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Dr. Kara Hartl, who is dedicated to delivering healthcare to rural and underserved communities via technology such as telehealth

All About

Dr. Kara Hartl

Who she is and what she stands for

Mission

Dr. Kara Hartl’s mission has been the same since she was a child: make the world a better place. This driving force has guided her throughout her life, from extensive volunteering in her youth to becoming a doctor, founding her international nonprofit, and now harnessing technology to deliver the highest quality medical care to rural communities through telehealth and virtual care. Her dedication has never wavered. 

Dr. Kara has always believed in excellence, especially in medicine. Trained at Harvard University, UCSD, and the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, her education was exceptional and reinforced the notion that we should always practice exceptional medicine. The medical center she founded in Alaska was exactly that and is raising the bar of medicine in rural Alaska. She is now dedicated to bringing this exceptional standard to the rest of rural America. She is starting by creating a novel and exceptional model of telehealth for rural communities.

patients sit in a waiting room

About Troy Medical

a doctor in a white coat delivers care to rural communities via telehealth

About Troy Medical

Troy Medical is a new generation telehealth company, offering long-term management of chronic disease by highly trained specialists. Born from the ashes of the COVID pandemic, telehealth has been validated by both physicians and patients alike. Because of the expansion of telemedicine, we are now able to offer specialized medical care to areas where it was previously impossible to access. But medicine is so much more than just a doctor on the screen, and Troy Medical successfully offers the whole solution. 

Troy Medical has a “micro clinic” in the local community offering the necessary “on-the-ground” infrastructure in remote and underserved areas, with physicians living anywhere providing long-term, high-quality specialty medical care that is not locally available. Our dedicated medical assistant is there to offer emotional, social, and logistical support to help patients navigate the complex medical system. The doctors commit to the long-term care of the patient as if they lived next door. The highest quality of care can now be delivered to patients like never before.

Troy Medical is setting the gold standard for the long-term use of telehealth to manage chronic conditions in rural communities.

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What Patients Are Saying

I have lived in interior Alaska for over 20 years and have been lucky enough to have my health, until recently. I started experiencing some concerning neurological issues in early 2020 but there were literally no neurologists accessible to me. Troy Medical’s presence in Fairbanks has been a game changer, and the care provided felt more personal and thorough than most traditional medical appointments I’ve had. I’m just so grateful to be able to get this care!

Patient

I am writing this to tell of the kind service I received from Troy Medical. I had had several seizures and was in a dark place. I was in need of care immediately and Troy Medical was there for me. I was able to see a doctor when I needed it most. They helped get my seizures under control, ordered the right testing to determine if any damage had been done and I am walking back to health. I could not be more grateful. Thank you Troy Medical!

Patient

Finding specialty care in Fairbanks is rough. I needed to see a neurologist, and another local practice refused me multiple times. Troy Medical is conveniently located, and their staff (I’ve mainly interacted with Karen who I believe is a CMA) are phenomenal. My telehealth appointment with Dr. Mendez went fantastic. She is wonderful to work with and thorough. If you are looking for specialty care in Fairbanks, I 100% recommend Troy Medical.

Michaela W.

In 2004 a friend gave me the phone number to a Seattle clinic because my right wrist was very swollen and painful. I went to Seattle for 6 months and they decided I had RA. I went there every year for 14 years taking Humera and Methotrexate but the swelling never went down. I also went to Anchorage for 3 years and they took me off Humera.

Last March Troy Medical started and Dr. Khawaja became my TeleMed doctor in April. Since she started caring for me I am back on Humera at no cost and the swelling in my wrist is gone. I am pain free and have gotten my strength and movement back in my right wrist. I am thrilled with the results Troy Medical has given me.

Wally O.

I have really enjoyed my customer care at Troy Medical. Both Karen and Dr Khawaja are extremely helpful and very accommodating. I recommend them both!

Jim M.

I have lived in interior Alaska for over 20 years and have been lucky enough to have my health, until recently. I started experiencing some concerning neurological issues in early 2020 but there were literally no neurologists accessible to me. Troy Medical’s presence in Fairbanks has been a game changer, and the care provided felt more personal and thorough than most traditional medical appointments I’ve had. I’m just so grateful to be able to get this care!

Patient

My name is Lysbeth Skelly and I am writing this to tell of the kind service I received from Troy Medical. I had had several seizures and was in a dark place. I was in need of care immediately and Troy Medical was there for me. I was able to see a doctor when I needed it most. They helped get my seizures under control, ordered the right testing to determine if any damage had been done and I am walking back to health. I could not be more grateful. Thank you Troy Medical!”

Lysbeth S.

Doctor Goodwin and Nurse Ebanez are amazing! They took every step to ensure I received the best care.

Jenny R.

I’m highly impressed with the care I have received from both my doctor and clinic staff at Troy Medical. I was initially skeptical of telehealth, but my experience here has been extremely positive, resulting in substantial improvement of my health in a very short period of time.

N. D.

I saw CMA Karen & Dr. Mendez today. As someone who gets super anxious when seeing a new provider, this first visit was super low stress and actually quite pleasant. It was very nice to feel heard and understood.

Karla J.

Virtual Optix

Virtual Optix is at the forefront of medical technology to deliver medical education to patients and clinical support to staff using extended reality solutions. Our first product is due to launch in 2023, and this is just the beginning of what Virtual Optix has in store…

Learn More About Virtual Optix
a doctor in a white coat delivers care to rural communities via telehealth

Virtual Optix

Who is Dr. Kara?

Dr. Kara Hartl playing with a dog

Who is Dr. Kara?

Educated at Harvard University and University of California-San Diego Medical School, Dr. Kara Hartl has achieved national recognition as a medical expert and thought leader. After graduating from Harvard, Dr. Kara volunteered in a small clinic in rural Mexico, where she first saw the impact of limited medical care. This sparked her lifelong passion for international medicine and personal commitment to bringing the highest quality medical care that we ALL deserve into underserved areas.

After her ophthalmology training at Bascom Palmer, the #1 ranked eye hospital, Dr. Kara started her first clinic in Fairbanks, Alaska, committed to bringing this extraordinary quality of medicine to rural Alaskans. Over the next 15 years, she developed the most advanced eye hospital in the state of Alaska and founded her nonprofit, Gift of Sight.

In Alaska, Dr. Kara again saw firsthand the impact of limited access to medical care in smaller towns. She watched her own patients suffer needlessly and travel great distances because the doctors just weren’t available. And so, Dr. Kara refocused her passion and is harnessing technology to expand access to high-quality medical care across America.