Dr. Laura Purdy
Gown: Rita Vinieris @RitaVinieris, Jewelry: Harry Winston @HarryWinston, Talent: Laura Purdy @americasfavoritedoctor
What inspired you to become a family medicine physician, and how did you get started in the medical field?
Dr. Laura Purdy: I entered into the field of medicine, when my career as a music performer didn’t work out. My aunt was a nurse practitioner, and when I walked away from performance music, my dad suggested that I go into the medical field. I was so put off by the music industry at the time, and everyone that I knew that worked in healthcare seemed to relatively enjoy their job, so it sounded like a great idea! The reason why I chose family medicine was two fold. First, all of the other specialties had people who treated each other very poorly. I didn’t like how the internal medicine doctors and the surgeons, among others, were so mean to each other and there was so much disregard for the feelings of others. However, in family medicine, I felt that there was love and mutual support among colleagues. I joined the family medicine side because I didn’t believe in being unkind and hurtful to people that were my peers. I also wanted to know as much as I could in a variety of subjects to be able to help as many people as possible, which is exactly what we do in family medicine.
How would you describe yourself to people who don’t know you?
Dr. Laura Purdy: I really don’t like talking about myself, and I consider myself to be humble. So, usually, if people ask me about myself, I will deflect. It’s still hard for me to speak openly about my accomplishments, because, despite what it looks like, I genuinely don’t love being in the spotlight. Usually, I will say I work in business or work in healthcare. Then I will often deflect and ask them questions about themselves! If they really push, I say I’m a businesswoman, disguised as a doctor, and I am working to create the nation's first, fully integrated virtual/brick and mortar hybrid healthcare system, which is completely cash pay and separate from traditional mainstream healthcare.
Dress: Stello Couture @Stello, Jewelry: Harry Winston @HarryWinston, Navy Apparel: White Cross Collections @WhiteCrossCollections, Model: Ricky Johnson @R1ckyJohnson, Talent: Laura Purdy @americasfavoritedoctor
Being recognized as 'America's Favorite Doctor,' how do you balance your roles as a physician and an entrepreneur in the medical field?
Dr. Laura Purdy: I like to think of it more as integration rather than balance. These days, it’s hard to separate one from the other. I do have the carved out time for the practice of medicine in my day, and I have to make myself available 24/7 to all of the people who work for me, with me, and who I work for, to make sure that everyone’s needs across the country are met at any given time.
What challenges have you faced as a female doctor and entrepreneur, and how have you overcome them?
Dr. Laura Purdy: I have faced oppression, sexism, ageism, being misunderstood, and I’ve been taken advantage of for being too nice by employers and employees. I have been discounted for not having a huge social media following, as I am relatively new to social media only having been out of the military for two years. I get investigated frequently because I am different from my peers and that results in me having a lot of eyes on me, and scrutiny about what I do. I feel like I am constantly having to justify myself, my actions, and my business. Additionally, I am often bullied, discriminated against, and body shamed for being a working woman who does not choose to stay home, and homeschool her children, and who does things like being on the cover of fashion magazines (which I personally feel is a real honor). This lifestyle is not for the weak! But, I know that I am doing good, being good, and putting good into the world, and so I stand by every single thing that I am doing right now. Someday, I want my children and my grandchildren, as well as everyone who knows me to look back on my life and see a meaningful impact that I have brought into the world as a result of my mission, vision, and heart.
What is the single best advice you have ever received in the medical field and how have you adapted it to your work?
Dr. Laura Purdy: The best piece of advice I ever got was when I started residency. One of the teachers in my residency program said something on my first day of training, which I will never forget. He said: nobody cares that you are a doctor except your mom. And while this may sound harsh or crass, I believed it to be a message, telling us to remain humble. It does no one any good for me to walk around telling them who I am, and what I do, because my name, my title, and my degrees are not in and of themselves impressive. Instead, I have learned to lead through love and impact. I don’t have to leverage my credentials or my position to accomplish the things that I want to accomplish in our society. I am able to create impact, while having a heart of humility towards all of it.
