Navigating Early and Mid-Stage Startups: Clinical Leadership Realities with Dr. Adam Perry
Episode Description
Patient safety is job one. Everything else is negotiable.
The Early Hires launches with Dr. Adam Perry — a geriatrician and ER physician who has helped build home-based and senior care models across early- and mid-stage healthcare companies. He has served as a Chief Medical Officer and Regional Medical Director, and he is now the founder of Health Span Partners.
In this pilot episode, Dr. Perry breaks down what clinician leaders need to understand on day one: early-stage work is about protecting patient safety while learning how the business stays alive. Mid-stage work is different — more resources, more complexity, and harder decisions about what to standardize, refine, and scale.
You will hear why clinicians must become interpreters between business and clinical teams, how to translate clinical risk into language executives actually act on, and the uncomfortable truth many clinicians miss: you are often the revenue engine — through your work, your NPI, and even your licensure. He also shares what to ask before you sign an offer, how to think about equity, and why “who owns the company” shapes everything.
If you are considering a startup role — or already in the ambiguity of early clinical leadership — this episode is a practical reset on how to lead with clarity, protect patients, and stay aligned with reality.
Welcome to The Early Hires.
Must-Hear Insights and Key Moments
- In early-stage startups, clinician leaders are first and foremost advocates for patient safety — one of the few priorities that rarely requires translation to the business side.
- Dr. Perry recommends getting legal or accounting advice on equity offers because the structures vary dramatically
Mentioned in the episode:
- GUIDE Dementia Care Program
- Healthspan Partners
- American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE)
- John Hartford Foundation
- Gary and Mary West Foundation
About Dr. Perry
Dr. Adam Perry is a geriatrician and emergency medicine physician with over 20 years of experience building innovative care models for older adults. He has served as Chief Medical Officer and Regional Medical Director for early and mid-stage healthcare startups focused on home-based acute care, hospital at home, and primary care.
A John Hartford Foundation fellow, Dr. Perry helped lead the geriatric emergency department movement nationwide. He is currently founder of Healthspan Partners, participating in the CMS Guide Dementia Care program, delivering home-based care to older adults with dementia across multiple states.
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Are you a clinician navigating startup life? Visit www.theearlyhires.com to sign up for the monthly newsletter aimed at supporting clinicians who are building, leading, and navigating the realities of early-stage healthcare companies.
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