Why does this doctor think physicians are "born entrepreneurs" with natural grit?

Dr. Anna Chacon hosts emergency medicine physician and serial entrepreneur Dr. John Shufeldt, who has built an extraordinary career spanning clinical practice, business ventures, and education. Board-certified in emergency medicine with an MBA and JD, Dr. Shufeldt founded NextCare (expanding to 60 locations across seven states), established MeMD (a telemedicine company sold to Walmart in 2021), and currently leads Tribal Health, staffing over 50 Native American facilities. He also manages Xcellerant Ventures and partners with VivaMed Biopharma. His philosophy? Physicians are "born entrepreneurs."

The conversation explores Dr. Shufeldt's journey from starting NextCare with three mortgages on his house to scaling across seven states. Topics include navigating medical board complaints, the evolving role of advanced practice providers, and strategic urgent care location selection. What drives someone to pursue law school while practicing emergency medicine? How did early telemedicine pioneers convince skeptical patients and insurers? Dr. Shufeldt shares hard-won insights about failure, resilience, and finding your entrepreneurial "and."

In This Episode:

• (00:00) Building NextCare from startup to 60 locations across seven states

• (07:40) The importance of finding your entrepreneurial "and" to prevent burnout

• (16:07) Pivoting from urgent care to MeMD telemedicine before it was mainstream

• (19:52) Launching Xcellerant Ventures to invest in physician entrepreneurs

• (20:48) Addressing healthcare disparities in Native American communities

• Share with a dermatology pro you know, like and subscribe to hear all of our future episodes!

About the show: Welcome to Skin Deep, a podcast designed for dermatology professionals. Host Dr. Anna Chacon, a distinguished dermatologist and author, shares her unique experiences and offers valuable insights on the future of dermatology, including telemedicine and teledermatology in reaching underserved communities. Dr. Chacon provides actionable recommendations for dermatology practices, emphasizing compassion, patient education, and staying current with advancements in the field.

About the host: Dr. Anna Chacon, board-certified dermatologist and founder of Indigenous Dermatology, specializes in treating patients in remote and rural communities. As the first dermatologist serving Alaska's Bush region, she travels by bush plane to reach isolated communities. Dr. Chacon holds medical licenses in all 50 states, DC, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, providing both in-person and teledermatology services.

Resources:
Xcellerant Ventures: https://www.xcellerantventures.com
Tribal Health: https://tribalhealth.com
Dr. John Shufeldt's email: john@johnshufeldtmd.com
Dr. John Shufeldt LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-shufeldt/
Dr. John Shufeldt Instagram: @johnshufeldtmd

• (00:00:00) - Skin Deep: Exploring Epiglottitis
• (00:01:06) - This entrepreneur built a telemedicine company from scratch
• (00:03:54) - Post-Bacc MS, JD in Business
• (00:05:12) - George Clooney on Medical Board Complaints
• (00:09:49) - Expert on the Importance of Urgent Care
• (00:14:20) - Flying Around the World in a Helicopter
• (00:16:26) - How Walmart Went From Telehealth to Inpatient Care
• (00:20:07) - Focus on Tribal Health and Venture Capital
• (00:23:24) - Accelerant Ventures: How Do We Pitch Companies?
• (00:24:08) - Have We Reached Virtual Care?
• (00:24:55) - Dermatologist in Tribal Health

"Opening up our own private practice together has been such an incredible experience. It's so meaningful that we're able to help so many people and make a difference in so many lives." - Marly Gaitan

Dr. Anna Chacon interviews Dr. Sergio Gaitan and his wife Marly, the dynamic duo behind Certified Cosmetics, a Miami-based cosmetic dermatology practice. Dr. Gaitan brings a unique engineering background to dermatology, focusing on data-driven treatment selection and cutting-edge laser technology. Their innovative self-pay, patient-centric model emphasizes efficiency and minimal downtime treatments while building a nationwide clientele through robust social media marketing strategies. With advanced laser technology and streamlined appointment booking systems, they've revolutionized the traditional dermatology experience in West Kendall.

The interview explores their biggest challenges: educating patients about the self-pay model and maintaining work-life balance as a couple running a business together. Their successes include positive patient feedback, strong reputation building, and attracting clients nationwide through platforms like YouTube, Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, and Google My Business. They discuss measuring patient satisfaction through direct feedback and before-and-after photos, which serve as crucial screening tools. Future goals include service expansion, continued community engagement including Nicaraguan community outreach, and maintaining personalized care with transparent pricing.

In This Episode:

• (00:00) Why insurance companies prevent doctors from being experts

• (02:17) From preschool sweethearts to dermatology power couple

• (05:22) Choosing Miami and cosmetic dermatology as their artistic calling

• (07:49) Data-driven approach over trends: selecting the best laser technology

• (10:22) The main challenge of educating patients about self-pay dermatology

• (13:54) Working as a married couple: boundaries and balance advice

• (17:36) Transparent pricing and eliminating surprise medical bills

• (21:47) The red flag that makes them turn away cosmetic patients

• (25:15) Community engagement and serving the Nicaraguan population

• (28:07) Biggest startup expenses and the cost of cutting-edge equipment

• (30:02) Social media strategy across all platforms for nationwide reach

• Share with a dermatology pro you know, like and subscribe to hear all of our future episodes!

