We are passionate about improving healthcare for everyone.
We believe that accessing healthcare should be safe, simple and low cost without compromising quality. Our team is committed to helping people have delightful healthcare experiences.
Net Promoter Score (NPS)
+79
Patient NPS
+81
Client NPS
Best Workplaces 2022-2024
Fastest Growing Companies 2018-2024
Chicago's Fastest 50 Growing Companies
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2023 Well-Being Trailblazer
Award Name
ABOUT US
Bringing care that people love® from the team that loves what they do.
Who We Are
Teira Gunlock
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
Teira (TEER-UH) joined First Stop Health in 2015 with an aim to make healthcare the way it should be: accessible, affordable and delightful.
As an experienced healthcare professional, she spent her early career in healthcare market research and consulted with leading health systems across the country to help them better use patient and physician experience data to improve care. She is well-versed in the fact that “good” is never good enough and commits herself daily to improving First Stop Health’s service, so the company may, in turn, improve the state of healthcare.
She has worn several hats at First Stop Health and has touched nearly every part of the business first-hand: from product development to client care and sales to physician network management. Now, as Chief Executive Officer, she guides the organization’s efforts on growth and patient impact.
First Stop Health’s values are Caring, Unrelenting, Trusted and Transparent, and Teira takes every opportunity to weave those values into her lead-by-example leadership style. Her colleagues describe her as a learner and a teacher. She dedicates herself to building trust with those inside and outside of the organization, and focuses on coaching individuals and teams to the next level.
Teira grew up on a cattle farm in Southwest Missouri, where her interest in increasing access to care was born. She graduated from the University of Missouri with a bachelor's degree in philosophy and a master's degree in health administration.
In her spare time, Teira practices yoga, makes groan-worthy puns, and loves spending time in nature and with family.
Elizabeth Shannon
Chief Financial Officer
Elizabeth is an executive leader, communicator and motivator. With a strong base in sales and operational finance, she has served as a trusted business partner at companies like Motorola Solutions, Inc., Simeio Solutions, LLC and Threshold Brands, LLC. She has touched many departments throughout her career and has led finance, risk management, HR, legal, capital and corporate governance teams.
Elizabeth believes in open, transparent communication, and has successfully built and developed teams capable of navigating through periods of change and rapid growth. A hands-on and thoughtful leader, she manages teams with encouragement and logic.
Elizabeth began her career with Grant Thornton, LLP after graduating from Kennesaw State University with a bachelor’s degree in accounting. She stays active with her husband and 3 children at their home just north of Atlanta, GA. When she isn’t cheering at her kids’ baseball or soccer games, she enjoys going for a run or taking a barre class.
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Ben McInturff
Senior Vice President of Technology
Ben McInturff brings over two decades of experience in technology leadership and innovation to his role as Senior Vice President of Technology at First Stop Health. With a strong background in developing scalable technology solutions and driving organizational growth, Ben is instrumental in shaping the technological direction of First Stop Health.
As the first full-time employee of First Stop Health, Ben helps to foster and mold the technology stack that empowers the engineering and product teams. Prior to joining, Ben held several key positions where he honed his expertise in software engineering and product development, including experience in the finance and news verticals.
In his current role, Ben McInturff oversees the engineering teams responsible for developing and maintaining First Stop Health's healthcare delivery platform, ensuring it meets the highest standards of security, reliability, and user experience. His leadership is pivotal in driving innovation and maintaining First Stop Health's position as a leader in the telehealth industry, and he thrives in mentoring and building top-performing teams around him. His passion for leveraging technology to enhance healthcare accessibility and quality is evident in his strategic initiatives at First Stop Health.
Ben values authenticity and believes in fostering a work environment where individuals can thrive by being their true selves. He advocates for work-life balance, understanding its crucial role in maintaining productivity and well-being. Ben encourages a culture of respect and inclusivity, where diverse perspectives are celebrated and contribute to innovative solutions. Ben holds an MBA from Stuart School of Business and a bachelor’s degree in computer science from the Illinois Institute of Technology. Outside of work, Ben enjoys restoring his classic 1954 Ford F-100 pickup truck, triathlon multisport training and events, and an occasional video game with his family.
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Elena Gambon
Chief Strategy Officer & Chief Growth Officer
Elena is a market strategy and product growth leader who is passionate about delivering quality, high-engagement and equitable digital health solutions to the market. She is responsible for all new and existing client growth, marketing, and product collaborations at First Stop Health.
Elena has worked in and held leadership positions in employee-focused digital healthcare since 2014, with experience in operations management, product and business development at Compass Professional Health Services (now Alight Solutions) and digital health venture as a former Rock Health Research Fellow and Flare Capital Academic Scholar. Elena has also supported growth, financing strategy, and new market research for several leading digital health entities, investment firms and clinical providers as an independent consultant.
Elena has earned a BS in Spanish, Biology and Psychology from Washington University in St. Louis, an MBA and Business Analytics Certificate from University of California, Berkeley, Haas School of Business, and an MPH in Health Policy and Management from University of California, Berkeley.
Lauren DeWulf
Chief of Staff
Lauren joined First Stop Health in 2019 as an Account Manager on the Client Care team. During her time here, she has also spearheaded new positions on the Sales and Product teams as Regional Sales Director and Lead Project Manager. In these roles, she collected cross-functional knowledge that served as a launchpad for her growth into the Chief of Staff position.
Lauren’s colleagues describe her as a trusted and unrelenting team player (two of our company’s core values) who is a general encyclopedia of all things FSH. Her passion for people and focus on fostering team-oriented environments are crucial for the day-to-day and overall success of FSH. Lauren’s expertise on putting the whole picture together, strategically communicating across teams, streamlining processes, and connecting the dots helps FSH as a whole work collaboratively toward the common goal of providing care that people love.
Lauren is originally from Lake Bluff, IL and graduated with a BA in Communication from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She began her career doing public relations in the wine industry and is a Certified Specialist of Wine (CSW). Outside of work, you’re most likely to find Lauren lost in a good book, trying a new recipe in the kitchen, or planning her next trip.
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Cole Barfield, MD, MBA
Chief Medical Officer
Dr. Barfield joined First Stop Health in 2024 to make care more accessible, affordable and enjoyable for patients.
Dr. Barfield is a board-certified Internal medicine physician. He spent the first ten years of his career as a primary care physician taking care of patients in the inpatient, outpatient, and virtual settings. He loves being a primary care physician and enjoys relationships with patients.
Alongside his practice, in 2013, he co-founded and served as Chief Medical Officer (CMO) of Wellview Health which later merged with Sentry Health in 2021. He continued as CMO and in late 2023, Sentry Health was acquired by First Stop Health. He is honored to now serve as Chief Medical Officer for First Stop Health.
The First Stop Health values are Caring, Unrelenting, Trustworthy, and Transparent, and Dr. Barfield puts these values into practice every day with his work. He leads the clinical team with the goal of providing timely and effective care that our patients Love. He oversees the clinical strategy and implementation for our core product offerings, including Virtual Urgent Care, Virtual Enhanced Primary Care, and Virtual Mental Health.
Dr. Barfield was born and raised in Nashville, TN. He graduated from Princeton University. He received his medical degree (MD) and also his master’s in business administration (MBA) from Vanderbilt University. He completed his residency in internal medicine at Vanderbilt.
In his spare time, he loves spending time on adventures with his family. He is married with three kids. He loves to be outdoors whether it is playing sports, hiking, running, or tennis.
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