Curaians agree that one of the best aspects of Curai Health is working alongside our teammates each day. To highlight what it’s like working here, we are writing a spotlight series to showcase our colleagues and share a bit more what the day-to-day is like and what we are building.
Kimberly is one of our full-time physicians and our next spotlight! Her answer to the company icebreaker question (what is your favorite kind of cheese 🧀) is homemade vegan cheese made from nutritional yeast, potatoes, cashews, garlic and onion powder, and vinegar. She’s vegetarian — not vegan — but tries to cut down on dairy as much as she can, though it’s not easy!
Why did you decide to join?
Curai Health was the only telemedicine company I applied to. I was drawn to Curai because the company’s mission and view of the future aligned with my own. As an academic physician, telemedicine advocate, and international clinical volunteer, it is important for me to work at a company where purpose and technology collide. The global pandemic ushered in a new era of health innovation which will continue to remain essential long after the pandemic is over. My hope was to not just bear witness to this changing landscape of healthcare, but to contribute and assist in shaping it through the lens of a physician and public health advocate.
Curai’s unique primary mission of offering every single person a primary care physician is radical — but, to me, it is also righteous, imperative, and timely. As an internal medicine physician, the importance of helping my primary care patients navigate the healthcare system is ingrained in my medical training. Having a primary care doctor — a doctor who knows you in and out — not only improves quality of care, but also saves lives. Having a primary care doctor and virtual medical team you can easily access on your phone has great potential.
My experiences working with the homeless population in California and taking care of patients in remote villages in India showed me the hard facts on a personal level: there is a worsening shortage in primary care providers nationally and globally. Leveraging technology to improve quality and access to care has never made more sense. So, I’m proud to be working for a company that is creating a new way for doctors to take care of our patients — one that would never have been born out of a traditional medical field.
What keeps you here now?
While the mission drove me to Curai Health, my colleagues and the company culture keep me excited working here. As one of the first full-time physicians at Curai Health, I take care of patients on our platform and consult with various internal teams. Curai Health, as a startup, is focused and nimble, and I find it extremely gratifying to collaborate and problem solve with my physician colleagues and team members.
While our mission is weighty, the company culture is lighthearted and fun. There is never a question too silly or an idea left unturned. We openly share our cute pet photos (dogs, cats, and bees, included!) and have a monthly women’s lunch. As a company, we have remotely bonded over yoga, jeopardy competitions, and cheese making class!
What are you working on right now?
I am currently a Clinical Supervisor for our interdisciplinary clinical team and help create clinical protocols for our virtual primary care clinic. I also provide one-on-one training and shadowing to our newly hired physicians. I am a mentor to our international clinical associate team. I enjoy providing educational lectures in our Clinical Training Institute and writing for our patient education blog. Non-clinically, I meet with our amazing product, software engineering, and design teams to provide feedback and consulting.
No two days are exactly alike, and I absolutely love it!
What would you say to someone thinking about joining our team?
Apply, ask a lot of questions, and be yourself! You won’t regret it.
What have you been up to during the pandemic?
I have been spending a lot of time with my family, significant other, and golden retriever! I love the great outdoors and rock climbing. I have been training to climb El Capitan in Yosemite in the near future.
Please stay tuned next month for our next Curaian spotlight! We’ll pass the baton to Kim to highlight a teammate. If you’re passionate about healthcare access, up for bold challenges, and curious about working alongside really great people, don’t hesitate to say hi!
