Dr. Laura Purdy is a trailblazer in virtual health. As Medical Director for leading telehealth providers, she oversees the care of over 20,000 patients nationwide, exemplifying dedication and resilience in every aspect of her life.
Harper’s Bazaar VN (HBZVN): Can you tell us about your journey from being a performing pianist to becoming a renowned Family Medicine Physician and digital healthcare thought leader?
DR. LAURA PURDY: As a performing pianist, I quickly realized the music industry was highly competitive and often prioritized politics over talent. Wanting to make a more compassionate impact, I left the industry and joined the military. There, I learned the importance of prioritizing patient care over institutional constraints like health insurance or government assistance. I saw a need for better care and work-life balance for clinicians.
As I gained experience in innovative care and high-impact roles, I began advocating for change in the press and media. Eventually, I leveraged my expertise to help grow virtual health startup companies, making them more public-facing and accessible.
HBZVN: What motivated you to transition from a successful music career to pursue a career in medicine, particularly in family medicine and digital healthcare?
DR. LAURA PURDY: I was motivated by the fact that I was bullied, treated unfairly, and oppressed in a professional music engagement. My heart was broken, and I was so sad. Led to a pivot to healthcare. It was a recommendation from my dad, because he knew I had always done well in science, and also knew that there would be good impact and job security in the healthcare industry, both things that were important to me at the time.
HBZVN: How has your experience in the US Army as a physician influence your approach to healthcare and patient care?
DR. LAURA PURDY: One of the most interesting things about being a physician for the United States military is that we do not have to deal with private or federal health insurance outside of what is offered to soldiers. I feel that I had the opportunity to learn more about high-quality standards of care, rather than get caught up in complex systems of coding, documentation, and reimbursement. I feel that I learned medicine in its purest form, which is understanding disease and matching it to a proper treatment and follow up course.
Working for the government is a resource constrained system where we constantly have to learn how to do more with less. This translates directly to working in the digital health startup industry because we learn how to think outside of the box, and are industrious and resourceful while still keeping high-quality patient care at the forefront of our minds.
HBZVN: Could you share some insights on the future of digital healthcare and its impact on the medical industry?
DR. LAURA PURDY: I think in the future, we will no longer say digital care, because it will be considered a part of healthcare every day! I believe that we need to stop stovepiping and isolating how we think about delivery of care, and start to include all of the different modalities of delivery of care underneath the same umbrella. Technology allows the same, and even better in some instances, delivery of care and establishment of clinician/patient relationship.
In the future, we will see a completely redesigned model of delivery of healthcare, which is going to use advanced technology at every stage. It will be the most efficient, high-quality, standards driven, and patient accepted system that will result in an entirely different future of healthcare. That is a better embroidery Environment than today.
HBZVN: In your opinion, what are the key challenges and opportunities in telehealth startups that you have worked with?
DR. LAURA PURDY: Telehealth startups face several key challenges. Firstly, finding the right physicians, who can be significant assets or liabilities, is crucial. Many physicians may resist supporting non-traditional ventures due to a long-standing sense of superiority in the medical system. They need to adopt more humility and compassion.
Secondly, navigating the complex regulatory environment is a major hurdle. Digital health startups often struggle with limited budgets while trying to comply with intricate regulations across all 50 states, including insurance and federal laws.
Lastly, keeping up with rapid technological advancements and integrating new systems into business operations presents ongoing challenges. Despite these difficulties, these startups also have significant opportunities to innovate and transform healthcare delivery.
HBZVN: What advice would you give to aspiring healthcare professionals looking to excel in the field of digital healthcare?
DR. LAURA PURDY: My advice is do not wait for someone to come and make your dream reality. Go do it yourself!
Starting with an idea is the first thing. And if your idea is something that can help patience and make the world a better place for all in healthcare, then you need to do it right away! Find people who are willing to help you and invest in your success, whether that be the resource of time, money, or support.
There are so many options outside of working in mainstream healthcare to boost your personal revenue while you work on your project. A lot of these opportunities are not widely published, but every day there are more and more physicians who are departing mainstream healthcare to work on side gigs, cash, pay revenue, or to become a founder.
HBZVN: How do you balance your work with telehealth startups and your passion for providing primary care to patients of all ages and backgrounds?
DR. LAURA PURDY: I would reword this question to ask how I am able to integrate my passion.
The overwhelming majority of companies that I work with are in the primary care space. This is a much easier ask than to get involved in specialty care. So every time I am working with a company at a consultant level, speaking with physicians, who are thinking about working for the companies that I work with, or designing systems and process processes, I am always keeping this at the forefront of my mind.
The reason why I and the companies that I work with design these systems in the ways that we do is because we are keeping enhanced access to high-quality innovative, primary care at the forefront of our minds when we are designing the programs.
HBZVN: What are your thoughts on the importance of integrating digital healthcare solutions into traditional medical practices?
DR. LAURA PURDY: It is imperative for healthcare practitioners to learn how to integrate digital health technologies into their practice. This has been happening for decades, with the evolution of electronic medical records, and other functions such as lab ordering, patient messaging, and telephone consultations.
Clinicians often have trouble staying relevant and attracting patients to their practices if they are not abreast of the most current updates in technology. Our patients tend to evolve their technology habits, faster than we can catch up as the clinicians. So I believe that in order for independent primary care physicians to be able to continue to service their patients in the best way possible, that it is important for them to learn how to integrate technology into their practice. It makes them more relatable and more marketable. Eventually, if primary care providers do not align themselves with the changing trends in the technology of healthcare, their business will not thrive.
HBZVN: How do you envision the role of telemedicine evolving in the coming years, especially in the context of special operations and combat medics?
DR. LAURA PURDY: Well, this is a good question, and unfortunately, I am no longer serving the United States military and so I do not have a window into the direction that that is moving. However, I would assume that, to the extent that it can be done safely, and Antley, that the military will continue to increase its leverage of technology to reach soldiers in the far – forward environment to continue bringing high-quality care to the front lines.
HBZVN: What drives your commitment to helping people and how do you see your work making a difference in the lives of your patients and the healthcare industry as a whole?
DR. LAURA PURDY: My commitment to helping people is driven by the need for a more accessible, transparent, and compassionate healthcare system in the United States. We’ve created an innovative health system that offers both in-person and virtual care, including specialty services and procedures. This system is designed to be more democratic and less fragmented, allowing clinicians to share workloads equitably based on their training and licensure. By providing an alternative to mainstream healthcare, we aim to make quality care available to everyone and simplify the complexities of the current system, ensuring it is centered around the needs of patients.
Creative: Nina Vargas @ninabvargas.
Photographer: Mike Yi @mikeyiphotography.
HMUA: Liz Dizon.
Stylist: Juanita Pelaez.
Location: OMNI Berkshire NYC.
Talent: Dr. Laura Purdy @drlaurapurdy.
Harper’s Bazaar Vietnam