You have been featured on various media platforms and magazines. How has this exposure impacted your career and your ability to reach and help more people?
Dr. Laura Purdy: It’s been amazing! Several years ago, prior to any of this exposure, there were so many people who were very skeptical of virtual health, and working with me. I felt like I was constantly having to justify what I was doing, and explain myself to people. I also got asked if this was a scam, or if I was just trying to take advantage of people, and it very much felt like pushing the boulder consistently up a hill. Now, people come to me, and they say “Wow! Are you really Dr. Purdy?” They know who I am, they know what I stand for, and nowadays people come to me, wanting to work with me, or being my patient because they know who I am and they know what I believe in. Perhaps it is better for my mental health, because I am not questioned and criticized as often as I used to be, but it warms my heart, knowing that people believe in what I believe in, and want to see the same changes in the healthcare system that I do. Myself and my staff work so hard to create this beautiful reputation, which is starting to permeate the healthcare industry. It is an honor to be loved and respected by so many, and it is an honor that I do not take lightly.
What advice would you give to aspiring doctors and entrepreneurs in the medical field who are looking to make a positive impact in healthcare?
Dr. Laura Purdy: What I tell people is that before you can really make an impact, you need to learn your industry. Of course, it’s possible to make a small scale impact, but for you to really understand where the pain points are (as patients and as healthcare professionals that need help) the only way is to get in there, roll up your sleeves, and work. You’ve got to understand the system inside and out before you can change it. It can be so tempting to want to jump straight to the do better part of things, but I have seen so many times founders and entrepreneurs come up with solutions to problems that don’t really exist, or their proposed solutions don’t help in the way that they think they could have. It’s the real world experience, gaining associates, building a reputation and spending some time in the industry that is absolutely invaluable if it is to pave the way for you making a big difference.
Gown: Rita Vinieris @RitaVinieris, Earrings: Peter Marco Jewelry @PeterMarco90210, Talent: Laura Purdy @americasfavoritedoctor
As a prominent figure in the digital healthcare space, what motivated you to focus on telehealth systems and how do you envision the future of healthcare in this context?
Dr. Laura Purdy: I started working in telehealth in 2016 in order to make a little more money to put my kids in school. When I felt and saw what it was like, I realized that this is the future of healthcare. There are so many patients and healthcare professionals who are suffering under the weight and the oppression of our current healthcare system. I saw many years ago that virtual medicine is the key to begin solving so many of the problems that we have in our healthcare system. Problems such as access to care, to patients, miss treatment of providers, provider miss treatment of patients, and lack of cost transparency. Although virtual health could never solve all of the problems, I think it needs to be a deeply integrated part of our health system, and I think that patients need to have more options. Healthcare providers also need to have more options of ways that they can work so that they are not undergoing so much burn out.
Can you discuss any specific achievements or projects that you are particularly proud of in your role as a C-Suite executive in establishing advanced telehealth systems?
Dr. Laura Purdy: I am proud of the establishment of my nationwide, virtual primary care clinic. I am in the process of connecting it to hundreds of brick and mortar clinics across the country to have what I understand to be America’s first direct to consumer, both virtual and concierge‘s practice. I’ve never seen this happen anywhere else in the industry, and I am so proud of what we are working on. I’m also very excited for the upcoming America’s Favorite Doctor Tour: I am planning to attend hundreds of sites across the country, visiting people, all over the country, getting to meet their staff and patients, encouraging them, doing some social media with them, potentially going on their local news stations, and spreading the love of America’s Favorite Doctor as we shout our mission from the mountain tops, and bring better access to care to people in America.
Can you share any future plans or goals you have for your career?
Dr. Laura Purdy: I am increasingly shifting more time dedicated to building my virtual practice, which I hope to become a multi specialty clinic, and eventually a health system. Everything is on the table, if we build it with the right heart, the right people, and be very closely attuned to the laws, it IS possible! I think that our potential to do good is limitless, and I hope that this project changes the lives of everyone, and is the foundation for wide scale change across the country.