About the show: Welcome to Skin Deep, a podcast designed for dermatology professionals. Host Dr. Anna Chacon, a distinguished dermatologist and author, shares her unique experiences and offers valuable insights on the future of dermatology, including telemedicine and teledermatology in reaching underserved communities. Dr. Chacon provides actionable recommendations for dermatology practices, emphasizing compassion, patient education, and staying current with advancements in the field.

About the host: Dr. Anna Chacon, board-certified dermatologist and founder of Indigenous Dermatology, specializes in treating patients in remote and rural communities. As the first dermatologist serving Alaska's Bush region, she travels by bush plane to reach isolated...

• (00:00:00) - Taking insurance off my patients' hands
• (00:00:31) - Meet Dr. Sergio Gaetan
• (00:03:14) - Married Dermatologists: How to Work Together as a Cou
• (00:05:11) - What motivated you to start a cosmetic dermatology practice in Miami?
• (00:06:15) - How to care for hyperpigmentation with a laser
• (00:09:11) - What are the biggest challenges facing your practice?
• (00:12:05) - How has cosmetic dermatology changed recently?
• (00:13:48) - Brian and Sergio: Going into Business Together
• (00:15:20) - What are the differences between private dermatologists and hospitals?
• (00:16:45) - Beyond the Dentist: Future Goals
• (00:17:28) - dermatologist: No surprise bills under Medicare or Medicaid
• (00:21:24) - How to get the best result from your cosmetic dermatology patients?
• (00:24:25) - How to Get Botox
• (00:25:04) - Dermatologist and Nicaraguan doctor volunteer in Miami
• (00:27:52) - Start a New Practice
• (00:31:20) - A Taste of Private Practice

Could one injection treat your rare skin condition, severe asthma, AND eczema all at once?

Dr. Anna Chacon, board-certified dermatologist and host of Skin Deep, welcomes Jacob Edwards, a 35-year-old patient from the West Coast who has been courageously battling Kimura's disease for over a decade. Jacob was among the first Caucasians diagnosed with this rare condition in the United States, making his journey particularly unique in the dermatological landscape. His experience with innovative off-label Dupixent treatment offers hope for others facing this challenging diagnosis.

The discussion explores Jacob's decade-long journey from misdiagnosis to finding effective treatment through Dupixent. How did a patient-driven research approach lead to breakthrough results? The conversation covers the intense itching that accompanies Kimura's disease, the psychological impact of visible facial lesions, and the remarkable improvement achieved through biologic therapy. Jacob shares candid insights about living with a rare condition that affects quality of life, relationships, and self-esteem in ways most people never consider.

In This Episode:

• (00:00) Patient reveals shocking misdiagnosis that changed everything

• (01:46) From baseball-sized lump to surgical surprise: Jacob's diagnostic journey

• (05:49) Mother's research leads to breakthrough Dupixent discovery

• (07:37) Dupixent success story: treating three conditions with one medication

• (14:01) Finding the right doctor and managing the psychological impact

• Share with a dermatology pro you know, like and subscribe to hear all of our future episodes!

About the show: Welcome to Skin Deep, a podcast designed for dermatology professionals. Host Dr. Anna Chacon, a distinguished dermatologist and author, shares her unique experiences and offers valuable insights on the future of dermatology, including telemedicine and teledermatology in reaching underserved communities. Dr. Chacon provides actionable recommendations for dermatology practices, emphasizing compassion, patient education, and staying current with advancements in the field.

About the host: Dr. Anna Chacon, board-certified dermatologist and founder of Indigenous Dermatology, specializes in treating patients in remote and rural communities. As the first dermatologist serving Alaska's Bush region, she travels by bush plane to reach isolated communities. Dr. Chacon holds medical licenses in all 50 states, DC, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, providing both in-person and teledermatology services.

Resources:

Dupixent Information:

• Official prescribing information: https://www.dupixent.com/

• Healthcare provider resources: https://www.dupixenthcp.com/

• FDA prescribing information: https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2024/761055s064lbl.pdf

Kimura's Disease Research:

• Frontiers in Immunology case study:

• (00:00:00) - What is Kimura's Disease?
• (00:03:50) - Dupixent for cystic dysentery
• (00:05:34) - Duplumab as a treatment for facial cancer
• (00:07:27) - What's Your Experience With Dupixent?
• (00:10:15) - Chimera's disease on dupixent
• (00:13:30) - Kimura's disease patient on his treatment
• (00:16:41) - One of the patients on the Dupixent podcast speaks out about