Dr. Daniel Kohl

Born and raised in Cedarville, Ohio, I became very interested in medicine while on several medical-mission trips to Philadelphia, India, Nepal, and Paraguay. Witnessing the physical and spiritual needs in the U.S. and around the world sparked a passion to serve others through medicine. I decided to pursue a pre-medical education at Cedarville University, including minors in Bible and Spanish, graduating in 2016 with a B.S. in molecular and cellular biology. It was at this time my closest childhood friend became my wife and our family began! We joyfully welcomed our first son into our home 2 years later.

Our journey then led us to Columbus, Ohio, where I studied at Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine, pursuing a holistic approach to primary care. I was excited to develop skills in osteopathic manipulative treatment (manual techniques that alleviate pain, restrictions, and swelling). While studying, I was also able to serve as president of the campus Christian Medical and Dental Association. In 2020, I earned my Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree.

The next step for our family was moving to the Rio Grande Valley and starting residency at Valley Baptist Family Practice in Harlingen. My physician mentors showed excellent care for physical and spiritual needs, always respecting the choices of patients. I will forever be grateful for their example! Being fluent in Spanish, I enjoyed connecting with Spanish-speaking patients as well! I also became an enthusiastic member of the Institute for Functional Medicine after completing its foundational training course. Our firstborn became a big brother as we welcomed our second son into our growing family.

During residency, I encountered limitations of health insurance with rushed 10 minute appointments, most of which is spent typing on the computer! There is little opportunity for developing a doctor-patient relationship, finding root-causes of problems, and taking steps toward a healthier lifestyle. I began observing at direct primary care clinics and was thrilled to see a way for doctors to focus on their patients! I was excited to see how the patient and doctor can reach health goals together, while also building trusted relationships. By the end of residency, I was thoroughly convinced that direct primary care was the way to go!

We decided my wife’s hometown of Edinburg would remain our permanent home! We love the people, the flavors, and the sunshine that make the Valley a great place to live. As a family, you can usually find us hiking, playing soccer, hosting family game nights, trying new foods at farmer’s markets, and homeschooling our two active sons. We also enjoy worshiping and ministering together with our local church.

I am thankful for the opportunity to open Kohl Direct Family Care on the campus of Rio Grande Bible Ministries, a welcoming community dedicated to sharing the good news! As a family doctor, I treat patients of all ages, and have a particular interest in nutrition, supplements, sports medicine, and functional medicine. I would be honored to care for you and your families. I look forward to hearing your story too!

Dr. Daniel Kohl Profile Photo

Karissa Wilkinson

Meet our clinic assistant - Karissa!

Karissa was born and raised in the Rio Grande Valley. She enjoyed being homeschooled from kindergarten through high-school. With a background in health, Karissa earned her bachelor's degree in exercise science with a concentration in occupational therapy from UTRGV in 2022.

Happily married and living with her husband in Edinburg, she enjoys spending time with family, and ministering at her church. Because Karissa enjoys serving and interacting with people, she was very enthusiastic about becoming part of the KDFC family!

As our clinic assistant, Karissa will answer your office calls and texts to help you with any membership, appointment, and billing questions you may have. She also will welcome you to your appointments with Dr. Kohl.

 Q&A with Dr. Kohl

Approach to Care

  • I start by learning about your unique family history, previous health conditions, and lifestyle. I use your input, my physical exam, and any test results to identify the root cause of your symptoms. Then, we work together to develop a step-by-step plan to remedy the root problem. I optimize the building blocks of your health: nutrition, exercise, sleep, and healthy relationships with people and God. I support your body’s healing through supplements, functional medicine, osteopathic manipulative treatment, medications or procedures.

  • D.O. physicians are trained similarly to M.D. physicians but with a greater emphasis on preventing illness by developing a healthy lifestyle. A D.O. is also trained in osteopathic manipulative treatment.

  • As a Doctor of Osteopathic medicine (D.O.) I use my hands to perform OMT, a manual technique that alleviates pain, restrictions, and swelling. I use OMT for many conditions like headaches, constipation, carpal tunnel syndrome, and back pain.

  • Functional medicine systematically analyzes your biological functions, like digestion, growth, detoxification, and immunity from the cell level up to the level of your community. I use functional medicine to assess your health story from conception up to today and identify any dysfunctions in your body’s primary functions. I may test you for nutrient deficiencies, chronic infections, or genetic changes. I will work with you to strategically build up your health with improved sleep, exercise, nutrition, stress-management, and relationships. I have found this approach more effective than taking long-term medications for every symptom you have!

  • I rent my office space from RGBM. I am not an employee. I accept patients from RGBM, but no affiliation with RGBM is required to join my practice.

Services

  • As a family doctor, I treat your whole family in one practice. From newborn babies to seniors, I enjoy meeting the needs of all my patients. I am happy to accept children as members, whether or not the parents are members.

  • Your first visit will be 1 hour. All other member appointments are typically scheduled for 30 minutes.

