Dr. Leo Damasco interviews Dr. Steve Kelly, former full-time ER physician turned telehealth entrepreneur and founder/CEO of Refill Genie. Steve shares his path from hospital shifts and locum tenens to full-time telemedicine, how a memorable stroke patient inspired his focus on medication access, and the practical realities of bootstrapping a multi-state telehealth company without an MBA or large funding.
In this episode of Telemedicine Talks, Dr. Steve Kelly discusses his transition from emergency medicine to telehealth and entrepreneurship. After years of ER shifts, locum tenens, and per diem work, Steve eventually went all-in on virtual care.
Steve explains how he founded Refill Genie to address a common, high-impact problem: patients losing access to essential chronic medications (especially blood-pressure meds) and ending up in the ER or simply going without. Drawing on experience across video and asynchronous platforms, he focused on “bridge” refills and chronic-care access that many telehealth companies avoid.
The conversation covers the mental shift away from the “ER doc” identity, the value of meaning found in preventing unnecessary ER visits, and the practical steps of building a company: using existing HIPAA-compliant tools instead of custom software, hiring freelancers via Upwork, navigating multi-state licensing and corporate structures (PC/MSO), and prioritizing clinical quality amid regulatory gray areas. Steve emphasizes starting small, learning on the fly, and maintaining high standards so that any scrutiny finds good patient care at the core.
Listeners will hear honest advice on risk tolerance, compliance realities across 49+ states, and why asking more questions (not fewer) is the advice he would give his intern self.
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About the Show:
Telemedicine Talks explores the evolving world of digital health, helping physicians navigate new opportunities, regulatory challenges, and career transitions in telemedicine
About the Guest:
Dr. Steve Kelly is a former emergency medicine physician who trained at Baystate in Massachusetts. After years of full-time ER work, locum tenens, and part-time telehealth, he founded Refill Genie, a multi-state telehealth company focused on medication access and bridge refills for chronic conditions. He now works full-time in telehealth (roughly 60% running Refill Genie) and is actively hiring physicians with multiple state licenses.
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