Dr. David Greenwald, M.D., F.A.C.S., is Co-founder and Neurosurgeon at Comprehensive MD, a Fort Lauderdale-based elite medical group with a patient-first mentality for treating neurological and orthopedic conditions. Comprehensive MD features state-of-the-art technology to help treat patients from head to toe. They offer a suite of services from telemedicine to patient transportation to and from scheduled appointments.
As a neurologist with over 20 years of superior experience, Dr. Greenwald helps patients overcome sleep disorders, migraines, neck pain, numbness in the body, traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), and strokes. He received his medical degree from the University of Southern California and later trained at the renowned Shands Hospital at the University of Florida. With a passion for the complexity and precision required for neurosurgery, Dr. Greenwald is committed to helping patients regain motor skills, stop living with daily pain, and in many cases, save lives.
Please tell us a little bit about your company
Comprehensive MD is a multi-specialty medical practice, with two locations in South Florida. Led by myself, a neurosurgeon alongside an orthopedic surgeon, we provide care in both specialties with a patient-first mentality.
Tell us a little bit about your background and how you started your company?
I went to medical school at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles and did my Neurosurgical Residency at the University of Florida in Gainesville Florida. I finished my surgical training in 1998. Since then, I’ve been practicing in Florida as well as Southern California and started this company alongside two very strong individuals in the medical field in March of 2020.
What would you say are the top 3 skills needed to be a successful entrepreneur, and why?
The first skill is understanding the needs of your clients, secondly providing a product that exceeds their expectations. Lastly, having the right kind of personnel in place to allow this to happen.
What are your plans for the future, how do you plan to grow this company?
It is important that growth is steady and measured. You don’t want to grow beyond your ability to deliver the services you want to provide. At the moment, our plan is to provide in house interventional pain management, as well as treatment of traumatic brain injury. As well, we hope to open another office in the Palm Beach market to provide a more complete service to our patients and attorneys we work with.
How do you separate yourself from your competitors?
I have been in practice for over 20 years, as has my orthopedic surgical partner, Dr. Javech, I believe our extensive experience translates into better patient outcomes. In addition, our CEO is an attorney who understands the needs of the legal profession, allowing us to ideally interface from a medico-legal perspective.
What were the top three mistakes you made starting your business, and what did you learn from them?
In the beginning, there were multiple components of the practice that were put together quickly. Early on it became clear that some of the individuals did not understand our vision, and were incapable of making the changes we needed to achieve our goals. This required us to make changes in our personnel on both the medical and support staff side. The other issue involves a tendency to want to grow too fast. If you do not have the right support staff in place, you can not provide the right quality of service.
Tell us a little bit about your marketing process, what has been the most successful form of marketing for you?
- Our marketing strategy initially relies on providing surgical and medical services superior to our competitors.
- Secondly, we have hired an experienced business manager who can market our product aggressively to the clients we hope to serve.
- Thirdly we take the time to educate our patient and referral sources on the treatment we provide.
What is the one thing you wish you knew before starting your business?
The extensive amount of time, energy, and expense it takes to get the practice off the ground.
Although you may be a great surgeon with a good product, you have to work your way into the market. It is critical that you can financially survive the time it takes for the practice to be cash flow positive.
Can you recommend one book, one podcast, and one online course for entrepreneurs and authors?
“Good to Great” by Jim Collins.
If you only had $1000 dollars to start a new business, knowing everything you know now, howwould you spend it?
I believe money would be best spent on researching the market you are planning to enter, as well as knowing who your competitors and clients are.
What is your favorite quote?
“If it doesn’t challenge you, it won’t change you.”
What’s your best piece of advice for aspiring and new entrepreneurs?
Success is a slow and steady process. It’s a marathon, not a sprint.
How can we get in touch with you?
My email is the dgreenwald@compmd.com
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