The PACN Podcast - Dr. Damian McHugh, Curi (Part 1)

In this episode, Dr. John Pagan introduces PACN's newest partner, Curi — a physician-founded medical professional liability company with deep roots in the medical society movement. Dr. Damian McHugh, a former emergency physician turned physician advocate, shares the story of Curii's origins, what makes it different from conventional malpractice carriers, and why the partnership with PACN is a natural fit for independent physicians across Pennsylvania.

Key Highlights

Dr. McHugh's Path from Emergency Medicine to Curi Dr. McHugh practiced emergency medicine for 21 full-time years in the UNC system in North Carolina after completing a second emergency medicine residency at Chapel Hill. Originally from Britain, he came to the U.S. in 1997 and over time grew increasingly involved with what was then the Medical Mutual Insurance Company of North Carolina — the company that would rebrand as Curi in 2018. What drew him in wasn't just the liability product, but the company's culture: a genuine dedication to physicians at a time when physicians have fewer and fewer advocates. As his clinical career wound down, the move to Curi was a natural evolution. He now serves as Senior Vice President and Physician Liaison, working to bring a physician's perspective into the company's leadership and strategy.

What Is Curi? Curi is a physician-owned medical professional liability company — a mutual organization owned by its approximately 14,000 physician members, roughly 1,700 to 1,800 of whom practice in Pennsylvania. It was born in 1975 out of crisis: when malpractice providers began exiting the market en masse, the North Carolina Medical Society brought concerned physicians together and rapidly formed Medical Mutual to protect, support, and indemnify them. That physician-society origin is not just history — it continues to shape Curi's culture and priorities today. The company is selective about which practices it works with, deliberately associating itself with patient-centered, safety-focused physicians who prioritize quality and customer service.

Natural Synergy Between Curi and PACN Both organizations trace their roots to state medical societies — Curi to the North Carolina Medical Society, PACN to the Pennsylvania Medical Society — and both exist to serve the independent physician community with tools, advocacy, and support that larger institutions don't provide. Dr. McHugh described PACN's membership as precisely the kind of practice Curi wants to work with: hardworking,