Meet Ruth Bentley of Boulder

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ruth Bentley.

Hi Ruth, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
My path into healthcare started on the nursing side—working in inpatient care, urgent care, and the emergency room. I loved the pace and the problem-solving, but what I kept wishing for was more time: time to really listen, connect the dots, and help people stay healthy instead of only reacting when something went wrong.

That’s what pushed me to become a nurse practitioner (I’m a University of Colorado alum) and eventually to build a practice that matched how I believe care should feel—personal, accessible, and unrushed.

After practicing in Boulder starting in 2020, I saw the same pattern over and over: active individuals and families who take care of everyone else, but couldn’t get timely appointments, couldn’t get questions answered quickly, and felt like they were navigating the system alone. And in a place like Boulder—where people are hiking, climbing, skiing, biking, and raising kids in the middle of it all—healthcare needs to keep up with real life.

So in 2025, I started Base Camp Health as a Direct Primary Care (DPC) practice. The idea is simple: a small membership-based clinic with a capped patient panel, transparent pricing, and direct access to me. That allows for same/next-day visits when possible, longer appointments when needed, quick communication by text/email/phone, and a lot more prevention and coordination—plus the “adventure life” stuff like injury care, sutures, splints, IV fluids, and getting people back to what they love.
Today, Base Camp Health is still intentionally small and growing steadily—built around the kind of relationship-based care I’d want for my own family: a healthcare “base camp” that helps people feel supported, prepared, and confident for whatever life brings.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Not totally smooth—and honestly, I don’t think building something meaningful ever is.

One of the biggest challenges for me was working on the front lines during the pandemic. The intensity was constant, and the isolation was real—caring for people in high-stress situations while feeling like the world was shut down and everyone was just trying to make it through. It was exhausting in a way that’s hard to describe unless you lived it.

But that season also clarified something important: even in the most intense moments, I still loved the work. I loved showing up for people. I loved caring for my neighbors when they were scared, sick, and unsure what to do next.

That experience shaped the kind of practice I wanted to build afterward—one where patients feel supported, where access is simple, and where care is personal and steady, not rushed or transactional. It’s a big part of why I created Base Camp Health: to bring healthcare back to what it should be—relationship-based, local, and human.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I’m a family nurse practitioner, and I started Base Camp Health here in Boulder. I run it as a Direct Primary Care practice, which basically means I take care of a smaller group of patients and they have direct access to me—no insurance hoops, no rushed 10-minute visits.

Day to day, I do a little bit of everything, which is honestly what I love about primary care. I take care of whole families—kids, parents, really anyone—and that includes preventive care, chronic conditions like high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, and also mental health like anxiety, depression, and ADHD. I also do menopause care and hormone replacement therapy, weight loss support, and a lot of care coordination—helping people navigate labs, imaging, referrals, and medications without feeling like they’re doing it alone.

One thing that’s a little different about my practice is that I also do a lot of acute care in my clinic—suturing, splinting, IV fluids, rapid testing—because people’s lives don’t pause when they get sick or hurt. And in Boulder, people are so active. They’re hiking, climbing, skiing, biking… so it’s pretty common that someone comes in with an injury or something that needs attention quickly.

What I’m most proud of is that I’ve built something that feels personal again. Patients aren’t waiting weeks to be seen, they aren’t fighting phone trees, and they aren’t trying to squeeze their whole story into a few rushed minutes. They can reach me directly, and we can actually take the time to figure out what’s going on and make a plan that fits their life.

I think what sets Base Camp Health apart is the combination of access and relationship. I’m intentionally small so I can be responsive, and so patients feel known. It’s the kind of care I’d want for my own family—steady, practical, and really supportive.

Do you any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
One of my favorite childhood memories is getting to shadow in hospitals when I was in high school. A friend’s dad worked in healthcare, and he let me tag along and see what really happens behind the scenes—in the hospital and in clinics.

As a teenager, it was honestly incredible. It felt like this whole world opened up in front of me: the teamwork, the pace, the problem-solving, the way people show up for each other on someone’s worst day. I remember thinking, I don’t totally know what my role will be yet, but I know I want to be part of this. That experience was one of the first moments where I really felt pulled toward medicine—and toward being part of a community that cares for people in a very real, hands-on wa

Pricing:

• Base Camp Health is a Direct Primary Care practice with simple, transparent membership pricing—no insurance billing, no surprise fees. Membership is $125/month for adults, $75/month for children, with a family maximum of $400/month, plus a one-time $75 activation fee per household. Your membership includes unlimited visits and direct access to your provider by text, email, or phone—so you can get care when you need it, without the usual waiting and runaround.
• Starting January 1, 2026, Base Camp Health memberships can be paid for using HSA funds, and your Direct Primary Care fees can also count toward your insurance deductible. It’s a simple way to use pre-tax dollars for everyday primary care—while still keeping a high-deductible or catastrophic plan in place for bigger, unexpected events. (And just to be clear: DPC isn’t insurance—it’s a membership for primary care.)

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.basecamphealth.org/home
• Instagram: @base_camp_health
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/base-camp-health/

Image Credits
Base Camp Health