House Calls
24/7 Telemedicine
Same-Day Office Visits
Quality Care
Time & Value
Patient Portal
How We Work
At DocTalker, we put our patients first. Our medical team is answering your calls and emails directly, 24/7. This direct access to primary care, helps our patients stay healthier and have their medical issues resolved quickly. At DocTalker, we:
- Establish a personal relationship with each patient, one-on-one
- Give our patients direct access around-the-clock to our medical team, no matter where they are
- Offer no-hassle, time-saving phone and email consultations. Many issues can be resolved without an office visit for established patients
- Make house calls
- Make same-day, no-wait office visits, including nights and weekends, helping to keep you and your family out of the ER
Transparent Pricing
No Membership Fees!
At DocTalker our pricing is affordable and transparent. There are no membership or yearly fees, just direct pay.
Only Pay For The Time You Use!
Our office and house call rates are time-based, so that you only pay for the time you need.
Our Medical Team
Doctor: Alan Dappen, MD
Dr. Alan Dappen graduated from the University of Washington Medical School in 1979. He completed his Family Medicine residency in 1983 at the University of California, Davis program in Modesto, California. A year later, he completed a Song-Brown Fellowship , and then finished coursework in Family Therapy in 1989. Alan has practiced medicine in California, Kenya, Mexico, and since 1992, in Vienna, VA. He is an Associate Clinical Professor at Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Department of Family Practice, and recently became a graduate of Leadership Fairfax. Alan has published medical journal articles on diverse topics, including malaria, nutrition, and smoking. Thanks to his years living abroad, he speaks Spanish fluently. Alan is the founder of DocTalker Family Medicine and doctokr Inc.
Physician Assistant: Elizabeth Gallagher, PA-C
Elizabeth (Beth) Gallagher PA-C, is a board certified Physician Assistant who graduated from The George Washington School of Medicine and Health Sciences Physician Assistant program with a Master of Science in Health Sciences degree in 1995. Prior to joining DocTalker Family Medicine in 2011, she worked for over 12 years in the Urgent Care Department at Kaiser Permanente (where she met and worked with both Dr. Dappen and Dr. Simmons) and then in the Emergency Department at Virginia Hospital Center. She is dedicated to working as a part of the DocTalker Medical Team to provide quality, comprehensive care for our patients and their families. Beth lives in Ashburn with her husband and five children.
Nurse Practitioner: Anissa Ben Aida, FNP-BC
Anissa is a board-certified family nurse practitioner who received her Bachelors of Science in Exercise Science with high honors from the University of South Carolina in 2000 and her Masters of Science in Nursing from Georgetown University in 2008. She has worked in women's health, pediatrics, and family medicine settings and has a strong background in working in community health prior to joining DocTalker. Anissa grew up with parents in the U.S. Foreign Service and spent 10 years living in Africa prior to age 16. She speaks Spanish and still remembers a lot of French as well. She was attracted to the DocTalker practice because of the revolutionary practice philosophy and the opportunity to form quality, personal relationships with patients/family members of all ages. Anissa lives in Ashburn with her three children, and their two dogs and two cats.
Nurse Manager: Gail Hale, RN
Gail Hale, RN is the nurse manager for DocTalker Family Medicine. She graduated in 1977 in London in the U.K., receiving her registration in General and Pediatric Nursing. She studied for her Health Visitors diploma at the University of the South Bank in London in 1984. She moved with her family to the States in 1985, living in New York, Chicago, and Toronto, Canada, before moving to Virginia in 1992. She worked at Inova Fairfax Hospital for Children for ten years leaving in 2009 to work full time at DocTalker. She is usually first contact for patients both in the office and on the phone. She lives in Oakton with her husband and has four children and one grandchild. Gail has been with DocTalker since it was founded in 2001.
What Others Are Saying
Your quick response to our call as we picked up our sick son from Dulles airport helped us avoid the emergency room. The medicine you called in helped immediately. The office visit early the next morning eased our minds. Your professional, personalized 'always there' service makes medicine a lot easier to swallow.
DocTalker saved my hearing! If I had not called that night, if you had not met me at the office right away (10 pm), if you had not started me on the correct medications ... the specialist told me later that I was one of the few people she'd ever seen who didn't lose their hearing permanently from my medical problem. If it weren't for DocTalker's fast response and direct access, my world might have been forever changed.
We called Dr. Dappen at DocTalker [for a house call], and he came by the same day! He has a very innovative approach to medical practice (old-fashioned personal care, no direct dealings with insurance), and a wonderful bedside manner. It is such a relief to have found the right doctor for mother!
Our Mission
Our mission at DocTalker Family Medicine is to provide quality, multidisciplinary, and comprehensive care for our patients and their families.
We strive to simplify your journey through the complex healthcare system. The first step to every health problem is always the most important, which is why at DocTalker, our providers answer your calls 24/7.
It's Healthcare, The Way It Should Be
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Serving the Greater DC-Metro Area