  • I do not accept walk-ins, but members will usually get scheduled for a same-day appointment! To schedule, please use your online patient hub, or call our office number.

  • I do not provide women’s health services (breast exams, pelvic exams, pap smears, prenatal care, or deliveries). I will refer you to a qualified obstetrician-gynecologist, midwife, lactation consultant or other women’s healthcare provider to address any women’s health needs.

    Dr. Belinda Jordan is a family physician who provides women’s health.

    Midwives in the RGV:

    Blessed Womb

    Holy Family

    Heart of Gaia

  • I can provide a brief note stating that I treated you, and when I suggest you return to school/work.

  • No. I can help direct you to an occupational health clinic to assist you with these documents.

  • I do not provide vaccinations in the office. I will happily answer any questions you have about immunizations, discussing the risks, benefits, and alternatives of a vaccine. If you want to receive a vaccine and give informed consent, I can tell you how to receive the vaccine at a pharmacy or health department.

  • If I identify a qualifying medical reason why you should not receive a specific vaccine, I can complete a medical exemption. I can also provide information about conscience vaccine exemption forms, if applicable.

  • I do not require any of the above for you to be a patient at my clinic.

  • I seek to reduce hospitalizations and specialty referrals by providing comprehensive primary care. For instances where further care is required, I will certainly give you information to share with your hospitalist, specialist, or surgeon. I do not have hospital privileges to treat you while in the hospital but will follow up with you after discharge.

  • Because I will know your medical needs well, I can streamline your care when you’re sick away from home. Many illnesses can be diagnosed and treated with a simple conversation by phone, email, text or webcam. I can locate your nearest pharmacy and order medications if needed.

  • I am licensed to practice medicine within the state of Texas only, and cannot treat you outside of Texas. I am happy to address any concerns and refill appropriate prescriptions before you travel. I can share your medical records with another doctor you may have outside of Texas. If a member will be living outside of Texas for multiple months (ie. Winter Texan returning to northern state), he may inform the Practice in writing, email, or text. I will consider on a case-by-case basis if I will waive the re-enrollment fee.

Cost Savings

  • All your visits are covered through your monthly membership fee, so, no co-pays are required! With your membership you can call, text, and visit Dr. Kohl as much as you need (see Contact Dr. Kohl for Members).

    I will inform you of any fees before performing labs, tests, or joint injections. My goal is to keep these fees as low as possible for my patients. See Service Pricing for more details.

    *$135 per visit does apply to non-members

  • I do not accept health insurance payments. Perhaps the most critical distinction in my model of care centers on a direct, personal relationship between you and your doctor. I forgo insurance payments to save my patients from the arbitrary, intrusive decisions that bog down your recovery process. Without the middleman I connect you to major savings on labs, imaging, and medications.

  • Yes. I recommend my patients have either a healthshare or health insurance with a high deductible. In some cases a health savings account can help cover out-of-pocket expenses for medications, hospitalizations, surgeries, or specialists. Dave Ramsey endorses Zander Insurance to help you find a good health plan.

  • The John Locke Foundation published an article showing direct primary care members in North Carolina reported improved health and “spend 46 percent less out-of-pocket for prescription and medical expenses” compared with non-members. Consumer Reports and Yahoo Finance also reported direct primary care improves healthcare quality and reduces costs.

    In the insurance health system, most Americans who get sick or injured have to wait 21 days to get an appointment or even a call back from their family doctors. If they worsen, they have to go urgent care or the ER where they pay for expensive tests, imaging, and treatments from a provider who does not know them. In many cases they get medications and procedures that fail to fix their underlying problems.
    Members of Kohl DFC, on the other hand, get same-day appointments and telemedicine for free. I rely primarily on your history and exam (not tests and imaging), to craft a holistic treatment plan to get you back to peak health. This approach helps keep your money in your wallet and keep you out of the hospital and operating room.

  • Of course! I’m here for your unexpected needs (sudden illness or injury). I think we all can take our health to a higher level if we make smart goals. I want to adapt my care to your needs. Would you like to have more energy, less pain, better sleep, or sharper focus? Whether you’re addicted to running or smoking, I’m confident we can make progress together.

  • When lab tests, imaging, or medications are needed, I can help you find local, low cash prices not available through insurance. I can perform some tests in the office (e.g. flu test, skin biopsy) for a low fee. I can easily order discounted conventional and functional medicine labs through Rupa Health, which coordinates the collection, payment, and results.

    See Service Pricing for details on pricing.

  • Yes. You can sign a one-time waiver stating that neither you nor your doctor will directly bill Medicare/Medicaid for my services. Medicare/Medicaid can still be billed for outside laboratory testing, imaging, or medications that I may order.

  • Yes! While we are mainly a membership-based clinic, we do recognize a monthly membership may not work for everyone.

    You can pay $135 for a 1 hour office visit, or a telemedicine consult during business hours with Dr. Kohl. Non-members do not have access to Dr. Kohl’s member number, after hours care, or guaranteed same/next day appointments, but you still get access to holistic, individualized care!