Welcome to Medicine Forward
Featured
The crisis in American healthcare
63%
of physicians report
burnout symptoms
burnout symptoms
27%
of a physician's day
spent with patients
spent with patients
$5.3T
annual U.S. healthcare spend —
double the peer-nation average
double the peer-nation average
4.1 yrs
shorter American life expectancy
vs. comparable countries
vs. comparable countries
The U.S. ranks dead last among wealthy nations in healthcare system performance. Physicians spend more time on paperwork than with patients. The system is failing everyone inside it.
"
We asked, 'Why are you chewing up your best assets — physicians?' And they said, 'Well, they just need to suck it up, buttercup.'
— Dr. Todd Otten, Board Chair, Medicine Forward · from the documentary
Explore the wiki
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Get started
- Catalyst Groups — How we organize for change
- Policies — Governance, spending, 501(c)(3)
- Resource Library — Curated readings & references
- Notable — Key people, projects & impact
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Issue briefings
- Universal Healthcare — History, money & action
- Prior Authorization — Reform campaigns
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People
- Eric Topol — Co-founder
- Todd Otten — Board Chair
- MaryAnn Wilbur — Board Member
- Kim Downey — Stand Up for Doctors
How we work
Our core hypothesis: by engaging in a healthcare transformation accelerator model, we can significantly enhance the wellbeing and agency of healthcare professionals — empowering them to advocate for the systemic changes crucial to improving healthcare for everyone.
01
Sacred relationship first
We put the patient-physician relationship at the center of everything. It is the beating heart of medicine — and the thing most under threat.
02
Wellbeing and trust
We build on a foundation of wellbeing and trust — for clinicians and patients alike. You cannot heal others from a place of depletion.
03
Together
We bring physicians, patients, advocates, and leaders together. The problems are systemic — the solutions must be collective.
04
Change agents
We claim our power to accelerate transformation. Not waiting for permission. Not asking the system that broke healthcare to fix itself.
Medicine Forward Theory of Change
Our story
Medicine Forward began in 2019, co-founded by Eric Topol in response to his article in The New Yorker — "Why Doctors Should Organize". Created by physicians who saw a system in crisis, the organization has grown into a network of dedicated individuals committed to catalyzing healthcare transformation through unity, innovation, and shared purpose.
While our roots are in the physician community, our mission extends to all stakeholders — healthcare workers, patient advocates, and healthcare leaders. We are committed to creating an environment where all voices contribute to transformative change.
Until we unite a diverse spectrum of advocates to press for fundamental reorganization of our medical system, our capacity to heal and promote health will not reach its full potential. Prioritizing those most in need requires a concerted, unified effort — one that encompasses a whole-systems perspective.
Medicine Forward leaders at a coalition gathering.
Get involved
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Join the community
Connect with physicians and change agents working toward healthcare transformation.
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Subscribe
Our newsletter on healthcare transformation, movement news, and what you can do about it.
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Donate
Support the movement. Medicine Forward is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit — your gift is tax deductible.
Medicine Forward · Grassroots 501(c)(3) nonprofit since 2019 · medicineforward.org