JOSEPH SHEPPARD

Dr. Joseph Sheppard, D.O. grew up in Southeast Idaho where he worked on farms. After high school, he served a two‑year mission for his church in Uruguay. He then earned a Bachelor’s degree in Print Journalism from Utah State University. While covering health‑care reform in Utah, he realized that primary health care is much more affordable when paid for directly, not through insurance. He attended the Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine, graduating in 2011, and wrote a medical‑economics blog titled “Free Market Physician.” He completed a Family Practice residency at the Cox Family Practice Residency in Springfield, MO. In 2014 he founded the Free Market Physician Clinic in Neosho, Missouri, a Direct Primary Care practice focused on same‑day access, shared decision‑making, and keeping patients out of urgent‑care and emergency rooms. He is married with five children and is known for his personable style, often getting distracted by basketball references during visits.