Why We Built TeleCurbMD

TeleCurbMD was born out of frustration, not inspiration.

As practicing, board-certified dermatologists in Southern California, we have spent years on both sides of the referral system. We have been the specialists receiving referrals months after they were placed. We have been the physicians reviewing cases that could have been addressed far earlier. And we have seen, repeatedly, how delays in specialty input create unnecessary suffering, inefficiency, and cost. We also saw something else. Many of the questions primary care clinicians ask specialists do not require an in-person visit. They require timely guidance, context, and expertise. What primary care needs most often is not a referral. It is an answer.

The problem we kept seeing

Across specialties, the same structural issues came up again and again:

Specialist expertise is scarce.
Referrals introduce delay, not answers.
Delay worsens outcomes and drives cost.
Primary care clinicians are left managing complexity without support.

In many cases, the system forces patients to wait weeks or months for a specialty visit when what was needed was a clear, evidence-based recommendation within days.

At the same time, specialists are overwhelmed with in-person volume, administrative burden, and inefficiencies that leave little room for thoughtful consultative work.

This disconnect is not due to lack of effort or talent. It is due to a system that was not designed for how medicine is actually practiced today.

The insight that changed everything

The insight was simple but powerful.

Most specialty questions do not require a visit.
They require expertise.

Primary care clinicians want to do the right thing for their patients. They want to manage more care in-house, maintain continuity, and avoid unnecessary referrals. What they need is fast access to trusted specialist judgment.

Specialists want to help. Many enjoy consultative work and teaching. What they need is a model that respects their time, preserves accountability, and fits into real clinical lives.

eConsults bridge this gap.

When done well, eConsults deliver guidance without slowing care. They reduce unnecessary referrals, improve access, and allow patients to stay where care works best, with their primary care clinician.

Why we built TeleCurbMD

We built TeleCurbMD to make high-quality specialty expertise accessible within 24 hours, without sacrificing judgment, accountability, or human connection.

TeleCurbMD is built on a few core principles:

• Physician to physician only
  
• Advisory-only specialty guidance
  
• Board-certified specialists
  
• Asynchronous and secure
  
• Designed to fit into real clinical workflows
  

Every consult on TeleCurbMD is reviewed by a real, credentialed specialist who practices clinically and understands nuance, risk, and context. Our specialists do not replace the treating clinician. They support them.

Technology enables the connection. Human expertise delivers the answer.

Why the human element matters

Healthcare is increasingly shaped by technology. We welcome that progress. Tools that improve efficiency, access, and information flow are essential to modern medicine.

But clinical judgment cannot be automated.

Complex medical decisions involve tradeoffs, uncertainty, and responsibility. They require experience and accountability. That is why TeleCurbMD is intentionally built around board-certified physicians, not algorithms.

We believe technology should amplify clinicians, not replace them.

Who we are

TeleCurbMD was founded by two practicing physicians.

Kourosh Beroukhim, MD and Benjamin Farahnik, MD are board-certified dermatologists based in Los Angeles. We continue to practice medicine while building TeleCurbMD because staying close to patient care keeps us honest about what works and what does not.

We built TeleCurbMD for the clinicians we work alongside every day.

Where we are going

Our mission is to reduce specialty bottlenecks, strengthen primary care, and expand access to timely expertise across the healthcare system.

We are starting with a focused, physician-led approach and will continue to grow thoughtfully across specialties, care settings, and communities.

The future of medicine depends on speed, access, and collaboration. It also depends on preserving the human judgment at the center of care.

TeleCurbMD exists to bring those together.

Specialty expertise. Without the wait.