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community Going Digital Incubators Help Two Local Companies Make Medical and Human Resources F rom health care to human resources, Gainesville-based technology companies RegisterPatient.com and Sawgrass Consulting Group are redefining the way those fields operate with their inventive new software. With the help of two incubators, Synogen and the Gainesville Technology Enterprise Center, these businesses are striving to achieve new levels of success by encouraging their respective industries to use Web-based tools with their own unique software programs. As RegisterPatient promises tomove medical records into the digital realm and Sawgrass Consulting develops software that will make their clients’ human resources departments more efficient, both companies aim to position themselves at the forefront of digital innovation in their respective fields. RegisterPatient.com is the brainchild of registered nurse David Williams, who wanted to create a company that would allow patients to register their medical and insurance information with various doctor’s offices in a paperless, digital format that would make it easier to transfer information between medical professionals. “I used to go talk to doctors all the time, and I noticed wheneverI went to a doctor’s office that therewere a whole lot of people doing paperwork,” Williams said. “I thought there might be an easier way to do it, so I came up with this idea to allow people to fill it out online.We knew we couldn’t do it using conventional email, so we started investigating ways to do it that were secure and that’s how this got started.” Since starting RegisterPatient four years ago, the company has expanded its business plan to include multiple tools for use by patients and doctors. While Williams originally planned to provide for patient registration alone, his Web site now offers users interactive medical diagrams and other tools for patients to use.TheWeb site and software was tested on about 30,000 people who registered with the company during its beta testing phase. OnEarthDay, April 22, RegisterPatient.com officially launched itsWeb site for widespread use. “We actually launched on Earth Day because we’re almost a totally green system,”Williams said. “You don’t need paper or anything.” The Web site is free for providers since it generates its revenue from advertisements. They may choose to upgrade to premium levels of membership for a fee. The company is also working with other businesses that are licensing its registration software for use with their products as well. RegisterPatient.com can help eliminate some of the major difficulties health-care professionals encounter on a daily basis, he said. For example, by working with RegisterPatient doctors are able to access a patient’s By Morgan Watkins | Photo by Footstone Photography medicalforms before they even comein for their appointment. This allows them to check their records and ensure a patient has provided all the information they need to receive proper medical attention from their provider. The site also provides checks on patients’ insurance policies for doctors to evaluate online. Another problem is that medical offices often use different filing WiPower's wireless charging technology could have huge applications for homes and offi ces. systems for medical records as well, which can make it difficult to process referrals for patients. RegisterPatient provides doctors with a common link that allows doctors to refer patients to other offices online and prevents patients from having to fill out the same forms at every new doctor’s office they visit. Medical professionals can instant message each other and share files through the RegisterPatientWeb site, and the company is working on developing a program similar to Skype for doctors to use online that will allow them to communicate with each other through streaming video, Williams said. Since RegisterPatient.com collects medical information from patients for use by various medical professionals, privacy is vital. TheWeb site uses encryption processes to keep all the information protected. RegisterPatient has been working with local incubator, Synogen, to develop a strong business model that will allow the company to expand and become increasingly successful. The company has worked with Synogen since May 2009, and the incubator has helped provide both technological help as well as strong business advice. “I work at a place where I can walk downto the end of the hall and talk 86 HOME Living In the Heart of Florida LivingInTheHeartOfFlorida.com
Going Digital: Incubators Help Two Local Companies Make Medical And Human Resources
Morgan Watkins
From health care to human resources, Gainesville-based technology companies RegisterPatient.com and Sawgrass Consulting Group are redefi ning the way those fi elds operate with their inventive new software.
With the help of two incubators, Synogen and the Gainesville Technology Enterprise Center, these businesses are striving to achieve new levels of success by encouraging their respective industries to use Web-based tools with their own unique software programs.
As RegisterPatient promises to move medical records into the digital realm and Sawgrass Consulting develops software that will make their clients’ human resources departments more effi cient, both companies aim to position themselves at the forefront of digital innovation in their respective fi elds.
RegisterPatient.com is the brainchild of registered nurse David Williams, who wanted to create a company that would allow patients to register their medical and insurance information with various doctor’s offi ces in a paperless, digital format that would make it easier to transfer information between medical professionals.
“I used to go talk to doctors all the time, and I noticed whenever I went to a doctor’s offi ce that there were a whole lot of people doing paperwork,” Williams said. “I thought there might be an easier way to do it, so I came up with this idea to allow people to fi ll it out online. We knew we couldn’t do it using conventional email, so we started investigating ways to do it that were secure and that’s how this got started.” Since starting RegisterPatient four years ago, the company has expanded its business plan to include multiple tools for use by patients and doctors. While Williams originally planned to provide for patient registration alone, his Web site now offers users interactive medical diagrams and other tools for patients to use. The Web site and software was tested on about 30,000 people who registered with the company during its beta testing phase.
On Earth Day, April 22, RegisterPatient.com offi cially launched its Web site for widespread use.
“We actually launched on Earth Day because we’re almost a totally green system,” Williams said. “You don’t need paper or anything.” The Web site is free for providers since it generates its revenue from advertisements. They may choose to upgrade to premium levels of membership for a fee. The company is also working with other businesses that are licensing its registration software for use with their products as well.
RegisterPatient.com can help eliminate some of the major diffi culties health-care professionals encounter on a daily basis, he said. For example, by working with RegisterPatient doctors are able to access a patient’s medical forms before they even come in for their appointment.
