Michael Gorton is a seasoned entrepreneur with a remarkable track record, having founded 15 companies across a wide range of industries. His journey into the healthcare sector began during a memorable expedition to climb Kilimanjaro, where he was accompanied by his close friend, Dr. G. Byron Brooks, a medical doctor. It was during this adventure that Dr. Brooks proposed the idea of establishing a telemedicine company—an innovative concept at the time, as there were no such companies in existence.
Upon returning to the United States, Michael and Dr. Brooks joined forces to establish Teladoc. Over the years, Teladoc has played a pioneering role in shaping the telemedicine industry, ultimately contributing to the creation of what is now a massive half-trillion-dollar industry on a global scale.
Michael’s passion for healthcare is driven by a profound belief that the current healthcare system is fundamentally flawed. While there are many dedicated and skilled healthcare professionals providing excellent care, the cost of healthcare continues to rise, and overall health outcomes are not showing significant improvement. He is deeply committed to finding innovative solutions to address these challenges and create a more effective and accessible healthcare system.
The Importance of Shared Ownership in Leadership
Michael’s approach to leadership and goal-setting reflects a highly organized and collaborative mindset. He is known for his goal-oriented and persistent nature, exemplified by his daily routine of prioritizing tasks, setting clear timelines, and aiming to complete projects ahead of schedule. This disciplined approach to time management and task execution contributes to his success in various ventures.
One of Michael’s key leadership principles is surrounding himself with smart and focused individuals. He values diverse perspectives and believes that the best course of action may not always be his own. Ego has no place in a successful team or organization, and Michael emphasizes the importance of collaborating with experienced and knowledgeable individuals to make informed decisions.
Michael is a proponent of shared ownership and believes that when employees have a stake in the company, it fosters a sense of ownership and shared success. This approach empowers individuals to take ownership of their roles and responsibilities, contributing to the overall success of the company.
As a leader, Michael subscribes to the “Trust & Inspire” leadership style. He places trust in his team members, selects the right people for the job, provides support when needed, and trusts them to achieve the organization’s objectives. This leadership philosophy promotes a culture of trust, collaboration, and inspiration, which are essential elements of his leadership approach.
Commitment to Personal Growth and Learning
Michael prioritizes personal growth and learning. He actively networks, mentors, and collaborates with others to gain knowledge and insights. Writing papers, books, and articles is another way he shares his expertise and contributes to education and inspiration.
Michael emphasizes the importance of innovation and technology, particularly the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI), in healthcare. He calls for industry leaders to broaden their knowledge, embrace new ideas, and foster innovation.
While acknowledging the role of capitalism and competition in driving innovation, he stresses the need for healthcare to focus on improvements that genuinely enhance outcomes rather than just financial gains. This reflects his commitment to advancing healthcare for the betterment of society.
Advancing Telemedicine and Remote Patient Monitoring
Michael has three key areas of focus for improving society and people’s lives:
- Embracing Innovation and Learning from Mistakes: He believes that society should be more accepting of innovation, calamity, and mistakes. In the entrepreneurial world, mistakes are common, but they are often turned into opportunities for growth and improvement.
- Advancing Telemedicine and Remote Patient Monitoring: Michael sees the potential for telemedicine to continue growing and envisions improved remote patient monitoring. By utilizing affordable devices like smartwatches and digital scales to collect health data and integrating it into the cloud, AI can predict disease states well before they become costly and dangerous.
- Promoting Longer and Healthier Lives: Michael advocates for accelerating technological advancements that can lead to longer and healthier lives. He highlights the work of longevity experts like Dr. Jeff Gladden, who aims to make 100 years the new 30 by using modern biochemistry to address the aging process. This approach has the potential to reduce healthcare costs and enhance overall quality of life.
These priorities reflect Michael’s commitment to fostering a culture of innovation, leveraging technology for healthcare improvements, and supporting initiatives that promote healthier and longer lives.
