Event Recap: Physician-Entrepreneurs Transforming Canadian Health Tech
Exploring the Role of Canadian Physicians in Health Tech Innovation at UCalgary's Medical School's event: The Innovative Physician
Last week, we attended an insightful event where physician-entrepreneurs shared their journeys in building companies that address critical pain points in Canadian healthcare. A recurring theme was how these doctors-turned-entrepreneurs identified specific gaps in the system based on their clinical experience and created tech solutions to bridge them.
Here’s a closer look at the companies represented, the healthcare challenges they are tackling, and the innovative solutions they’ve developed.
Cherry Health 🍒
Tackling the Locum Crisis in Canada
Cherry Health, founded by Dr. Jordan Vollrath, addresses a significant challenge in the Canadian healthcare system: finding locum physicians.
Locuming, or temporary physician staffing, is essential in filling gaps caused by physician shortages. However, the process of finding locums has traditionally been fragmented, inefficient, and time-consuming for both clinics and doctors.
Cherry Health solves this by creating a centralized platform that connects locum physicians with clinics in real-time, simplifying the job search for doctors and easing recruitment for healthcare facilities. This innovation ensures that communities in need of medical services aren’t left without coverage, particularly in rural areas, while also providing physicians more flexible work opportunities. The impact? Faster placements, fewer gaps in care, and better healthcare outcomes.
Dr. Vollrath discussed the early challenges of building a functional team and platform, but emphasized that adaptability and continuous learning were key to Cherry Health’s success. Today, the platform is used across Canada, helping to ensure that clinics are staffed when they need it most.
Ava EMR 🫀
Streamlining Medical Records for Better Patient Care
The importance of electronic medical record (EMR) systems in modern healthcare cannot be overstated. EMRs are critical for maintaining patient data, streamlining clinical workflows, and enabling communication between healthcare providers. However, many existing EMR systems are clunky and inefficient, leading to administrative bottlenecks that take valuable time away from patient care.
Enter Ava EMR, founded by Dr. Mike Foreseth. Ava offers a faster, more intuitive EMR platform that reduces screen time for doctors and allows them to focus on what matters most—caring for patients. Ava EMR integrates scheduling, charting, lab management, and billing all in one simple interface, making it easy for clinics to operate more efficiently. Designed by doctors for doctors, the platform takes into account the daily frustrations of healthcare providers, ensuring a more seamless user experience.
Dr. Foreseth highlighted the importance of finding the right co-founder, especially a technical one, to help build the platform. He also emphasized that listening to feedback from users—clinicians themselves—has been instrumental in making Ava a solution that truly enhances the efficiency of medical practices.
ResolvMD 📄
Easing the Administrative Burden of Physician Billing
In Canada, many physicians are faced with the challenge of properly billing for their services. The process is often complicated and time-consuming, leading to many doctors underbilling for the work they’ve done. This administrative burden not only affects physicians financially but also reduces the time they can spend with patients.
ResolvMD, founded by Dr. Marshall Ross, seeks to alleviate this issue by offering AI-driven tools that help physicians bill more accurately and efficiently. ResolvMD automates much of the billing process, reducing errors and ensuring that doctors are paid for the services they provide. Additionally, it streamlines communication between doctors and patients, further reducing the administrative load on clinicians.
Dr. Ross noted that while research can lead to important healthcare advancements, entrepreneurship allowed him to create a solution that directly addresses the inefficiencies he witnessed in clinical practice. By helping physicians recover valuable time and reduce financial loss, ResolvMD plays a key role in improving the healthcare ecosystem.
Challenges and Opportunities in Canadian Health Tech Innovation
While Canada has a strong healthcare system, it faces significant bureaucratic barriers that can slow down innovation, particularly compared to the U.S. market. Many physician-entrepreneurs at the event highlighted how navigating these barriers—regulatory hurdles, slower adoption of new technologies, and fragmented funding—can make it difficult for startups to thrive. However, they also emphasized the immense opportunity within the Canadian market. The relative lack of health tech innovation, compared to the U.S., creates a wide-open field for solving real, pressing problems.
What’s more, innovation in health tech has the potential to save the Canadian healthcare system significant dollars. By improving efficiency and reducing administrative burdens, these solutions allow physicians to spend more time with patients or see more patients within the same time frame. This leads to better outcomes for patients, fewer operational bottlenecks, and ultimately, cost savings on a broader scale. For example, streamlined EMR systems or automated billing solutions don’t just improve the day-to-day work of healthcare professionals—they also save time, reduce errors, and create more room for physicians to focus on care delivery.
The demand for digital health solutions is growing, with clinics and hospitals increasingly recognizing the need for streamlined systems. This means that while it may take time to break through the initial barriers, the potential impact and market for health tech solutions in Canada is significant.
The Future of Health Tech in Canada
The event highlighted the significant role physician-entrepreneurs are playing in transforming Canadian healthcare. Whether it’s addressing locum shortages, streamlining EMR systems, or easing the burden of physician billing, these companies are making tangible improvements to the healthcare system. Their stories underscore the power of innovation in solving real-world problems and the potential for technology to drive lasting change in healthcare.
For anyone inspired by these pioneers, the advice is clear: find a gap in the system, build the right team, and be ready to learn and adapt. The future of health tech is bright, and there’s no shortage of opportunities to make an impact.
Looking for Funding? Check These Resources
For health tech entrepreneurs navigating Canada’s unique funding landscape, here are several valuable options:
• Alberta Innovates: Offers grants and support to innovators and startups in Alberta’s health tech sector.
• University of Alberta Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry Health Innovation Hub: Provides funding, mentorship, and innovation space for medical entrepreneurs.
• BDC Capital’s Health Venture Fund: Focused on transformative health tech, this fund supports early- and growth-stage companies enhancing healthcare.
• Canadian Technology Accelerator (CTA): Connects Canadian health tech companies with U.S. markets, offering mentorship and funding through partnerships.
• Mitacs Accelerate: Pairs health tech startups with academic research, providing funding for collaborative R&D.
How to Search for Funding
Finding funding for health tech projects requires a proactive approach. Here are a few strategies to help you get started:
• Explore Government Portals: Government websites like Canada’s Innovation, Science, and Economic Development (ISED) offer directories for funding programs, grants, and incentives in technology and innovation sectors.
• Join Health Innovation Hubs: Universities, like U Alberta’s Health Innovation Hub, often provide incubators or hubs that guide startups toward available funding and connect founders with key resources.
• Network and Attend Events: Health tech conferences and networking events are prime opportunities to connect with investors and learn about potential funding sources. Platforms like Eventbrite and LinkedIn often list relevant events in health tech and innovation.
• Use Online Databases: Websites like Futurpreneur Canada and Fundica provide tools to match startups with suitable funding sources based on their specific needs and stage.
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