This allows them to check their records and ensure a patient has provided all the information they need to receive proper medical attention from their provider. The site also provides checks on patients’ insurance policies for doctors to evaluate online.
Another problem is that medical offi ces often use different fi ling systems for medical records as well, which can make it diffi cult to process referrals for patients. RegisterPatient provides doctors with a common link that allows doctors to refer patients to other offi ces online and prevents patients from having to fi ll out the same forms at every new doctor’s offi ce they visit. Medical professionals can instant message each other and share fi les through the RegisterPatient Web site, and the company is working on developing a program similar to Skype for doctors to use online that will allow them to communicate with each other through streaming video, Williams said.
Since RegisterPatient.com collects medical information from patients for use by various medical professionals, privacy is vital. The Web site uses encryption processes to keep all the information protected.
RegisterPatient has been working with local incubator, Synogen, to develop a strong business model that will allow the company to expand and become increasingly successful. The company has worked with Synogen since May 2009, and the incubator has helped provide both technological help as well as strong business advice.
“I work at a place where I can walk down to the end of the hall and talk To a guy who developed an Xbox 360 game, and then I can walk down to the other end of the hall to talk to a guy who worked in banking and can help me develop a new encryption,” Williams said, of his experience at Synogen. “It’s a nice environment because they’re all trying to create a business and we can use their different experiences. No one charges each other for anything, and we can bounce questions off each other.” Robert Castellucci, an associate at Synogen who serves as RegisterPatient’s operations manager, said the incubator started working with the company because of the important role it can play in the health care industry, as well as Williams’ strong dedication to the business.
“We’re hitting a very valuable and important niche,” Castellucci said. “I think we’re very well positioned to take over that niche, and I think there’s a lot of potential to expand.” While RegisterPatient helps medical records go digital, Sawgrass Consulting Group is changing the way their clients manage their human resources departments.
Sawgrass CEO Brent Ransom previously worked at the Institute of Public Safety in Gainesville, where he handled a lot of the human resources tests that fi re rescue professionals and other emergency personnel had to pass for hirings and promotions. When he decided to leave about four years ago to form Sawgrass Consulting, many of his clients followed him to his new business, giving the start-up company a built-in following.
“It’s always been my vision to have a comprehensive human resources consulting fi rm with a technology emphasis,” Ransom said of his decision to create Sawgrass. “You only get a few opportunities in life –rare opportunities, and I just took full advantage of it.” Sawgrass has several clients at both the local and national levels, which the company works with to provide advice on the criteria and tests needed to hire or promote employees for specifi c jobs. Sawgrass then helps develop the tests needed to score applicants based on a job’s agreed-upon requirements.
“We are a one-stop shop in the sense that these departments can outsource their HR to us and we can take care of it for them,” Ransom said.
The company is currently developing software that will allow clients to use their human resources tools electronically. Using an online portal, clients would be able to assess which requirements are necessary to apply for different jobs and then access the tests needed to evaluate applicants online, he said.
Sawgrass Consulting’s software would allow clients to have the scores for these tests reported back to them online, making the hiring and promotion process easier and more effi cient.
The software uses an algorithm to collect information on a client’s hiring requirements and job needs, and this information could then be used to develop training and recruitment programs for new hires or applicants, Ransom said. The Sawgrass software is currently in the development stage, and it will probably take about a year before the company can be converted to the software-based operation that he has envisioned.
Sawgrass offers clients a holistic business model that covers recruitment, hiring, employee development, promotion, and organizational work.
While Ransom originally worked mainly with law enforcement and similar professions, his company currently works with various campus police forces and local governments, among others. For example, Sawgrass works as a human resources consultant with the campus police forces for the University of Florida, Stanford University and the University of Chicago, as well as the city government of Indianapolis, Ind., said David Massias, chief fi nancial offi cer and corporate development offi cer for Sawgrass.
While Sawgrass has clients across the nation, it still maintains a strong presence in Florida through its work with the Alachua County Sheriff’s Offi ce, Pasco County Sheriff’s Offi ce and Gainesville Regional Utilities. Sawgrass’ work has a wide scope, and the company currently works with human resources departments mainly based in the fi elds of public safety, utilities and education, Massias said.
“There’s a broad application in this, which is why there’s a lot of exponential growth,” Ransom said. “Our model can be applied over a wide range of companies other than just public safety.” Sawgrass is receiving help from the Gainesville Technology Enterprise Center (GTEC), a local incubator that has taken an interest in the company’s work. After moving to Gainesville about four years ago from New York City, Massias began the company New Beginning Ventures, which specializes in management and capital investments. He decided to work with Sawgrass through New Beginning Ventures originally, but has since become directly involved with the company while balancing other New Beginning Ventures management and an investment role in other technology start-ups being commercialized simultaneously.
Because Massias had worked with GTEC before through New Beginning Ventures, Sawgrass has since become involved with the incubator. While Sawgrass has remote virtual offi ces on the West Coast and in the Midwest, but the company’s headquarters is at GTEC.
“It was a perfect fi t for the city because we are hiring local people and we’ve created several jobs,” Massias said. “Eight months ago we only had two employees, and now we’re up to ten.” Although Sawgrass is currently working with GTEC, he hopes to see the company graduate from the incubator within the next 18 to 24 months and continue growing as a business.
As RegisterPatient and Sawgrass continue to develop their respective technologies, incubators Synogen and GTEC will provide the business advice and tools they need to bring the medical and human resources fi elds into the digital realm.
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