The halls of medicine aren’t just filled with stethoscopes and scrubs anymore—they’re buzzing with ideas. In a healthcare system often bogged down by red tape, burnout, and one-size-fits-all solutions, a growing number of doctors are taking matters into their own hands. They’re becoming entrepreneurs, leveraging their firsthand insight into patient care to create the kinds of healthcare solutions they wish already existed.
Among them is Dr. Roger Starner Jones Jr., a board-certified emergency and addiction medicine physician and founder of Nashville Addiction Recovery, Belle Meade AMP, and Recovery Now. Based in Tennessee, Dr. Jones exemplifies a new wave of physician founders who are using their clinical expertise—and a deep dissatisfaction with the status quo—to innovate from the inside out.
A System That Needs Disruption
For many physicians, the decision to launch a business isn’t driven by profit—it’s fueled by purpose. Decades of increased administrative burden, decreasing autonomy, and insurance-driven care models have left many medical professionals disillusioned. According to one study, 82% of doctors are more likely to experience burnout than professionals in other fields.
Entrepreneurship offers a way out and a way forward.
“When you’re inside the system long enough, you start to see where it’s broken,” says Dr. Starner Jones. “You either live with it, or you do something about it.”
After treating over 80,000 patients in his career and detoxing more than 1,000 individuals, Dr. Jones did something about it. He didn’t just leave traditional settings—he reinvented how care could be delivered. His Nashville-based practices offer concierge detox and mental health services in private homes, luxury hotels, and discreet office settings. It’s care that meets people where they are, both literally and emotionally.
Photo Credit: Antoni Shkraba Studio | Pexels
Medicine Meets Mission
Dr. Jones’ pivot into entrepreneurship was both personal and professional. Inspired by his father’s recovery journey, he entered an addiction medicine fellowship at Vanderbilt after co-owning a chain of freestanding ERs in Texas. That entrepreneurial experience—and his father’s sobriety—ultimately shaped his approach to recovery care.
His model isn’t just about medical treatment; it’s about reshaping how people experience recovery. Nashville Addiction Recovery and Belle Meade AMP emphasize dignity, accessibility, and personalization. “We treat addiction as a curable disease, not a moral failing,” Jones explains. “Sobriety is a superpower. And recovery should be something people are proud of.”
This blend of medical rigor and business innovation allows Dr. Jones to do what traditional systems often can’t: tailor care with flexibility, privacy, and empathy.
Not Just Jones: A Movement in Motion
Dr. Starner Jones is far from alone. Across the country, other physician founders are redefining care through their own startups:
Dr. Sylvia Romm – Founder of Milk Stork and Former Chief Innovation Officer at Atlantic Health
Doctors see healthcare pain points firsthand. That’s why they’re in the best position to solve them. Pediatrician Dr. Sylvia Romm founded Milk Stork to address a problem that many healthcare systems had overlooked: how traveling mothers could continue breastfeeding. Later, as Chief Innovation Officer at Atlantic Health, she focused on virtual care delivery, proving that physicians bring invaluable patient-centered perspectives to tech innovation.
Dr. Tom X. Lee – Founder of One Medical
An internist by training, Dr. Tom X. Lee launched One Medical to streamline primary care and improve access. With a tech-enabled platform and member-based model, One Medical proved that patient satisfaction and operational efficiency aren’t mutually exclusive. Amazon’s $3.9 billion acquisition of One Medical in 2023 validated that physician-led models can scale—and succeed.
What Doctors in Business Bring to the Table
Doctors in business bring a few distinct advantages to entrepreneurship:
- Deep empathy: Years of patient care translate into high emotional intelligence and mission-driven focus.
- Trust and credibility: They’re already seen as experts and advocates in their communities.
- Pattern recognition: Diagnosing illness requires identifying patterns—an essential skill for entrepreneurs.
- Problem-solving orientation: Clinicians are trained to assess risk and make decisions quickly, which mirrors the demands of startup life.
But the transition isn’t easy. Medical school doesn’t teach business plans or venture capital. Still, many are learning on the fly or teaming up with co-founders and investors who complement their skills.
Building a Healthier Future
By stepping outside the traditional system, physician entrepreneurs like Dr. Starner Jones, Jr. are proving that it’s possible to honor the oath to “do no harm” while also doing things differently.
They’re not walking away from medicine—they’re walking toward a version of it that feels more human, more hopeful, and more in tune with the needs of both doctors and patients.
For patients in Tennessee, that means access to personalized addiction recovery care in places that feel safe and private. For the industry, it’s a sign that the most meaningful healthcare reforms might not come from policy—but from the bold decisions of those who know the system best.
As healthcare continues to evolve, the rise of physician-led ventures signals a broader shift toward innovation rooted in empathy. These aren’t just companies—they’re expressions of frustration, hope, and vision from people who’ve seen the cracks up close. Whether it’s through concierge detox care in Nashville or tech-enabled primary care in major cities, doctors in business are proving that real change doesn’t have to wait for legislation. It can start with a single physician saying, “We can do better,” and building something that does.
