As the healthcare writer for Gothamist, a new media site that proved blogs could do real journalism, I was plugged into NYC’s fledgling tech scene. So when I launched my first practice on September 27, 2007, it was covered by the Wall Street Journal, Gothamist, Gawker, Seth Godin, boing boing, Kottke and many other influential outlets. I got 7 million hits on my site in the first month. It was a story people could rally around — old school house call doctor meets the internet.
I wanted all my potential patients to know that I understood how hard and expensive healthcare was. And I proved to them that I would communicate like they do. Unlike traditional healthcare, I was accessible, transparent, and on their side. These were the building blocks for a much more scalable future.
I knew there were tons of uninsured people (this was prior to Obamacare) in my neighborhood who needed affordable care from me and local pharmacies, imaging centers, labs, etc. Since healthcare prices were, and still are, widely variable, I made relationships with local pharmacies, imaging centers, and labs to get guaranteed prices for my patients.
“The Doctor Is In
(Well, Logged In).”
—New York Times
“One Doc’s Prescription For Hassle-Free Healthcare.”
—NPR
“Sounds Boring, Actually Awesome.”
—TechCrunch
“Why Telemedicine Needs to Redesign the Doctor’s Appointment”
—Wired
“Innovation in healthcare has come at last.’”
—Socialdriver
“Best 22 New Startups.”
—Business Insider