John Shufeldt

John Shufeldt brings over 35 years of experience in leading high-performing teams, pioneering healthcare innovations, and shaping future leaders. He earned his BA from Drake University in 1982 and his MD from the University of Health Sciences/The Chicago Medical School in 1986. Following his Emergency Medicine Residency at Christ Hospital and Medical Center—where he served as Chief Resident in his final year—he expanded his expertise by obtaining an MBA in 1995 and a Juris Doctorate in 2005, both from Arizona State University. He is a member of the Arizona State Bar, the Federal District Court, and the U.S. Supreme Court, alongside affiliations with the American Board of Emergency Medicine, College of Legal Medicine, and the American College of Emergency Physicians. His commitment to continuous learning led him to earn a Six Sigma Black Belt from Arizona State University’s Fulton School of Engineering in 2015, a certificate in Artificial Intelligence from MIT’s Sloan School of Management in 2019, and a certificate in Entrepreneurship and Innovation from Harvard in 2022.

In 1993, John founded NextCare, Inc., growing it from a single clinic to a network of 60 facilities across six states, generating nearly $100 million in revenue. He later co-founded Empower Emergency Physicians and continues to practice emergency medicine at St. Joseph’s Hospital and other locations. After stepping down as CEO of NextCare in 2010, he launched MeMD, LLC, a telehealth platform connecting more than 500 medical and mental health professionals with patients nationwide. Walmart acquired MeMD in 2021 as part of its Omni Channel Healthcare Initiative.

John’s entrepreneurial drive led to the creation of Tribal Health in 2015, addressing critical healthcare disparities in Indigenous communities. Under his leadership, the organization has grown to employ over 470 professionals across 51 Native American healthcare facilities. In 2021, he founded Xcellerant Ventures, a venture capital firm supporting emerging health-tech startups, successfully closing its first fund with $25 million in capital. Xcellerant has since launched two additional funds focused on early-stage and growth-stage companies. In 2025, he co-founded VivaMed BioPharma, a multinational drug development company managing over one hundred and fifty molecules.

A prolific author, John has written and collaborated on numerous books, including Textbook of Urgent Care Medicine, Textbook of Urgent Care Management, Contract Issues for Emergency Medicine Physicians, and multiple titles in the Outliers and Leadership series. In 2021, Forbes published his book Entrepreneur Rx: The Physician’s Guide to Starting a Business. A sought-after speaker, he has delivered talks on platforms like TEDx at ASU and the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law Commencement. His editorial contributions include serving as Health Law Editor for the Journal of Urgent Care Medicine and Editor-in-Chief for Urgent Care Alert and ED Legal Bulletin. His latest work, Empathy, is a novella exploring physician mental health.

John’s academic contributions include his role as an adjunct professor at Arizona State University’s W.P. Carey School of Business, where he taught Health Law and Ethics, and   he currently serves as a Distinguished Professor of Practice in the School of Medicine and Advanced Medical Engineering. He also lectures at the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law on Alternative Dispute Resolution and Health Law Entrepreneurism. His community involvement spans leadership roles such as past president of the Men’s Anti-Violence Network and board member for various organizations. He also served for over a decade as Medical Director for the Phoenix Police SWAT Special Assignment Unit.

Beyond his contributions to healthcare and law, John is an accomplished aviator with more than 5,500 hours holding an Airline Transport Pilot Rating with expertise in multiple fixed- and rotor-wing aircraft.