Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in health and wellness but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Diana Girnita, CEO & Founder of Rheumatologist OnCall, located in Irvine, CA, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

I founded Rheumatologist OnCall® to give people with inflammatory arthritis and other rheumatic and autoimmune conditions easier, faster, and more affordable access to specialized care. Waiting as much as 6 months to get a diagnosis and treatment plan is unacceptable. Health fears and untreated pain are incredibly stressful for patients. And delayed treatment of autoimmune and inflammatory conditions can cause permanent organ damage. Time is of the essence, so I created this practice to get patients from diagnosis to treatment to feeling better as quickly as possible. Here, patients communicate directly with me, the physician. I am their doctor. I treat the patient as a person—not a patient, not a number, not a case. There are no gatekeepers—no medical assistant, no nurse, no front desk, and no insurance company.

Tell us about yourself

From Patient to Physician-Scientist
At age 10, I was admitted to the hospital for severe liver disease. After many more admissions and many hours in the hospital, I felt called to the practice of medicine and became the first physician and the first university graduate in my Romanian family. I loved caring for patients. Yet medical research also fascinated me because it investigated underlying causes and new treatments for chronic diseases. So after completing my cardiology residency, I left Romania and arrived as a Ph.D. student and postdoctoral fellow at Harvard University. I could not believe it. I am a simple girl from a small town in Romania! A friend lent me airfare to the United States. My parents sold a parcel of land and tucked $2000 in my pocket. I felt rich until I quickly realized that I barely had enough money for a month's rent and food.

I immersed myself in cardiovascular research at Harvard for the next year, then accepted a postdoctoral research position at the world-famous University of Pittsburgh's Starzl Transplantation Institute, home of the world's first liver transplant. There I coordinated a six-world-known-university study of pediatric transplant immunology that earned awards at many national and international conferences. Yet I missed my patients! So I resumed clinical training, first completing an internal medicine residency and then graduating from the University of Cincinnati's rheumatology fellowship program.

Why I Founded Rheumatologist OnCall®
Practicing rheumatology in hospitals and traditional medical practices made me quickly realize that patients often had to wait months and travel long distances for their appointments. When I met with patients, I wanted to educate them about their conditions and how they could blend medical treatment with nutrition, mindfulness, and physical activity to minimize the effects of their diagnosis. But there was no time. Billing received more attention than patient care. The number of patients seen counted more than the quality of care. Worried patients would ask about outrageous charges and surprise bills for their care. Yet as a physician, I had no visibility to what they paid. When I asked, it was described as "confidential hospital information."Often, patients and I would establish successful care plans only to have them fall apart when their insurance company denied coverage or renegotiated contracts. Worst of all, I saw crisis after crisis that could have been avoided had doctors simply been able to treat patients properly. This was not the kind of medicine that I wanted to practice. I wanted to see patients when they needed me most. I didn't want to force people in pain to drive hundreds of miles just to reach a city with a rheumatologist. And I didn't want my patients awake at night worried about medical bills.

So in 2019, after months of research, I launched Rheumatologist OnCall®, a direct-pay medical practice. I provide in-person and telehealth rheumatology here in Irvine, CA, and throughout our 10-state service area. No travel costs, no wasted time. We charge fair prices and offer low-cost imaging and labs. Patients pay the practice directly—no insurance companies, no prior authorizations, no deductibles, no copayments, and no exorbitant fees. Our patients have the best of both worlds: the expert rheumatological care they need when they need it while keeping their regular medical insurance for other healthcare needs. This is the kind of medicine I dreamed of practicing when I was a little girl in Romania, and I'm proud to be recognized as a leader in the direct-pay model for healthcare.

Today, I still have one foot in research and the other in medical practice. I constantly review the latest medical, diagnostic, and drug breakthroughs that can relieve pain and slow or halt disease progression. I've completed Stanford's Nutrition Science program for health professionals and studied meditation with Jon Kabat-Zinn, Ph.D., and internationally-known founder of the Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care & Society at the University of Massachusetts School of Medicine. At the same time, I teach patients every day how to make the most of their capabilities and reduce their need for prescription medication with evidence-based nutrition, mindfulness, and physical activity. I've always been fascinated by the connections among our minds, our bodies, our immune systems, and how we fuel ourselves. Approaching medical care the same way seems like the most natural choice of all.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

To build a telemedicine practice from scratch when telehealth was little accepted or not even recognized as a valuable tool for access to a specialist. Breaking geographical and mentality barriers in an era where telehealth was not only needed but was safe and offering the help needed in no time, without the need to travel, from the comfort of patients' homes. Opening the avenue for more and more physicians to accept telehealth as an option for their patients.

What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?

Being a trailblazer is never easy, but perseverance and being open to learning from marketing to financing have changed and shaped my mind as a physician. I learned that "You must learn things that you hate to achieve what you love! "Hard work and perseverance are behind all successful companies. Being an entrepreneur is like running a marathon; it is not a sprint. Failing and pivoting are part of the journey. I learned to keep a positive mindset. We all have good, bad, and very few memorable days. We can't control the wind, but we can adjust the sails. So, keep looking at the bright side and celebrate every small achievement.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

  1. When you set up your goals about becoming successful in your carrier/ business, you should start by asking WHY you wanted to go on this journey. And make sure it is a reason that resonates with you. Having a personal mission is like designing a footprint for your dream house. When I started my company, Rheumatologist Oncall, I wanted to break geographical barriers, use the technology available today to give patients access to a specialist in no time, to avoid the delay in care, the bottlenecks of the traditional medical system where you can't access a specialist without a referral from PCP. I wanted to cut the wasted time in waiting rooms or traveling to see the specialist. I wanted to offer patients direct communication with a physician. I wanted to make healthcare affordable and offer transparent pricing- as a physician, I never wanted to financially burn the patient.
  2. Build up your brand early. Be respectful and be respected by inspiring others. Most patients associate your face with your practice. When you offer exceptional care, patients will not forget.
  3. Connect with people outside of the medical field. Being a physician, most of my interactions were with people in the medical field. However, it is so much more to outside, intelligent, and bright entrepreneurs in every field. Start paying attention, learning, and connecting with people of all backgrounds. You will be amazed by their contribution to the world!
    Your success is measured by what you leave behind, how people will remember you, and your contribution to this world. As Steve jobs said, "We're here to put a dent in the universe, and people that will be crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do."

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://rheumatologistoncall.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RheumatologistOncall/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rheumatologistoncall/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Rheumoncall
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/diana-girnita-md-phd-07b57810/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

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