Inspiring Conversations with Dr. Dale Rellas of Rellas Family Medicine

Today we’d like to introduce you to Dr. Dale Rellas.

Hi Dr. Dale, 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 medicine was always driven by people, not just diagnoses. I trained in Family Medicine and later completed fellowship training with additional board certification in Sports Medicine. I love the full spectrum of care—being able to take care of entire families, from newborns to grandparents, and also help people stay active and recover from injuries.

Over the years, though, I began to feel a growing disconnect between the kind of care I wanted to provide and the way traditional healthcare is structured. Short appointment times, layers of insurance barriers, and constant pressure to move faster and see more patients made it harder to truly listen and build relationships with my patients.

In early 2025, a significant shift in Primary Care across Northern Colorado pushed us to re-evaluate traditional practice models and explore other ways to deliver the relationship-based care I desired to provide. At the same time, raising three young daughters while maintaining a 70-hour workweek made it clear that the status quo wasn’t sustainable. Together with my wife, Kendra, we kept coming back to the same idea: healthcare works best when there’s trust, time, and accessibility.

That realization led us to take a leap of faith and start Rellas Family Medicine, a Direct Primary Care and Sports Medicine Practice built around relationships instead of volume. By removing insurance from the exam room, I am able to spend more time with patients, be easily accessible by phone or text, and focus on preventive care, thoughtful problem-solving, and long-term health.

Today, our practice is truly family-run, and that’s intentional. We care for our patients the same way we care for our own family: with attention, honesty, and a commitment to being there when it matters most. Building this practice has been one of the most rewarding chapters of our lives, and we’re grateful to serve the Northern Colorado community in a way that feels personal, sustainable, and meaningful.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Like most worthwhile things, it hasn’t been a completely smooth road. Starting a practice from the ground up requires stepping into the unknown—financially, professionally, and personally. Leaving a traditional healthcare system meant letting go of predictability and rebuilding everything from scratch, from workflows to patient education.

One of the more difficult challenges was the transition itself. After departing my previous practice, I wasn’t able to disclose where I was going or reach out to patients directly, which meant starting entirely from zero and trusting that the right people would find us in time. At the same time, Direct Primary Care was still unfamiliar to many, so explaining why we chose this model—and how it benefits patients—took time and patience.

Throughout this process, my wife, Kendra, continues working as a labor and delivery nurse while also helping manage and build our practice. Balancing hospital shifts, a growing business, and raising our family is demanding, but it reinforces our shared commitment to creating a practice centered on thoughtful, relationship-based care.

Despite the challenges, the relationships we’ve built and the ability to practice medicine the way it was meant to be practiced have made the more stressful moments more than worth it.

Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Rellas Family Medicine is a Primary Care and Sports Medicine practice built around relationships, access, and time. We care for patients of all ages—from newborns to grandparents—and also work closely with athletes and active individuals to help them stay healthy, recover from injuries, and continue doing what they love.

We operate as a Direct Primary Care practice, meaning patients are members rather than numbers. Instead of billing insurance for office visits, we use a simple monthly membership model that allows for longer appointments, same- or next-day urgent visits, and direct access to their physician by phone or text. This approach removes many of the common barriers found in traditional healthcare and allows us to focus fully on care rather than paperwork.

What truly sets us apart is both time and experience. I am dual-board certified in Family Medicine and Sports Medicine and bring more than 15 years of experience across Primary Care, Urgent Care, and Sports Medicine. My advanced training in state-of-the-art ultrasound supports accurate diagnosis and precise, ultrasound-guided joint and soft-tissue injections, particularly for musculoskeletal conditions. Our care is rooted in evidence-based, prevention-first medicine, with a strong emphasis on education, proactive care, and long-term health.

Clinically, we’re known for being thorough, accessible, and personable. Having the time to sit with patients, listen without rushing, explain options clearly, and follow up thoughtfully allows us to deliver care that feels personal and intentional. That time also enables us to build trust and continuity with patients and families throughout every stage of life.

From a brand perspective, we’re most proud that Rellas Family Medicine feels approachable, trustworthy, and human. It’s a practice built intentionally—by our family, for the community—with the goal of delivering high-quality care that is accessible, transparent, and centered on meaningful relationships. We want readers to know that this is healthcare designed to meet people where they are and walk alongside them through every chapter of life. We practice Family Medicine the way it’s meant to be.

What do you like and dislike about the city?
Fort Collins has always felt like a place where people truly value community, connection, and an active lifestyle. It’s a city that supports families, small businesses, and spending time outdoors, and that spirit shows up in how people care for one another. My wife, Kendra, is a Fort Collins native, so this community has been home for our family long before we opened our practice. Being able to care for people in the same place that helped shape our family makes the work even more meaningful.

What we love most is the balance Fort Collins offers—access to the outdoors, a strong sense of local pride, and a community that values health, relationships, and quality of life. It’s a place where people want to be engaged, informed, and invested in their well-being.

Like any growing city, the biggest challenge is growth itself. Fort Collins continues to expand, which can strain infrastructure and healthcare access at times. That growth also reinforces why practices focused on access, relationships, and continuity of care are so important for the community moving forward.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://rellasfamilymedicine.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rellasfamilymedicine/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Rellas-Family-Medicine/61581488074994/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/rellas-family-medicine/

Image Credits
Tracy Edgar Photography