Dental Sleep Medicine with Dr. Sara Viernes
What if better sleep, healthier breathing, and improved overall wellness started with your oral health?
In this episode of Purpose Beyond Practice Podcast, host Dipesh Sitaram welcomes Dr. Sara Viernes, a dental professional based in Carmel, Indiana, who is developing a multidisciplinary center focused on airway health, dental sleep medicine, TMJ disorders, and orofacial pain.
Dr. Viernes shares her vision for Guided Airway Dental Sleep Medicine, a practice designed to bring dental and medical professionals together to provide more personalized, coordinated patient care.
A New Approach to Dental Sleep Medicine
Dental care goes far beyond cleaning teeth and filling cavities. Dr. Viernes explains how oral health connects with breathing, sleep quality, jaw development, and overall wellness.
She discusses the importance of working with pediatricians, myofunctional therapists, speech pathologists, physical therapists, and other healthcare professionals to address complex patient needs.
The conversation also explores how early childhood feeding habits, mouth breathing, chronic congestion, and jaw development can influence oral health as children grow.
Key Takeaways
The connection between oral health and sleep: Learn how dental sleep medicine addresses breathing-related concerns and how oral therapies can play a role in coordinated treatment.
Why early intervention matters: Discover the signs parents can watch for, including mouth breathing, feeding difficulties, frequent ear infections, and crowded teeth.
The value of collaborative healthcare: Understand why dentists, physicians, therapists, and other professionals need to work together when treating complex airway and jaw conditions.
Personalized care beyond insurance limitations: Hear Dr. Viernes' perspective on helping patients understand their treatment options and make informed decisions about their health.
Building a purpose-driven practice: Explore how continuing education, professional mentorship, and a commitment to patient-centered care have shaped Dr. Viernes' career.
Planning for financial freedom and legacy: Learn why Dr. Viernes is thinking beyond her dental practice to create financial security, enjoy more time with family, and support future generations.
About Dr. Sara Viernes
Dr. Sara Viernes is a dental professional based in Carmel, Indiana, with a focus on airway health, dental sleep medicine, temporomandibular joint disorders, and orofacial pain.
Through Guided Airway Dental Sleep Medicine, she is working to establish a collaborative care center that brings together professionals from multiple healthcare disciplines.
Her approach emphasizes education, early intervention, individualized treatment planning, and the connection between oral health and overall wellness.
Beyond dentistry, Dr. Viernes is passionate about professional growth, mentorship, family, travel, and building a lasting financial legacy.

Consumer Level Neuroscience to Ad Testing with Dr. Carl Marci
What happens when neuroscience meets advertising, technology, and mental health? And how can understanding the brain help us make better decisions in a world filled with screens?
In this episode of the Purpose Beyond Practice Podcast, host Dipesh Sitaram welcomes Dr. Carl Marci, a psychiatrist, neuroscience researcher, and entrepreneur who has spent his career exploring how the brain responds to human connection, technology, and digital media.
Dr. Marci shares his journey from Harvard Medical School to groundbreaking research at the MIT Media Lab, where he explored early wearable technology and ways to measure emotional responses. His work eventually led him into consumer neuroscience, where he helped develop tools to understand how people respond to advertising.
From Psychiatry to Consumer Neuroscience
Dr. Marci explains how his early interest in empathy and the doctor-patient relationship inspired him to study the body's physical responses to human interaction.
His research expanded into advertising, where tools such as eye tracking, heart rate monitoring, and skin conductance helped companies understand how audiences responded to media.
He also shares a fascinating 2011 study in which participants were asked to watch television without their smartphones. The results raised important questions about our growing dependence on digital devices.
The Impact of Technology on Mental Health
The conversation explores how smartphones, social media, and constant digital stimulation may affect attention, behavior, and emotional well-being.
Dr. Marci discusses concerns about young people's mental health and the importance of creating healthier relationships with technology.
He also introduces his book, Rewired: Protecting Your Brain in the Digital Age, which examines how technology affects the developing brain and offers practical recommendations for families.
Finding Purpose Beyond Clinical Practice
Beyond neuroscience, Dr. Marci shares his experience transitioning from academic medicine into entrepreneurship while maintaining a clinical practice.
He discusses financial risk, the importance of balancing volatility and leverage, and why protecting personal health and family time becomes increasingly important throughout a medical career.
 

