Wildfire Labs grad launches platform to wipe out medical debt
By Michelle Pawelski
In December 2020, Tamara Morrow opened her mailbox to find a letter that would change her life. It wasn’t another bill, but the opposite — a letter stating that her medical debt had been paid off by a local church.
“There was no contact information, no way to know who had helped. It really was just an act of radical kindness,” she said. “I wondered why this didn’t exist all the time.”
That moment stuck with her. She had undergone multiple surgeries that left her with thousands of dollars in bills, and as a longtime social worker, she knew firsthand the weight of medical debt. “Medical debt causes people to file bankruptcy, and the number one reason for first-time homelessness is bankruptcy,” Tamara said. “Every day I helped people with social security disability and VA disability, connecting them with medical providers and getting treatment. I witnessed firsthand how medical debt was affecting people — not just financially but mentally.”
Her experience, both as a patient burdened with medical debt and as a social worker walking alongside others in crisis, sparked a question: What if homelessness could be prevented by wiping out medical debt while at the same time connecting families with the churches that helped?
That question grew into Do Good, a software platform that links churches with local hospitals, adding a personal touch. Tamara recently graduated from Wildfire Labs and is now moving her family from Oklahoma to Rapid City to expand her startup.
Morrow first laid the groundwork for Do Good in 2023 while participating in Leadership Tulsa, a community leadership development program connecting diverse leaders who want to make a difference in the community. Do Good began as her Leadership Tulsa community project. During that same year, she began working with Builders and Backers, another startup accelerator. “They really helped with my initial research, but no churches really picked it up at the time. It was all data-driven, and there was no story component.”
That changed when Mike Vetter, co-founder of Wildfire Labs, reached out to Tamara. “He was at a convention in Washington, D.C., and he heard about my project,” she said. “That transformed my community project into a full-scale computer program.”
Tamara partnered with friend and longtime debt collector Brian Hines. The two meet with churches to discuss the amount of community outreach funds they will contribute. Brian then negotiates with local medical providers to buy as much medical debt as possible with that money.
Instead of a debt collection notice, individuals and families receive a postcard with a QR code stating, “We paid off this medical debt.” The QR code leads to a website that features a message from the church along with a list of community classes, groups, and other events.
For three months, if families opt in, a follow-up campaign continues the connection, offering resources and asking what other barriers they may face. “We give that information to the church so they may be able to help the community members beyond paying for the medical debt,” Tamara said.
The families receiving support live in the same communities as the churches. Do Good partners with hospitals within 30 miles of the need, if possible. So far, Tamara is working with churches in Oklahoma, North Dakota, New Mexico, and Missouri, already building connections to relieve medical debt and give families some much-needed peace of mind.
And she is not stopping there. Aside from building up her list of partner churches, Tamara has added additional apps — DD Presenter and Do Good Pastor — to her platform, providing technology that assists with everyday tasks like creating slide presentations and speech writing.
Tamara envisions building a comprehensive, affordable software platform designed to serve all church needs. For now, she is focused on relocating her husband, Branden, and their children, Octavian and Hadrian, to Rapid City, where she will continue to grow the next chapter of Do Good.
The October 2025 issue of Elevate Magazine is now available! Inside, you’ll find inspiring stories of innovation, leadership, and community across the Black Hills.
This story was originally published in the October 2025 issue of Elevate Magazine.
