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Medicine Forward

Catalyzing positive change so patient-physician relationships can flourish.

A physician-led grassroots nonprofit building a movement of ten million people to transform healthcare. We bring together physicians, patients, advocates, and change leaders to protect the sacred patient-physician relationship — and fix the systems that threaten it.

Featured

Documentary

Suck It Up, Buttercup

An investigative film exposing systemic dysfunction and the erosion of trust in American healthcare. Featuring board leaders Todd Otten and MaryAnn Wilbur as executive producers.

Lorna Breen Heroes Foundation · Dr. Glaucomflecken · Premiered March 2026

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COMMUNITY

Canyon Oak

A curated digital library of wisdom, craft, and soul — supporting independent-minded doctors. Seventeen monthly editions and counting. Founded by Stanford-trained internist Dr. Michelle-Linh Nguyen.

Together, charting a new course for medicine.

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Issue Briefing

Universal Healthcare

The U.S. spends $5.3 trillion a year — nearly double its peers — yet ranks dead last among wealthy nations. A deep-dive into a century of history, the money blocking reform, and what you can do.

81 references · 12,000+ words · Fully sourced

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The crisis in American healthcare

63%

of physicians report
burnout symptoms

27%

of a physician's day
spent with patients

$5.3T

annual U.S. healthcare spend —
double the peer-nation average

4.1 yrs

shorter American life expectancy
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

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Projects & allies

• Suck It Up, Buttercup — The documentary
• Canyon Oak — Wisdom & creativity

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 bold vision

10M

people activated for flourishing
patient-physician relationships

2035

our target year for
reaching critical mass

50+

coalition partners
and allied organizations

2

paths: inner wellbeing
+ outer systemic advocacy

Medicine Forward operates as a network of Catalyst Groups — small teams of change agents working on the inner and outer paths of healthcare transformation.

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.

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Medicine Forward · Grassroots 501(c)(3) nonprofit since 2019 · medicineforward.org