02/07/2022

Friends of Franz Podcast S1 E8: Medical Entrepreneurship with Dr. John Shufeldt

If "the man who did it all" truly existed, it would be in the form of this episode's guest. Emergency medicine physician, Juris doctor and consultant in health law, serial student, professional pilot, 11x author, keynote speaker, and multidisciplinary entrepreneur (founding and operating several multi-million-dollar businesses): Dr. John Shufeldt from Arizona. Stating that despite not having stellar grades and scores in his early academic career, his exhilarating achievements were byproducts of his curious hunger for learning, commitment to hard work, and persistence in pursuing his visions. Dr. Shufeldt now continues to practice emergency medicine at a large tertiary care center, lead his nationally-expanding urgent care business, and perpetuate the world of telemedicine to bridge urgent access to care.

In 1993, Dr. Shufeldt launched his first urgent care practice, NextCare, upon noticing the overcrowding in the emergency room. Having sold this business in 2010, he started his telehealth company MeMD which seeks to provide first-in-class care to patients in the comfort of their own homes. Currently providing both medical and mental health visits to 5 million members nationwide over computer and mobile devices, MeMD was acquired by Walmart Health in 2021. Truly, Dr. Shufeldt has been such a saving grace to countless lives throughout the years in his service to care for others. Beyond the many degrees, titles, and experiences, it was simply a humbling honor to just be in the same space with someone whose biggest passion is to touch others' lives.