Dress: Alyne by Rita Vinieris @RitaVinieris, Earrings: Mahrukh Akuly @Mahrukh.Akuly.Jewelry, Cape: Stello Couture @Stello, Navy Apparel: White Cross Collections @WhiteCrossCollections, Models: Ricky Johnson @R1ckyJohnson & Eros Brunel @Eros_Brunel, Talent: Laura Purdy @americasfavoritedoctor
How do you stay updated with the latest developments and advancements in family medicine and telehealth to provide the best care possible to your patients?
Dr. Laura Purdy: This is one of the funnest parts of my job! I get educational emails and updates almost daily, which I’m very careful to read. I do hundreds of CME, or continuing medical education, courses per year, attend conferences several times a year, and always seek out new ways of learning and evolving. I think that it is our obligation to make sure that we learn the most advanced aspects of the science in our field, hold each other accountable for holding this knowledge, and practice the best medicine we can.
As an influential figure, what steps do you take to promote diversity and inclusion in the medical field?
Dr. Laura Purdy: I absolutely love working with clients who have projects that are focusing on diversity and inclusion. I consider my clinic to be diverse and inclusive, we have inclusive hiring practices, and we should love all patients, regardless of their particular demographics. I have projects across the country with various telemedicine companies that work with nearly all groups that I can think of. I am proud to say that my organizational portfolios are both diverse and inclusive.
How do you prioritize your own well-being and maintain work-life balance in such a demanding profession?
Dr. Laura Purdy: It helps to absolutely love what I do. I do not see a separation between work and life, because it is fully integrated. I hire people that I love, I love people that I hire, I love my patients and my value. I love getting to travel and meet people everywhere, and I love actively impacting people and changing lives. I do have very close friends, some of which I do, and some of which I don’t work with, and I love spending every moment with my children that I possibly can. I try to have fun everywhere that I am, and while yes, I suppose I could prioritize self-care a little bit more, I feel that I have the most fulfilling work in the whole world and I wouldn’t trade it for anything, not even the frequent cross country trips and sleepless nights! As we say, work hard, and play hard!
Tell us a little about your life outside of work, what do you enjoy doing in your free-time?
Dr. Laura Purdy: I love anything that has to do with music, I love concerts and shows, I am somewhat of a Disney World fanatic, and go to Disney World, or Disneyland often! I love traveling, internationally, and domestically, and love going on cruises. I like to spend time with my children, going out to eat, and loving the people who are considered to be close, friends and family.
How would you describe your personal style?
Dr. Laura Purdy: This is something that I am still building and developing. I find that my style is an expression that varies from day to day. In my mind, dressing up, and wearing the right thing for the right place, in the right time, in the right season, at the right event, and with the right company, makes me feel at my best. My personal style changes, because I am willing and comfortable wearing a wide range of clothing. I do admit that I am new to style and fashion, as I only did get out of the military two years ago, and my wardrobe consisted of exactly nothing but camouflage! Learning how to exemplify style in fashion is one of the funnest things about life to me right now!
Can you share with us a little about your skincare regimen?
Dr. Laura Purdy: I am ashamed to say that my skin care regimen is not as good as I would like for it to be. My physical self-care is one of the first things to go when I start to get busy. I definitely do a lot of aesthetic procedures, I get PDO threads, micro-needling, chemical peels, lasers, and even have done a couple of plastic surgeries. I need to do better with daily skin care, but I do make sure to cleanse my face, exfoliate, and moisturize every day. I wear the highest SPF sunscreen that I can possibly find, and usually use a serum based foundation with SPF, as I do tend to be very dry.
Gown: Rita Vinieris @RitaVinieris, Earrings: Peter Marco Jewelry @PeterMarco90210, Talent: Laura Purdy @americasfavoritedoctor
What are some of your must-have fashion pieces?
