Today's guest, Dr. Kara Hartl shares her journey in medicine, from moving to Alaska to start a practice in an underserved community to creating Troy Medical after witnessing one of her own patients become overwhelmed by a debilitating medical condition.   About our guest: Dr. Kara Hartl is a physician, philanthropist, Harvard graduate and the founder and CEO of Troy Medical, an innovative approach to telemedicine that uses technology to bring high-quality medical specialists to remote and medically underserved communities. After 14 years of living in rural Alaska, Dr. Hartl has seen firsthand the limitations geography can have on access to medical care. She is passionate about creating a new gold standard for telemedicine in underserved America via their groundbreaking hybrid model.   Dr. Hartl was inspired to start Troy Medical after witnessing one of her own patients become overwhelmed by a debilitating medical condition. Unable to find a medical specialist in his region, his condition had progressed to the point where even walking was a challenge. Dr. Hartl recognized the potential of telemedicine to bring life-changing care to remote areas, so she reached out to specialists across the country to organize a team of doctors who can provide world-class, personalized medical care to patients anywhere. She chose to name this project after her patient, Troy.  Prior to founding Troy Medical, Dr. Kara Hartl created a world-class medical center in Alaska. Using her entrepreneurial spirit, she grew a multi-specialty health center from the ground up and created the most technologically advanced medical and surgical center in the state. Dr. Hartl developed high-level systems for virtually every aspect of her business, from designing an ophthalmic technician training program to defining hospital protocols. Through her work at this facility, she raised the standards of ophthalmic medicine in Alaska to the highest levels in the country.  It was Dr. Hartl’s desire to improve the world that first led her into medicine.  She has worked internationally curing blindness in underserved countries, started the non-profit Gift of Sight to expand her reach, and founded the Prevention of Global Blindness fellowship to inspire the next generation of doctors.  With the same spirit, Dr. Hartl recently expanded her focus into the world of medical technology, an exponential field that is changing the way we will practice medicine. She is passionate about incorporating technology into the future of medicine and expanding access to the highest quality medical care across the country and beyond. Dr. Hartl graduated from Harvard University and the University of California-San Diego Medical School. She also trained at the world-renowned Bascom Palmer Eye Institute. For more information, visit: https://www.troymed.com/   Connect with Dr. Hartl: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drkarahartl/ https://www.facebook.com/kara.hartl.39 https://www.instagram.com/drkarahartl/?hl=en https://twitter.com/drkarahartl