Discovering Your Passion to Make a Difference: High-Growth Company Tackles COVID-19 Vaccinations
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Dr. Ann Jarris is the Co-founder and CEO of Discovery Health MD, a Seattle-based company that provides medical services for remote worksites and the commercial maritime industry. Before opening Discovery Health MD, Dr. Jarris worked as an ER physician for over 15 years. She is also the CEO of MD Solutions International (MDSI), a company providing physician-based services and consulting for businesses, government agencies, and organizations that have regulated requirements for their health programs.

Over the years, Dr. Jarris has made significant contributions to maritime services, telemedicine, and risk management. Dr. Jarris has a bachelor’s degree from Dartmouth College, a medical degree from the Mayo Medical School, and completed her emergency medicine residency at the University of Arizona. She also earned an MBA from Seattle University.

Erin Cavin is the COO for Discovery Health MD and the CIO for MD Solutions International. She is also the Owner and Lead Consultant at Cavin Consulting, a firm she started in 2007 that offers consulting services in communication, marketing, and IT for nonprofits. As an organizational expert, Erin has a talent for implementing systems and processes that enable organizations to grow efficiently.

In addition to working extensively with nonprofits, Erin’s diverse background ranges from working in management in the performing arts industry to filling multiple roles within the corporate world. Erin holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Central Florida and an MBA from Seattle University. In this episode… Try to imagine being in healthcare at the beginning of the pandemic. Now suppose that you primarily provide health services for the maritime industry and all of the ports are shutting down. Sick people can’t get off their ships to receive medical treatment, and you haven’t received guidance from the government on how to proceed. Also, assume your company is based at the epicenter of the COVID-19 outbreak in the United States. What would you do?

For Dr. Ann Jarris and Erin Cavin of Discovery Health MD, the above scenario wasn’t imaginary. They were figuring out how to help people stranded in the ocean and issuing protocols before the CDC offered guidelines. In a year, Discovery Health MD would grow from eight W-2 employees to over 50 — and become one of the first to start systematic testing of asymptomatic people. Currently, they’re also navigating governmental, procurement, and documentation systems to distribute vaccines to as many areas as they can. If you’re curious about how to keep your focus amid chaos and uncertainty, you won’t want to miss this week’s show.

In this episode of the Measure Success Podcast, Carl J. Cox joins Dr. Ann Jarris and Erin Cavin of Discovery Health MD to talk about their business and its role throughout the pandemic. Together, they discuss the difficulty of vaccine distribution, the challenges of providing healthcare at sea, and the metrics they’re using to keep on top of their fast-growing company. Plus, they disclose what it was like to design protocols during the pandemic before the government was offering any guidance.