Dr. Laura Purdy: I love tall heels, and everything linen or cashmere. Because I am moving to Miami soon, I am finding that tropical rompers and jumpsuits are amazing! I am really enjoying exploring what types of styles and pieces of clothing look and feel the best on me. I’m starting to explore bags and purses as accessories as well! It’s so fun learning how to express myself and my style in fashion.
Being in the public eye, how do you balance staying on top of the latest fashion trends while maintaining a professional image?
Dr. Laura Purdy: I do have a stylist and people who help me! Usually, if I am being photographed, nearly always, someone else is dressing me, so I really can’t take credit for much of that at all! I will shop the latest luxe from a few stores that I like, such as Lulu‘s, Nora, Gardner, Revolve, Banana Republic, and J.Crew… Which is by no means an exhaustive list, but just a few of my go-to favorites. If I see something new that catches my eye, then I will get it!
Are there any specific fashion designers or brands that inspire your own fashion choices?
Dr. Laura Purdy: Aside from the ones above, not really designer specific. I do have a lot of people who help me with my wardrobe and to pick out all kinds of different pieces for me, and I almost always love anything that I wear. It is so liberating to have the ability to choose what I wear on a daily basis. For 15 years, I did not have this option. I would get up, put on a uniform, and go to work. There were no thoughts of what I could possibly wear that day, and it was actually very scary and intimidating to get out of the military and have to think about needing to choose my own clothing. So while I am still learning about designers, and what types of clothes I like the best, I am absolutely loving every second of this process, and really feel like I’m learning so much more about myself and the world of fashion every day.
Can you share with us one of your favorite moments in your career and why it was meaningful to you?
Dr. Laura Purdy: I recently had an opportunity to be on trial in front of one of the more conservative medical boards. This was very scary to me, because it was an opportunity to share my vision and passion with a group of people who I would otherwise not have an audience with, but who also had a tremendous amount of power and influence over my ability to be a physician and practice medicine. I also know that I am a leader, and a pioneer for all the doctors who come after me, so this was a very high pressure moment.
This was a very impactful outcome, because I really got the opportunity to share my vision for the future of healthcare, and we eventually did come to a compromise and an agreement on how I can best care for the patients in this state. Because it is relatively recent, I will refrain from discussing particular names and locations, but what I can say is that the generosity, kindness, and understanding that was extended to me by the respective members of this regulatory agency, has made me even more dedicated, and determined to make sure that the people of their state, and the rest of the states, have the best that I have to offer. They will be the first to receive any new projects that are rolled out from my clinic.
Cape: Stello Couture @Stello, Bodysuit: Prada @Prada, Jewelry: Peter Marco Jewelry @PeterMarco90210, Heels: Bella Belle Footwear @BellaBelleShoes, Navy Apparel: White Cross Collections @WhiteCrossCollections, Models: Ricky Johnson @R1ckyJohnson, Eros Brunel @Eros_Brunel, Talent: Laura Purdy @americasfavoritedoctor
Do you believe there is a relationship between fashion and wellness? How do you see these two fields intersecting?
Dr. Laura Purdy: For me personally, there absolutely is! Looking our best often translates into feeling our best. I know that if I feel like I have the right outfit for the right place and time then I feel incredible! It really does contribute to my overall wellness! Confidence is everything, especially as a woman in business. Fashion, style, as well as looking and feeling my best are a huge part of wellness.
Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) has been controversially emerging in this industry with raising popularity and accessibility. What are your thoughts on A.I.?
Dr. Laura Purdy: I love all technology and progress! Innovation is the key to growth, especially in an industry like healthcare. I see A.I. as an inevitably integrated part of the future of healthcare. Of course, I don’t think that the earlier versions will be the ones that end up being widely implemented and utilized, but they are a great start! I am genuinely excited and hope to get to be a part of developing implementations of A.I. into the delivery of healthcare. I think we will go through an era of needing to have developments in the laws and regulations, just like we have with other digital health technologies, but I believe that 10 years from now, and even beyond that, we will see A.I. deeply ingrained in our healthcare system.
