LEESBURG, Fla. —When access to healthcare became increasingly difficult in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, and frustrations with insurance-driven care reached a boiling point, Amanda Gaskin made a decision that would change not only her career, but the way many Lake County residents experience medicine.
She walked away from the traditional model and built her own.
What started in 2021 as a leap of faith has since grown into a thriving business rooted in Leesburg. Ultimate Health Direct Primary Care offers a different approach to healthcare, one that prioritizes time, access and relationships over insurance approvals and rushed appointments.
“I was frustrated watching patients struggle to access care while insurance companies dictated treatment timelines,” Gaskin said. “I wanted medicine to feel personal again.”
That vision became the foundation for Ultimate Health Direct Primary Care, a practice built on the direct primary care model. Instead of navigating insurance requirements, patients pay a membership fee for direct access to their provider, including same-day appointments and the ability to text their doctor.
Gaskin said the goal is simple, “Care that feels human again.”
At Ultimate Health Direct Primary Care, services extend far beyond traditional primary care. The practice offers hormone optimization, weight loss programs, sexual wellness and functional medicine, all designed to treat the whole person, not just individual symptoms.
“We don’t rush people. We don’t treat symptoms in isolation. And we don’t let insurance companies determine how much time you deserve,” Gaskin said.
That same philosophy carries into Ultimate Health Spa, where patients can access advanced aesthetic and regenerative treatments typically found in larger metro areas. The spa offers injectables, advanced skin treatments and other high-end services, bringing what Gaskin describes as a “Beverly Hills-level” experience to Lake County.
“It’s elevated care without having to drive to Orlando,” she said.
The practice has grown steadily since opening, supported by a team of clinical and administrative professionals focused on patient experience and community impact. But for Gaskin, growth has never been the sole measure of success. Instead, she points to moments that reflect the accessibility her model was designed to create.
In one instance, a patient reached out after her husband left town without his blood pressure medication. Within minutes, Gaskin said the prescription was sent to a pharmacy in another state.
“No phone trees. No waiting on hold. That’s the Direct Primary Care difference,” she said. “It was a small moment, but it reminded me why I built this.”
Gaskin’s work extends beyond her business. She serves as Executive Board Chairman of the Leesburg Area Chamber of Commerce and founded EP Vanilla Cares, a nonprofit established in honor of her grandmother that focuses on community service and outreach. Her leadership has also earned recognition, including being named the Leesburg Area Chamber’s 2022 Businesswoman of the Year and the U.S. Small Business Administration’s 2025 Businesswoman of the Year.
Still, she says the real reward isn’t the accolades, “It’s the impact.” For Gaskin, Ultimate Health is more than a clinic or a spa — it’s a reflection of that belief, and a commitment to doing business with integrity, innovation and heart.
“My ultimate goal is simple,” Gaskin said. “I want Lake County residents to have access to innovative, personalized healthcare without leaving their hometown.”
Looking ahead, she hopes to expand that vision beyond her own practice by helping other clinicians build sustainable, patient-focused businesses of their own.
“I believe healthcare can be both compassionate and excellent,” she said. “When a patient tells me they finally feel heard, that’s everything.”
For more information about Ultimate Health Direct Primary Care, visit their website, Membership-Based Primary Care in Leesburg | Ultimate Health DPC, or contact their office in Leesburg, (352) 901-6582.
