Startup Strategies in Healthcare: The Inspiring Story of Dr. Teresa Purzner

What if improving patient outcomes didn’t require more funding—but simply a better system? In this episode of The Interesting MD Podcast, host Dr. Rob Beck sits down with Dr. Teresa Purzner, a neurosurgeon, developmental neurobiologist, and healthcare innovator, to discuss how she transformed pediatric brain tumor care through an unexpected source of inspiration: startup thinking. Dr. Purzner shares her unique career path across Canada and the United States, balancing clinical neurosurgery, research, entrepreneurship, and family life. The conversation focuses on her groundbreaking work at Queen’s University, where she identified major inefficiencies in the care pathway for pediatric brain tumor patients and set out to fix them. Instead of relying on traditional healthcare improvement models, Dr. Purzner applied design thinking principles—interviewing patients, families, clinicians, administrators, and staff to uncover the real barriers to timely care. The episode explores: Why highly skilled healthcare teams can still struggle with poor outcomes How design thinking can improve healthcare delivery The role of patient navigators in reducing delays and improving support Low-cost solutions that dramatically improved access to care Why efficiency doesn't have to mean privatization Lessons clinicians can apply to create meaningful change in their own organizations The results were remarkable: faster surgeries, shorter wait times, improved patient experiences, and better outcomes for both rural and urban patients—all achieved with minimal additional resources. This is an inspiring conversation about leadership, innovation, and how listening to the people closest to a problem can lead to extraordinary improvements in healthcare. Chapters: 00:00 INTRO: Highlighting an Inspiring Physician 03:56 Medical journey and career path 09:16 Sharing clinical practice experiences 12:08 Issues in Canadian healthcare system 16:18 Applying startup principles to healthcare 17:22 Explaining design thinking approach 21:20 Patient support and community outreach 25:10 Improving trauma care in Canada 28:19 Implementing Change Independently 33:16 Experiences with end-of-life care 36:16 Iterative design process with feedback 40:13 Advancements in glioblastoma research 42:35 Expressing gratitude and global collaboration Podcast Link https://theinterestingmd.podbean.com YouTube Link    / @interestingmd   Website Link https://www.interestingmd.com/ Have a content suggestion? Email us at [email protected] Email me at [email protected]