Origin of “MEDIS”
Several people have asked me about the origin of the company name, “MEDIS” (pronounced mĕd-is).
While in the U.S. Air Force in the early 1990s, an acquaintance based in Florida asked me to evaluate potential malpractice cases for plaintiff and defense attorneys. I enjoyed the challenge and found that I was able to resolve/prevent unwarranted lawsuits and help plaintiff attorneys focus on where clinicians/health systems may have deviated from accepted standards of care.
After separation from the military, I joined the faculty at Vanderbilt University (1993) and started an Executive MBA program (1994). My spouse and I wanted to start a home business and explored a few different ideas. Eventually, given my experience with medical case reviews and growing professional connections, we decided to build a network of experts to do medical case reviews with a longer-term goal to create direct-to-patient guidance and advocacy support services. This broader intent influenced the company name. Rather than a focus on “medical review” or “medical case review” we wanted a name that reflected the goal to provide and share medical information for multiple purposes. Putting “MEDical” with “Information” and “Services” led us to launch “MEDIS” as a Domestic Limited-Liability Company in September 1997.
Our neighbor in Nashville was a graphic designer and drafted some logos for our consideration. We wanted to emphasize the “M,” relate it to medicine without being too clinical, and project strength, confidence, and stability. After just a few iterations, John S. created what became the MEDIS logo. Over several years, including a move to Maryland in 1999, we operated MEDIS with modest success. However, when I took the Vice President role at the American College of Physicians in 2005, I decided that medical case review could create a potential conflict of interest since I worked for a medical professional society. We decided to dissolve the LLC in 2006.
Around 2009, I sketched out a business plan for “MEDIS Online” – a small clinical practice providing in-home and virtual care focused on wellness. Ironically, the cost of medical malpractice was prohibitively expensive.
Fast forward to October 2021…and MEDIS, LLC is now a healthcare consulting company. Same name. Same logo. Different focus.