We recently connected with Susan Herson, MD and have shared our conversation below.

Susan, appreciate you joining us today. Have you ever experienced a times when your entire field felt like it was taking a U-Turn?

I spoke tonight at Cornell University to Rho Psi sorority about several U-turns on the path to becoming a physician and then an entrepreneur. The first was a change in major. I was a student of Industrial and Labor Relations and graduated with honors but my last 3 credits were the completion of an Emergency medical Technician EMT) certificate. I had to petition the academic committee for approval. Almost all other students went to law school or found jobs in Human Resources. It was a summer job that sparked my interest in medicine. I had worked since I was 12 doing odd jobs. But, the summer between junior and senior year, my Dad said I did not have to earn money, I could take an unpaid internship so I volunteered at the local ER. I was so impressed by the physician who could speak so calmly and empathetically to sick people. He was smart and spoke Spanish. From then on, I knew I wanted to become a doctor. Unfortunately, I only taken 1 science class, Planet Earth which meant I had to attend a Post-Baccalaureate Pre-Med program. I waitressed as I took Biology, Physics, Chemistry and Calculus then my MCATs. The day I was accepted to Medical School was one of my happiest. I was in Maryland visiting my brother Tom when I got the call from my roommate MaryEllen that a letter had arrived. MaryEllen read those words “You’ve been accepted” and I was overjoyed to say the least. Tom and I rode our bikes down to the waterfront to celebrate with a cool beverage that fateful summer.
I have had many other twists and turns. I was 10 years a Hospitalist in Norwalk, CT. I was a clinician but did 5 other jobs along the way. I was giving a presentation to surgeons about who to improve their documentation. At the end, an ENT surgeon asked if anyone wanted to volunteer in Ethiopia. That was the start of my Global Health experience. Even as Chief of Staff of the VA, I was able to volunteer for Disaster Emergency Management Services (DEMPS).
Now, as an entrepreneur, my career has taken another U-turn. I keep up my clinical skills as a Primary Care provider at Cornell Health but founding remMD was one of the hardest roles I have ever taken on. Work never ends but my company is based on improving public health and safety. The bigger mission keeps my going despite many setbacks. It is my veteran community that also keeps me going.

Susan, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Dad was my hero. He served in the Navy and became a physician on the GI bill. In his 90s, Dad had dementia and began to fall. Conventional cane lights existed but he would never have remembered to turn one on or charge one. I founded remMD to offer Glow Guide, the gift of enhanced mobility. I am Susan Herson, MD, a physician & Navy veteran like my Dad. Glow Guide is the easy-to-use safety accessory for canes that glows in the dark then lights paths automatically. Perfect for travel & nighttime navigation, Glow Guide provides instant illumination and an Apple Locator Tag to find canes. Glow Guide is peace of mind for my family and yours.

remMD is my physician-, female- and veteran-owned business offering innovative mobility solutions designed to enhance safety and independence. remMD is committed to supporting those living with chronic pain, arthritis, dementia, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, stroke, balance, spine or memory problems, or recovering from hip or knee replacement surgery, ensuring brighter nights lead to more good days.

Our remMD team designs for safety, dignity and reimagines healthcare from the ground up. Caregivers and providers enthusiastically endorse the value of remMD. In 2025, two more potentially life-saving safety products will be shared globally.

Putting training and knowledge aside, what else do you think really matters in terms of succeeding in your field?

Attending the Boots to Business class as a veteran started my path to entrepreneurship. It was so good, I took it twice, once online and then locally in person. The veteran community is strong and they clearly wanted us to succeed. The steps were laid out in a way that it seemed easy to succeed. Running a business had by far been more challenging than medical school, residency and military service. IVMF in Syracuse, NY has been instrumental in keeping my business moving forward. I attended V-WISE in Slat Lake City in 2024 with all female entrepreneurs. The energy within the conference was contagious. I just completed Founders Lab by IVMF and 8 week intensive workshop to focus leaders and get them to move past bottlenecks.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

Having a medical degree comes with built-in vetting. People mostly trust doctors. The truth though is that my products were developed for my parents. It was not until I was a caregiver that I understood the shortfalls of existing medical equipment. I saw people in the ED for 10 years, many of whom had fallen. But when my father, also a physician and Navy veteran, began to develop dementia, I was so concerned. I knew he needed to get up every night to use the bathroom because, like most men over 65, his prostate had enlarged. I had installed lights over his bed so he would not knock lamps off the table. Unfortunately, he would not reach up overhead to turn them on. Instead, he would slowly make his way in the dark. He had already fallen twice and it took 2 people to pick up one (we only had 1 aide at a time). There were conventional cane lights but he would never have remembered to turn one on or charge one. He had gotten a free Life Alert from the VA that he never once charged. This was the impetus for my company and the creation of Glow Guide.

Then my Mom had a devastating stroke. She would hide the fact that she was falling at night. It was only when her eye was bruised that we realized she was too independent-minded to be willing to use a cane. Slowly she saw the benefit as being greater that the appear of “weakness” with a mobility device.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://remMD.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rem__md/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61575673224920
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/susan-herson-md-77262898/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@rem_MD
• Other:
  https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61583828073855 (glow guide page)

Image Credits

Susan Herson