Ep. 229: From Fired to Founder: How Dr. Joe Pazona Is Redesigning Urology Practice and Patient Care
What happens when the job you moved your family for turns out to be the wrong fit?
In this episode, Dr. Amy Vertrees sits down with urologist and entrepreneur Dr. Joe Pazona, founder and CEO of VirtuCare, to discuss the unexpected path from being fired to building a new model of healthcare delivery.
After experiencing broken promises, loss of autonomy, and ethical conflicts inside traditional employment models, Dr. Pazona realized something many physicians quietly suspect:
👉 The problem isn’t always the doctor.
👉 Sometimes the system itself is broken.
This powerful conversation explores how physicians can reclaim leadership, redesign their careers, and create healthcare systems that work for both doctors and patients.
🔥 In This Episode, You’ll Learn:
- Why great surgeons often struggle as employees
- The hidden cause of physician burnout (and why it’s not workload)
- How being fired became the turning point of a career
- The mindset shift required to move into entrepreneurship
- Why saying no is essential for career alignment
- How rural healthcare innovation is reshaping specialty practice
- What it means to truly work at the top of your license
💡 Key Takeaway
When physicians stop trying to fit into broken systems, they can begin building better ones.
👤 About the Guest
Dr. Joe Pazona is a urologist and CEO of VirtuCare, a healthcare company focused on supporting physicians while expanding specialty access in underserved communities through innovative team-based care models. Find him on LinkedIn here.
🎧 About the Podcast
The BOSS Business of Surgery Podcast, hosted by Dr. Amy Vertrees, teaches the lessons surgeons were never taught in residency — including leadership, negotiation, career design, communication, and professional fulfillment.
⭐ If You Enjoyed This Episode
Follow the show, leave a review, and share with a colleague who’s questioning what comes next in their surgical career.