The Path to Mainstream Acceptance
In the early days of Teladoc, Michael faced numerous challenges and regulatory hurdles. Telemedicine was met with skepticism, and many regulatory entities believed it should be illegal for doctors to treat patients they had not physically examined. Teladoc and its team constantly dealt with threats of fines, shutdowns, and criminal charges through certified mail. State Boards in multiple states even expressed their intent to put them in prison for introducing telemedicine.
Teladoc fought legal battles in seventeen states across the United States. Despite these initial difficulties, their relentless efforts ultimately led to the mainstream acceptance of telemedicine. Michael co-authored a #1 Bestseller, “Digital Medical Home,” with Dr. Jay Sanders, considered the father of telemedicine, where he shares many stories about this journey.
The Joy of Intellectual Pursuits
Michael maintains a consistently positive and upbeat attitude. He finds joy in engaging with thought leaders, conducting research, writing, problem-solving, and building new connections. Physical fitness is a priority for him, dedicating time each day to exercise and striving to achieve at least 11,000 steps. Michael deeply appreciates the invaluable support and collaboration of numerous intelligent individuals he has worked with throughout his career, fostering a sense of gratitude for these professional relationships and friendships.
A Crucial Decision in the Face of Legal Threats
When faced with the threat of legal action and potential prison time by a State Board of Medical Examiners for his role in building Teladoc, Michael had to make a significant decision. Despite the serious consequences and ethical concerns, he ultimately decided that the Boards were wrong in their stance against telemedicine, and he believed that the path forward was to continue with the development of Teladoc. This decision marked a pivotal moment in his entrepreneurial journey and contributed to the eventual success and acceptance of telemedicine.
Future of Telemedicine
One of the most significant developments for Michael is the mainstream acceptance of telemedicine. When he co-founded Teladoc, the idea of using video and voice for remote medical consultations faced significant challenges. However, with the proliferation of smartphones and popular video conferencing tools like Zoom, the general public has become comfortable with such technologies. This comfort with digital communication has opened up opportunities to collect large amounts of patient data, leverage artificial intelligence for analysis, and present doctors with graphical statistics that can aid in diagnosis and treatment decisions.
Michael firmly believes that telemedicine represents the future of healthcare. It serves as a pivotal means to enhance the quality, delivery, and accessibility of healthcare services. While telemedicine itself is no longer considered a groundbreaking innovation, it remains a powerful tool that can drive further innovation and transformation within the healthcare industry.
Michael Gorton’s Achievements in Authorship
Forefathers & Founding Fathers was Michael’s 4th novel, earned several awards, and reached the #1 slot in Historic Fiction on Amazon’s chart. The first four: USSA, Lex Talionis, and Born Again American were all written for fun with the intent of giving copies to a small group of friends and family. That was in fact the goal with Forefathers, but while researching the topic, Gorton realized this was an important and unknown story that needed to be heard. Forefathers has received positive reviews from some of the world’s best known authors, including bestselling author Mark Victor Hansen (Chicken Soup for the Soul) and Jim Stovall (The Ultimate Gift).
Broken Handoff was Michael’s first business book. It was the amalgamation of three decades as an entrepreneur developing companies. The two authors bring a wealth of new perspectives that addresses one of the biggest problems in funding and M&A events. Broken Handoff was named the #1 M&A book in 2019 by Book Authority and has been in the Top 10 on Amazon’s chart.
In the last year, Michael has published three books Digital Medical Home tells the story of the telemedicine revolution and the founding of Teladoc. The Book hit #1 on the charts on the first day of release. Tachyon Tunnel was published in the Spring of 2023, and is Gorton’s first science fiction novel. In September 2023, Gorton published Calamistunity, the Secret Ingredient to Success, a business book teaches how to turn calamity and mistakes into opportunity. Calamistunity is filled with fascinating stories of people who have overcome significant odds to reach the summit of success.
For more info please visit: MichaelGorton.us
Written by Steve Sanchez.