Do you think there is a time and place for A.I. in the medical field?
Dr. Laura Purdy: Absolutely! There is a time and place for nearly all technology in the healthcare field, but we have to make sure that we do it in a responsible way, that does not interfere with the practice of medicine, maintains doctor-patient confidentiality, and does not detract from the quality of care. I believe that I will have the capacity to do this.
What advice would you give to someone who is just starting out in the medical field, or who is considering pursuing a career in medicine? What qualities do you think are essential for success in this field, and what resources or tools would you recommend?
Dr. Laura Purdy: Advice that I would have is: it is very hard work! If you’re going into the medical field for power, prestige, fame, notoriety, or money, then this is not the profession for you. This is healthcare, it involves taking care of people's lives, and the responsibility is great. You need to be self-sacrificial, willing to care and love others, and be a good steward of the tremendous responsibility that is given to you.
Swimsuit: Chanel @ChanelOfficial, Hat: Valentino @MaisonValentino, Earrings: Harry Winston @HarryWinston, Talent: Laura Purdy @americasfavoritedoctor
As a prominent figure in both the medical and fashion industries, do you see any opportunities for collaboration or innovation between the two fields?
Dr. Laura Purdy: Absolutely! I think there’s a tremendous capacity, especially as we look at smart clothing, integrated medical devices, and getting creative about how we can use wearable technology in a fashionable way to collect patient data and ultimately render care. I don’t know much about what’s been developed, but I feel certain that there are innovators out there that are quietly working on these projects, and over the next 5 to 10 years, we will see a development of wearable device is that crossover into the fashion realm, and will also help us take better care of patients. This is incredibly exciting for me! It’s an honor to get to be a part of it.
What role does fashion play in your life outside of your professional career? How do you use fashion as a form of self-expression and creativity?
Dr. Laura Purdy: Not everything that I do ends up on camera! I love being able to play with fashion, push the envelope and be a little bit edgy. Especially if I’m at concerts, or with friends or relaxing, and not in front of the camera, I love to explore and try wearing new things! It is so much fun to try wearing things I’ve never worn before, or consider fashion styles that I would’ve never tried in the past, and support my friends, who may be fashion designers or jewelry makers.
Can you share any projects or initiatives that you are currently working on, or any upcoming plans for the future?
Dr. Laura Purdy: Yes, I really am excited to take the America’s Favorite Doctor brand on the road, visiting wellness clinics and my business partners across the country and expanding the AFD brand to every state of this great nation…it makes sense because I am licensed in all 50 states including DC, so it’s time to take the time to visit these amazing partners of mine in America!
What is the best way to stay up to date with your work?
Dr. Laura Purdy: You can follow me on Instagram @AmericasFavoriteDoctor, and find me on LinkedIn @Laura Purdy, MD, MBA, or contact me via my website: drlaurapurdy.com. I am working on new content, and there will always be more initiatives coming up. There is so much to look forward to, so stay tuned! I love to speak, and create content on red carpets that are requested by other people, so if you have something that you want to hear me talk about, then please submit it! Reach out anytime, I love connecting people who are following what I’m doing. Thank you PUMP Magazine for this great honor!
Dr. Laura Purdy
Empowering America's Healthcare Journey
Talent: Laura Purdy @americasfavoritedoctor
Photographer: Jim Jordan @jimjordanphotography
Production: White Cross Productions @whitecrossproductions_
Producer: Yan Xi Toh @thoryanxi
Stylist: Jim Jordan @jimjordanphotography
Stylist Assistant: Emily Ledesma @emilyledesmaa
Hair: Stephanie Lewis @stephanie_tiara_lewis
Makeup: Ana Safazada @anasafazada
Fashion PR: CLD PR @cldstyle
PR: Kelly K & Tracy Keyser @kellykpr @p2r_inc
Malibu Location: Gary Leifer
Photo Assistant: Manny Dubon @mannydubonn
Male Models: Ricky Johnson @r1ckyjohnson & Eros Brunel @eros_brunel