Welcome to the Pioneers in Health podcast. In this podcast, we share inspiring stories of pioneering leaders from our nation and from your backyard who are working to improve health.
In episode 36, we interview Corey Scurlock, MD, MBA, founder and CEO of the leading telehealth company Equum Medical. Equum Medical helps health systems in rural and urban areas fill critical gaps in clinical care through telehealth services.
Dr. Scurlock is an anesthesiologist and critical care physician who completed his residency in anesthesiology through the Baylor College of Medicine and his fellowship in surgical critical care through Harvard Medical School at Massachusetts General Hospital. He also obtained a master’s in business administration from Cornell University.
Dr. Scurlock shares how he grew up in a rural town in Texas and was the first in his family to attend college. After college, he pursued medical school. Upon completing his extensive medical training, he went to work as the medical director for the Cardiothoracic Intensive Care Unit at Mount Sinai Health System in New York City.
He said he worked hard to move up in his career with the aspiration that he’d have an impact on the health care system.
“It had taken a whole lot of sacrifice and work to get from point A to point B, and when you’re doing that, when your head’s down in sort of the battle of moving up and moving toward your career, you have a vision that your career is going to have a big impact — and you want to have a big impact. I really wanted to have an impact on the U.S. health care system.
“In those first couple of years being an attending, I realized it wasn’t what I thought it would be,” he said. “I wasn’t having as much impact as I wanted.”
That’s when he decided to pursue his master’s in business administration, pursuing his education at nights and on weekends. He became focused on leadership and change management. And, in 2011, he saw a new form of care that changed the trajectory of his career.
“I saw a telemedicine center, and I said, ‘Look, this really is a great equalizer. This is a way to take care of patients at scale,” he said.
He decided that was how he could make a bigger impact through his career and help more patients, especially those in rural areas where there aren’t as many medical providers available. So, he founded Equum Medical, based on the mission of creating equality in health care — providing the same level of care regardless of geography.
He shares his passion for telehealth and the benefits it can provide.
He also discusses the growing workforce challenges in health care across America, including shortages in providers and provider burnout.
He said half of U.S. counties don’t have a psychiatrist and that half of psychiatrists are 60 or older and nearing retirement age. There’s also a lack of cardiologists, neurologists, critical care physicians and hospitalists. And, he said, now the country is facing a nursing shortage.
He shared examples where telehealth has reduced the workload on rural doctors, thereby reducing burnout and turnover.
“What used to be just a rural issue is now an urban issue, too, in terms of staffing,” he said.
He also discusses:
- His passion for equalizing heath care in rural communities
- How telehealth can help bridge the gap in rural health care delivery
- The next phase of telehealth
- The three pillars of telehealth
- The regulatory environment and challenges in implementing telehealth
- The use of artificial intelligence
- What gives him hope
And much more! Listen now, and learn more about how Dr. Scurlock is an innovative leader in health care.
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