Behavioral Health and Technology with Dr. Chris Stout
Can artificial intelligence improve mental healthcare without replacing the human connection? And how can healthcare professionals build meaningful careers beyond their clinical practices?
In this episode of the Purpose Beyond Practice Podcast, host Dipesh Sitaram welcomes Dr. Chris Stout, a psychologist, author, consultant, and humanitarian, to explore the intersection of behavioral health, technology, entrepreneurship, and purpose-driven work.
Dr. Stout shares how artificial intelligence is creating new opportunities in healthcare, particularly by helping therapists make better-informed treatment decisions. He discusses the importance of evidence-based practices, the challenges of using AI responsibly, and why technology should support healthcare professionals rather than replace them.
The conversation also explores Dr. Stout's humanitarian work through the Center for Global Initiatives, a nonprofit organization that helps individuals and organizations develop global health projects. Drawing from experiences in countries such as Cambodia and Rwanda, he explains how collaboration, resource sharing, and meaningful relationships can make a difference in underserved communities.
Beyond healthcare and humanitarian work, Dr. Stout discusses building a diverse professional career. From publishing books and teaching to consulting with startups and investing, he shares how professionals can use their knowledge and experience to create additional income opportunities while pursuing their passions.
Key Takeaways
AI as a Tool for Better Healthcare: Discover how artificial intelligence can support treatment planning, organize patient information, and help clinicians make informed decisions without replacing human expertise.
Creating Impact Beyond Clinical Practice: Learn how Dr. Stout's humanitarian initiatives support global health projects through collaboration, volunteerism, and shared resources.
Building Multiple Income Streams: Explore how healthcare professionals can expand their careers through writing, teaching, consulting, networking, and startup advisory roles.
About Dr. Chris Stout
Dr. Chris Stout is a psychologist, author, consultant, and entrepreneur with extensive experience in behavioral healthcare, technology, and organizational leadership.
He works with healthcare organizations and technology startups, helping them explore innovative solutions, measure outcomes, and develop evidence-based approaches.
He is also the founder of the Center for Global Initiatives, a nonprofit focused on supporting humanitarian projects and making resources freely available to individuals and organizations working to improve global health.
Dr. Stout has published numerous books, including Getting Started in Private Practice and Getting Better at Private Practice. His work reflects his interest in education, professional development, and creating meaningful impact beyond traditional healthcare settings.
 

A Glance into Functional Medicine with Dr Todd Born
What does it take to build a medical practice that gives you more freedom while helping patients with complex health challenges?
In the inaugural episode of the Purpose Beyond Practice Podcast, host Dipesh Sitaram welcomes Dr. Todd Born, an integrative medicine practitioner with more than 15 years of experience, to explore functional medicine, telehealth, and the business of building a sustainable healthcare practice.
Dr. Born shares his journey from working in a busy, insurance-based medical practice to creating a fully virtual practice that serves patients across the United States and internationally. He explains how this shift has allowed him to spend more time with patients, especially those facing complex chronic illnesses and difficult-to-treat conditions.
The conversation also explores the confusing world of dietary supplements, including how to recognize quality ingredients, why bioavailability matters, and the risks of relying on health advice from social media influencers.
Dipesh and Dr. Born discuss emerging treatments such as peptide and stem cell therapies, examining their potential benefits, the limitations of current research, and why patient safety should always come first.
Beyond clinical care, Dr. Born shares how he has diversified his income through healthcare consulting, business equity, and other revenue streams while maintaining his commitment to patient care and family life.

You’ve mastered medicine. But have you mastered the life around it?
Welcome to Purpose Beyond Practice, the podcast dedicated to the personal, professional, and financial success of medical professionals. Hosted by Dr. Dipesh Sitaram, this show explores the critical question: What does success look like when the white coat comes off?
Many doctors excel in clinical settings but struggle to find balance, build wealth, or create a lasting impact outside of patient care. This show bridges the gap between being a great physician and living a great life.
To be a Guest to go : https://purposebeyondpractice.com/guest 
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