1. Tell us about the journey since Ponto Care’s launch.
Even though I’m a physician, Ponto Care was created to fulfill a personal need I had as a glaucoma patient. I was frustrated about having to visit an ophthalmology clinic every 6 months; but had to do so because of eye exams that are only available in clinics.
That made me wonder: why couldn’t exams come to patients? And that’s why Ponto Care was created: to do just that.
This is a simple idea, but one that required interdisciplinary collaboration with leading organizations; after all, we had to build a smart mobile exam infrastructure to re-create and staff the exam room wherever the patient chooses to be; using the same protocols, equipment, and staff employed in clinics; while ensuring the experience was seamless, safe, and cost-efficient.
Here’s how it works:
1. Once you book your appointment, we bring the exam room and examiner to wherever you choose to be – let’s say your home, or workplace.
2. While you are being examined, we’re using mixed reality and 5G connectivity to enable your doctor to virtually participate in your remote exam.
3. And finally, your doctor can use the exam data collected to provide comprehensive virtual healthcare.
In a nutshell, this is how Ponto Care delivers an experience that is fundamentally safer and more convenient than what is offered in clinics, while keeping your trusted doctor engaged throughout the entire medical evaluation process.
2. How are you applying transformative technology to create a positive impact?
We are leveraging Microsoft’s mixed reality tools, Verizon’s 5G connectivity, and cutting-edge process automation to efficiently mobilize healthcare. And what excites us the most is that this mobilization of healthcare has a pretty profound impact not only on patients, doctors, and businesses, but on society at large. Just imagine that 1 Ponto Exam vehicle can save 20-40 commuter trips in a given day, while making healthcare more available off-hours, on weekends, and in residential areas.
3. What has been your biggest challenge as founder, and how have you learned from it?
While the COVID pandemic significantly increased the demand for virtual care (and the Ponto Care offering), we had to take a step back to double down on sterilization, quality assurance, and privacy measures. This safety and privacy-first mandate created challenges that led to further innovation and offering differentiation. It took us longer to get ready to scale and serve patients, but these adjustments were well worth it.
4. What role has Newlab played in helping you advance Ponto Care?
Newlab was essential in helping us connect and forge strong alliance with top organizations. At Newlab, we also had the opportunity to test and develop our solution in a safe environment filled with top talent.
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