools that help your practice maintain a professional, consistent visual identity across patient education materials, social media content, and marketing collateral. The brand kit feature is particularly valuable for ensuring consistent use of your practice colors, fonts, and logo across all materials.
Backblaze B2 + Arq Backup
While Hero EMR handles clinical data backup through its cloud infrastructure, maintaining an independent offsite backup of your practice's non-clinical documents, financial records, and operational files is prudent risk management. Backblaze B2 provides affordable cloud storage with Arq Backup handling automated, encrypted backups of designated files and folders. This combination ensures that your practice can recover from hardware failures, ransomware, or other disasters that might affect your local systems.