As of 2019, women reached a tipping point at which they outnumbered men in medical school by a small margin (0.5%). One large barrier to progress still remains a stark lack of female role models in medicine and a general discouragement that many women feel about their potential for success in the field. “America’s Favorite Doctor” Laura Purdy, M.D. is actively changing this mentality, trailblazing the promising future of digital health care. Part of an elite 1% of American doctors to become licensed in all 50 states (including D.C.), Dr. Purdy is a mother and military veteran who seeks to pave the way for more affordable, accessible healthcare while leaving a legacy of strong female leadership in medicine.
“After decades in primary care medicine, I see patients and doctors alike who are suffering because the healthcare system is broken,” shares Dr. Purdy. “With the latest tech advancements, we can address so many of the current challenges - it’s just a matter of fighting for the system we want to see.”
Dr. Purdy was one of the first practitioners to see the potential of telehealth during her military service, when she supervised its initial implementation. Suddenly, she was empowered to save the lives of both soldiers and civilians hundreds of miles away behind dangerous war zones - people who could never have received care otherwise. Upon discharge, Dr. Purdy found that telehealth enabled her to serve as primary care physician for a panel of over 20,000 patients across the country while still maintaining a quality of life for herself and being a present mom to her four children.
Now, she is a staunch advocate for the care, quality and cost transparency that telehealth can provide to patients. She believes, for example, that nobody should have to drive miles across town to an emergency room at midnight to get themselves or their child diagnosed with strep throat. Instead: upload an image, take an at-home test, pick up a prescription the next day - the entire process is streamlined through the power of telehealth. For doctors, this technology offers a means of working from home (or anywhere), seeing more patients without added drive time or long, grueling days that lead to burnout.
From her earliest days in the military to her lucrative career as a concert pianist to her current role as a physician and business advisor for dozens of telehealth startups, Dr. Purdy has always followed her passion toward helping the greatest number of people. She views her gender as an asset on this journey, giving her a unique perspective into many sides of healthcare - patient, doctor, mother, business owner - while perfectly positioning her to challenge traditional perceptions of women in medicine.
Learn more about “America’s Favorite Doctor” at drlaurapurdy.com or on Instagram @americasfavoritedoctor.
