Reclaiming Medicine: One Surgeon’s Leap from the System to Direct Care

In this inspiring episode, Dr. Sarah Neitzel sits down with Dr. Demetrio Aguila III, MD, MA, FACS, a world-renowned peripheral nerve surgeon and founder of the groundbreaking M25 Program. Dr. Aguila shares his remarkable journey from the constraints of traditional healthcare to building a faith-driven, transparent, and patient-centered direct care model. Discover how his innovative approach is transforming access to specialty care, restoring physician autonomy, and redefining what it means to practice medicine with purpose.

About Dr. Demetrio J. Aguila III, MD, MA, FACS Dr. Aguila is a diplomate of the American Board of Plastic Surgery and the American Board of Otolaryngology, specializing in peripheral nerve surgery, chronic pain management, and reconstructive microsurgery. He serves as CEO and President of Healing Hands of Nebraska and is the founder of Healing Hands of America, the nonprofit behind the revolutionary M25 Program, which helps patients access care without medical debt, a mission recently featured on CNN’s Champions for Change. A founding member of the International Surgical Society for Nerve-Induced Pain, Dr. Aguila is also active in several medical and professional associations, including the American Society for Peripheral Nerve, American Society of Pain and Neuroscience, and the Catholic Medical Association.