74 Million Underserved: One Doctor’s Innovative Solution to America's Specialist Shortage Featuring Dr. Kara Hartl, EP 147

Thriving Practice with Tracy Cherpeski

In this powerful episode, Dr. Kara Hartl shares how she's revolutionizing rural healthcare through Troy Medical, a pioneering telehealth company born from her experiences as an ophthalmologist in rural Alaska. After witnessing patients struggle with limited access to specialist care, Dr. Hartl developed an innovative hybrid model that combines telemedicine with on-the-ground clinical support to bring world-class specialists directly to underserved communities. From endocrinology to rheumatology, Troy Medical is bridging critical gaps in healthcare access while breathing new life into struggling rural hospitals and transforming patient outcomes across America.

KEY HIGHLIGHTS:

• The stark reality of healthcare access: 74 million Americans (nearly a quarter of the population) live in physician shortage areas, with even greater scarcity of specialists
• How Troy Medical's unique model works: Combining telehealth specialists with local clinical support staff to provide comprehensive care coordination and patient navigation
• Core specialties include rheumatology, neurology, endocrinology, dermatology, pulmonology, and cardiology, with plans for expansion
• Impact on rural hospitals: The model helps keep revenue local through labs, imaging, and infusion services, supporting struggling community hospitals
• Beyond rural areas: Expanding to serve other underserved communities, including inner-city neighborhoods where transportation and technology barriers create similar access challenges

NOTABLE QUOTE: "Until that pill, that medication actually gets into the body and changes that disease state, nothing actually changed. That's what we do - we follow them and walk them through the entire process so that their actual disease state does get mitigated." - Dr. Kara Hartl

Dr. Hartl’s Bio:

Dr. Kara Hartl, educated at Harvard University and UC San Diego Medical School with training at Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, has dedicated her career to expanding access to world-class healthcare. After establishing Alaska's most technologically advanced multi-specialty medical center, she founded the international non-profit Gift of Sight and co-created the Prevention of Global Blindness fellowship to combat blindness worldwide. Drawing from her 14 years of experience serving rural Alaska and recognizing the potential of telemedicine during the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Hartl launched Troy Medical, an innovative telehealth company that partners with local clinics to deliver specialty care to underserved communities, setting new standards for rural healthcare delivery across America.

Find Dr. Hartl:

Troy Medical Website

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Gift of Sight NonProfit

Email: [e-mail]

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