listen to the full interview at the bottom of this article
The Texas Medical Center ecosystem is an unparalleled life science platform with the capacity to facilitate multi-disciplinary and multi-industry collaboration.
At the core, the largest medical city in the world is a vast network that shares the unifying objective of improving healthcare for providers and patients through life science innovation. This is the foundational principle of the TMCi Biodesign – a full-time, paid program for entrepreneurs to create digital health and medical device solutions which address a clinical need.
Every Biodesign founder’s journey has the goal of improving health care and patient outcomes, it all begins in one place – in the clinic. One of our advisors, Dr. Glenn Davis has firsthand experience in the healthcare innovation life cycle as a private practice owner and co-founder at Hamilton Health Box – which provides primary care solutions via onsite micro clinics to create convenient access for organizations.
The first step in the Biodesign process is identifying the relationship between a clinical need and how to create a solution that integrates into everyday operations. Dr. Davis is an advisor to Biodesign spinout – ParaDocs Health, an onsite automation solution for non-clinical tasks that allow physicians to spend more face-to-face time with patients.
Dr. Omar Mohtar, President and CEO of ParaDocs Health was a part of the 2021-2022 cohort. After spending time in Dr. Davis’ clinic and undertaking his own independent research, he found out that physicians spend about 40% to 60% of their working time on non-clinical tasks. Dr. Mohtar saw the opportunity to improve the efficiency of general medical practices.
“These non-clinical tasks, they stack up on physicians, and it impedes their ability to interact with the patient. It’s the opposite of what we’re trained for,” says Dr. Glenn Davis. “What he saw was this opportunity to automate those tasks which increases the time a physician and a patient spend face to face.”
What makes our program so valuable is the access you gain through our community of entrepreneurs and mentors like Dr. Glenn Davis who understand the innovation life cycle. A successful startup requires an informed perspective and dedication in the long run. The ability to take feedback and use it to pivot a product is what will give a startup the critical edge in making a successful entry into TMC’s healthcare marketplace and ultimately improving patient outcomes.
Clarifying how a product integrates into a clinical practice is essential to start-up success, and what ultimately gives the business traction. Successful founders understand clinical workflow, from patient interactions to post-visit documentation. The nuances needed for successful integration are revealed through pilot programs with advisors like Dr. Davis.
“The way I think about it is, to create something new, requires an extraordinary amount of perseverance. The personal growth, the knowledge, the self-development, that comes because of having that perseverance, that sacrifice is definitely worth it.” says Dr. Glenn. “If you believe in what they’re trying to do, and you’re able to convey that to the patient, you’re creating something new that will help the future.”
Biodesign applications are now open for MDs, PIs, engineers, and MBAs who would like to make life science entrepreneurship a part of their career journey. Go to our application page to learn more, the deadline is December 31st.
Listen to the full interview with Dr. Glenn Davis: