South Florida Tech HubSouth Florida Tech Hub

By Nikki Cabus

ModMed & Medtronic Collaborate to Drive Efficiencies in Documenting Colonoscopies Using Artificial Intelligence

Read Time 3 Minutes

Practice technology leader and EHR pioneer ModMed® announced that it will collaborate with Medtronic, the world’s largest medtech company, to enhance the documentation of polyp detection by utilizing the AI capabilities of the GI Genius system sold by Medtronic.

Boca Raton -based ModMed empowers medical practices to grow and scale by delivering better patient experiences with cloud, data, and AI technologies. Leveraging extensive clinical outcomes data, the company designs intelligent software solutions that simplify, automate and streamline clinical workflows and drive practice efficiency. With specialty-specific EHRs, practice management, revenue cycle management and analytics solutions as well as products for patient engagement, payment processing and marketing, ModMed is trusted by over 35,000 providers to drive clinical and operational success.

“ModMed’s mission is to place doctors and patients at the center of care through an intelligent, specialty-specific cloud platform,” said Sam Cicogna, General Manager of Gastroenterology, ENT & Allergy at ModMed.

“Our goal is to ensure that physicians have more time to focus on patients by building efficiency into the documentation process. Providing integration with GI Genius is an essential step towards achieving that goal.”

Medtronic has publicly stated a goal of supporting gastroenterologists in detecting lesions in the colon that could lead to one of the deadliest and most preventable forms of cancer. ModMed supports this goal and believes that additional efficiency can be built into the colonoscopy process.

The GI Genius system enables AI-assisted colonoscopies, which have been shown to achieve a 50% reduction in missed colorectal polyps over a standard colonoscopy. The companies intend to interface data from GI Genius into ModMed’s gGastro platform with the expectation of reducing manual effort in documenting procedural metrics captured during the colonoscopy process.

“Through our collaboration with ModMed, we can continue to help gastroenterologists achieve greater efficiency by streamlining workflows and leveraging augmented decision-making, freeing up valuable time for patient care,” said Raj Thomas, Endoscopy President at Medtronic. “We are committed to working with industry leaders and focusing on where we can best offer innovation, addressing unmet clinical needs and elevating the standard of care.”

“We’ve been a customer of both Medtronic and ModMed for years, which has been beneficial to help address the sharp rise in demand of patients seeking colonoscopies since guidelines for screening for colon cancer changed,” said Dr. Michael Weinstein, Chief Executive Officer at Capital Digestive Care. “By having these two technologies work together, we will see significantly faster reporting and processing times, enabling us to see more patients.”

Dr. Jason Sugar, Gastroenterology Team Lead at ModMed, added: “This is a true game changer for physicians… it represents precisely how physicians want AI technologies implemented and it will allow us to focus our energy on thinking about the patient and providing the best care possible.”

For more information, visit ModMed Gastroenterology.

By Nikki Cabus

ModMed Appoint Joe Harpaz to Co-CEO After 6 Years in Leadership

Read Time 2 Minutes

Practice technology leader and EHR pioneer ModMed® announced today the appointment of Joe Harpaz to Co-CEO.

ModMed is transforming healthcare by placing doctors and patients at the center of care through an intelligent, specialty-specific cloud platform. With their electronic health records (EHR) and practice management (PM) systems, and patient engagement and revenue cycle management (RCM) services, the all-in-one solution empowers specialty medical practices by providing clinical, financial and operational software solutions. ModMed staff physicians help to develop products and services for allergy, dermatology, gastroenterology, OBGYN, ophthalmology, orthopedics, otolaryngology, pain management, plastic surgery, podiatry and urology practices, as well as ambulatory surgery centers.

Joe Harpaz is a seasoned leader steeped in technology and operational leadership experience who, since 2018, has served as President and Chief Operating Officer at ModMed responsible for helping the company execute against its revenue targets.

During his six years of leadership with ModeMed, he oversaw and implemented multiple strategic initiatives that transformed the company’s go-to-market approach and fueled year-over-year growth, including driving market share with the company’s expansion into new medical specialties and products, and through several key strategic acquisitions.

“I am honored and excited for the incredible opportunity to co-lead this next chapter of ModMed, and to continue to work with our executive leadership team to deliver sustainable value and results,” commented Joe Harpaz.

Working alongside ModMed Co-founder and Co-CEO Dan Cane, and Co-founder and Chief Medical and Strategy Officer Dr. Michael Sherling, Joe will continue to help shape the company’s vision and strategic direction.

“For some time Joe’s contribution and many successes at ModMed have gone beyond go-to-market strategy and operations,” said Co-CEO Dan Cane.

“With his depth of experience in operational excellence, his passion for serving customers, and his longstanding commitment to empowering those around him, we are so pleased to recognize him with this promotion, and are confident in Joe’s continued ability to drive growth and profitability.”

Joe previously worked at Thomson Reuters, where as Managing Director of the Corporate Market, he led the highest-growth business in the company with nearly $600 million in global revenues. Earlier in his career, Joe founded Immediatech and the GoFileRoom cloud workflow solution and was recognized as an industry innovator multiple times in Accounting Technology’s “40 Under 40.” Joe is also a well-known as an industry thought leader and a regular contributor to Forbes.com.

To learn more about ModMed, please visit www.modmed.com.

By Nikki Cabus

ModMed doubles down on efforts to empower young girls in tech with Pace Center for Girls Broward

Read Time 4 Minutes

ModMed and Pace Center for Girls Broward double down on their efforts to empower high school girls and promote the technology industry. This collaboration seeks to inspire the next generation of female technologists and expand their horizons when it comes to career opportunities in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

ModMed’s Women in Innovation & Technology, or “mmWIT,” is focused on advancing women in STEM fields by fostering diversity and inclusion within the tech sector. mmWIT is an Employee Resource Group that provides support, mentorship, and resources to empower women in technology-related careers. This program develops and enables women to lead and innovate as they grow in their professional careers. mmWIT hosts educational panel discussions, mentoring events, networking gatherings, book clubs and community outreach programs. Through mmWIT, ModMed strives to establish a strong community for women to reach their highest potential.

Pace Center for Girls envisions a world where all girls and young women have power, in a just and equitable society. Founded in 1985, Pace provides free year-round middle and high school academics, case management, counseling, and life skills development in a safe and supportive environment that recognizes and deals with past trauma and builds upon girls’ individual strengths. Dedicated to meeting the social, emotional, and educational needs of girls, Pace has a successful and proven program model that has changed the life trajectory of more than 40,000 girls and is recognized as one of the nation’s leading advocates for girls in need.

For more than four years, mmWIT and Pace Center for Girls Broward have worked hand in hand to champion women in STEM.

An early effort was mmWIT’s 2018 Fashion Show to raise funds for the Pace Center for Girls Broward. ModMed’s employees received a casting call and the response was amazing. As if strutting their stuff down the catwalk for a good cause wasn’t enough, the model who sold the most raffle tickets won a prize: an outfit they wore on the runway. That event raised over $4000 for the Pace Center for Girls.

Their joint efforts are designed to introduce high school girls to the vast potential of a tech career and encourage more women to pursue opportunities in this dynamic industry. By broadening the perspectives of young women, this collaboration not only advances women in STEM but also motivates them to explore the myriad of possibilities available at forward-thinking companies like ModMed®.

Headquartered in Boca Raton, ModMed is transforming healthcare around the countryy by placing doctors and patients at the center of care through an intelligent, specialty-specific cloud platform. With our electronic health records (EHR) and practice management (PM) systems, and our patient engagement and revenue cycle management (RCM) services, our all-in-one solution empowers specialty medical practices by providing clinical, financial and operational software solutions. Our staff physicians help to develop products and services for allergy, dermatology, gastroenterology, OBGYN, ophthalmology, orthopedics, otolaryngology, pain management, plastic surgery, podiatry and urology practices, as well as ambulatory surgery centers.

The “Life After High School” Event: Inspiring and Equipping the Next Generation

The “Life After High School” event is a standout collaboration between mmWIT and Pace Center for Girls Broward. Esteemed women from the technology industry come together to share their insights and personal journeys with the students. The panel discussion covers a wide range of essential topics, including effective communication skills, professionalism in the tech industry, the transition from high school to the professional world, and the art of collaboration with individuals from diverse backgrounds. Through these discussions, the aim is to provide the young audience with the valuable knowledge they need to seize limitless opportunities and excel in their chosen paths.

Rose Anderson, Career & College Readiness Coordinator at Pace Center for Girls Broward, expressed her enthusiasm for the collaboration with mmWIT, saying, “This event perfectly aligns with our mission to empower girls and equip them with the necessary skills and confidence to thrive in their future careers. We are immensely grateful to ModMed for their unwavering support and commitment to advancing women in STEM.”

The panelists, accomplished women with diverse backgrounds in technology, will leverage their expertise and experiences to engage and inspire the Pace girls. Through this event, ModMed and Pace Center for Girls Broward aim to provide young women with the skills and confidence they need to flourish in their future careers.

Breaking Barriers

Girls aspiring to enter the tech field sometimes struggle due to factors such as the lack of visible role models, gender stereotypes and biases, a lack of support and encouragement, and the challenge of maintaining work-life balance. To address these issues, it is important to provide girls with mentorship, promote diversity and inclusivity and ensure equal access to education and resources.

The collaboration between mmWIT and Pace Center for Girls Broward represents a significant stride toward creating a more inclusive and diverse tech industry. By inspiring and empowering high school girls, this collaboration aims to pave the way for a new generation of female technologists who will drive innovation and contribute to a more equitable future. Together, they are dismantling barriers, breaking stereotypes, and creating a brighter and more inclusive tomorrow for women in technology.

Jodi Sherman, senior manager of customer success operations at ModMed and the President of mmWIT, shared her views on how the collaboration with the Pace Center for Girls Broward is making a difference. Sherman stated, “By sharing our experiences and knowledge, we hope to ignite the passion and curiosity of these high school girls, encouraging them to pursue careers in the technology industry. We firmly believe that by increasing the representation of women in STEM, we can drive innovation and create a more inclusive and diverse future.”

By Nikki Cabus

Getting to know Boca Raton-based ModMed’s new CTO Venkatesh Jayaraman

Read Time 5 Minutes

Boca Raton-based practice technology leader ModMed® appointed Venkatesh Jayaraman (VJ) as the company’s Chief Technology Officer.

Jayaraman leads the strategic direction and technical leadership for the product engineering organization, including cloud operations.

With over 25 years of technology and software development experience, Jayaraman brings an extensive record of success in technical leadership, cross-functional product development and software architecture. He has a proven record of building business agility using Lean-Agile practices while managing large-scale enterprise organizations across multiple geographies.

ModMed is transforming healthcare by placing doctors and patients at the center of care through an intelligent, specialty-specific cloud platform. With electronic health records (EHR) and practice management (PM) systems, and revenue cycle management (RCM) services, their all-in-one solution empowers specialty medical practices by providing clinical, financial, and operational software solutions. ModMed’s staff physicians help to develop products and services for allergy, dermatology, gastroenterology, OBGYN, ophthalmology, orthopedics, otolaryngology, pain management, plastic surgery, podiatry, and urology practices, as well as ambulatory surgery centers.

“VJ’s background and experience will deliver tremendous value to our organization, as he embodies ModMed’s cultural values around aligning passion with purpose,” said Daniel Cane, ModMed Cofounder and CEO. “We have welcomed him to our team as we work together to transform how healthcare information is created, consumed and utilized to increase practice efficiency and improve patient outcomes.”

Jayaraman most recently served on the executive leadership team at Vertex Inc., where he led the cloud/SaaS transformation of the product engineering organization, including cloud operations using agile methodology, modern DevOps and site reliability engineering principles. Prior to Vertex, he was in various leadership roles at Citrix Systems and Motorola, where he built and scaled agility across a globally distributed engineering team to achieve software engineering excellence. He holds a master’s degree in engineering management from the University of Florida and a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from India’s National Institute of Technology.

 

GETTING TO KNOW VJ:

1. What are you looking forward to most in your new role with ModMed?
Using cutting edge technology to transform how healthcare information is created, consumed and utilized to increase practice efficiency and improve patient outcomes. Really looking forward to the opportunity to create simple workflow solutions for complex problems with valuable, meaningful impact. ModMed’s product portfolio does align passion with purpose where we can impact the lives of practice providers and patients in a big way by creating excellent software that delights them.

2. What do you love most about the healthtech industry?
The healthcare industry has always been full of untapped opportunities for technology innovation and workflow optimizations. COVID just exposed some of these opportunities in many ways. Healthcare is unique with respect to regulatory and interoperability demands. Coupled with the fact that healthcare software is only expected to benefit from the overall growth in US healthcare spend makes it a very exciting ground for making a positive impact.

3. What advice would you give to someone who wants to enter the healthtech industry?
Keep an open mind in terms of connecting their passion, skills, knowledge and experience for the various innovation opportunities that present using technologies like cloud, ML / AI, big data etc.

4. Any insight into what’s next for ModMed?
ModMed has had a phenomenal journey so far. From the initial momentum that we have gained, we are very well poised for creating our own flywheel effect to accelerate faster and faster, and gain even more momentum while building this organization for scale and growth. I am very excited by what’s to come and truly honored to be part of defining this journey.

5. From the 90s to now, what has been the biggest change you have seen in our local tech markets?
There have been quite a lot of changes in the local tech markets in the last 2-3 decades that have followed the industry trend largely. The tech industry itself has evolved from the PC computing, hardware & communications related innovations to more software based innovations with the advent of internet and cloud. Back in the 90s, we had quite a few tech companies like Siemens, IBM, Motorola etc. and they all have evolved with this changing landscape. With the advancements in cloud computing, even concepts as esoteric as Machine Learning & Artificial Intelligence have become so accessible to the engineering community that they can be easily harnessed for the next generation of innovations. The core to this evolution is “business agility” and the companies that do that with the right talent and leadership thrive in the face of this changing landscape. Also, the promotion of STEM education in local schools and colleges has really propelled this pace of innovation and South Florida is on a path to excellence in making its mark in the tech industry.

6. All in on AI? What’s your thoughts on the future of generative AI in healthcare? 
Generative AI can be applied in various use cases to generate virtually any kind of content. The technology is becoming more accessible to users of all kinds thanks to cutting-edge generative AI interfaces like ChatGPT, Dall-E and Bard that can be tuned for different applications. With generative AI technology, doctors, hospitals, clinics and beyond may be able to streamline patient care and improve health outcomes with significant advantages like personalized healthcare for patients, predictive maintenance of medical devices and supporting administrative tasks to improve efficiency. Despite their promise, the new generative AI tools open a can of worms regarding accuracy, trustworthiness, bias, hallucination and plagiarism — ethical issues that likely will take years to sort out. None of the issues are particularly new to AI though. Just like any other technology, I am confident and cautiously optimistic that the generative AI would mature to bring the bigger benefits that we all aspire for.

7. No matter our role or level, we are always learning. What’s one thing – either industry-related or not – you learned in the last month?
I am a big believer of being a continuous learner while pivoting and adapting to changing landscape of needs. The mantra should be to plan the work and work the plan but be flexible and realistic to adapt for best outcomes. One of the books that I have been reading of late is Limitless by Jim Kwik. In this book, he overturns the conventional ideas of intelligence, achievement and perceived limitations with a compelling and practical handbook for change. It is based on the concept of all of us having boundless capabilities and what we make of them has everything to do with mindset and application.

8. Outside of work, do you play any sports or have any hobbies? What do you do for fun?
Yes, I play tennis, volleyball, chess etc. whenever time permits. Also, I like to read different books and spend time with my family. Love to explore and  experience the world through various travels to create a wholesome life!

9. What’s something about you (a fun fact) that not many people know?
I used to play cricket early on in my career and I received a trophy from the cricketing legend Clive Lloyd for my performance in the finals of a tournament that was played in the Central Broward Cricket Stadium in Lauderhill. Another fun fact is that I had to find a way to overcome acrophobia (thanks to the constant nudge from my daughter) to do ziplining with my family in Costa Rica recently.

 

Learn more about ModMed’s leadership team here. 

By Riley Kaminer

Here’s to another 13 years of healthtech innovation for Modernizing Medicine

Read Time 3 Minutes

The US healthcare sector is rife with inefficiencies – from uneven care to overworked medical professionals to outdated digital systems. In a country that spends almost 20% of our GDP on healthcare, there remains a large opportunity to create better outcomes for patients and better working environments for providers.

For the last 13 years, Boca Raton-based Modernizing Medicine, now known as “ModMed.” has worked tirelessly to improve the tech tools that keep us healthy. They have developed a wide range of specialty-specific electronic health record (EHR) systems and solutions, practice management platforms, revenue cycle management software, and more.

And in an interview with South Florida Tech Hub, co-founder and CEO Daniel Cane said that this is just the beginning for the 3,400-person company.

“You can expect to see more growth, including coverage of more specialties throughout the US – and we will certainly become international,” Cane said of his plans for the company’s next 13 years. 

As for what accomplishment he is most proud of in Modernizing Medicine’s history thus far, Cane said that it was “creating an incredible culture and environment for all our team members.” Building a strong company culture creates lots of work and is a top down effort at ModMed, with Cane still personally meeting every new member of the team.

So is Cane ready for his next venture? Not quite yet. The entrepreneur, who previously co-founded EdTech giant Blackboard, said that he is still laser focused on tackling some of the many issues still plaguing the healthcare industry. “I’ve got a lot more work cut out for me, fixing healthcare and making sure that ModMed is incredibly successful.”

Of course, ModMed has already reached a level of success that most companies will never see. It has 3,400 employees around the world – 700 of whom are based in Modernizing Medicine’s headquarters at the Boca Raton Innovation Campus, IBM’s former R&D facility.

So what advice would Cane give to budding entrepreneurs?

“100% of big companies you see today started off as a small company, so remember to dream big.” Cane also admitted that he has had more failed companies than successful ones, and that is normal. “If you’re going to fail, fail fast. You can learn a lot from those failures.” He noted that while someone might be born an innovator, entrepreneurship – building, running, and scaling businesses – requires a specific set of skills that can be taught.

As ModMed has grown over the last 13 years, so has South Florida’s tech ecosystem, noted Cane. But he urged us to recall that South Florida has had a long tradition of innovation, not least of which includes IBM’s storied past in Boca.

“South Florida is on the map as a strong entrepreneurial hub,” he asserted. This is despite any turbulence caused, for example, by the decline of crypto.

“Our biggest challenge is our geography,” said Cane, noting that South Florida is very long but not very wide, and lacks a main downtown area. “South Florida Tech Hub is essential for bringing all of our amazing companies together.”

 

By Nikki Cabus

ModMed Appoints Chief People Officer, Jody Beaverson

Read Time 2 Minutes

Boca Raton-based practice technology leader ModMed® is proud to announce the appointment of Jody Beaverson as its chief people officer.

Beaverson will help strengthen the company’s commitment to its people as it continues to grow in the specialty-specific software space.

Beaverson brings more than 20 years of progressive human resources leadership experience and expertise. She has a proven track record of successfully leading organizations through pivotal times of growth and transformation.

As ModMed’s chief people officer, Beaverson will be a central member of the executive leadership team and she will have responsibility for all aspects of the working experience of ModMed’s employees, including using her strategic leadership skills to champion ModMed’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion efforts.

Beaverson will report directly to the CEO and work directly with the executive team as a thought partner to shape the company’s human capital strategy.

“We are thrilled to have Jody join the ModMed family and lead our initiatives for attracting, retaining and supporting our workforce,” said Daniel Cane, ModMed co-founder and CEO.

“Her leadership skills and extensive experience will help support ModMed through rapid growth by providing inspirational leadership to all members of the organization.”

ModMed is transforming healthcare by placing doctors and patients at the center of care through an intelligent, specialty-specific cloud platform. With their electronic health records (EHR) and practice management (PM) systems, and revenue cycle management (RCM) services, ModMed’s  all-in-one solution empowers specialty medical practices by providing clinical, financial and operational software solutions.

ModMed staff physicians help to develop products and services for allergy, dermatology, gastroenterology, OBGYN, ophthalmology, orthopedics, otolaryngology, pain management, plastic surgery, podiatry and urology practices, as well as ambulatory surgery centers.

As the company continues to grow, making acquisitions, obtaining patents, and breaking records, they are hiring more and more technology and sales staff around the country, especially right here in South Florida. Beaverson will play an important role during their growth.

Ms. Beaverson most recently served as senior vice president, People Solutions, for Change Healthcare (CHNG). In this role, she and her team were responsible for developing, influencing and enabling the people strategy of the organization in support of achieving business objectives and creating a strong pipeline of talent to enable growth. She also led Change Healthcare’s Future of Work initiative, drove the enterprise people efforts throughout the pandemic, and was part of the core leadership team that successfully took the company public in 2019. Prior to that, she held several leadership roles with Emdeon and WebMD.

Beaverson recently relocated from Nashville to South Florida for the new position. She is an avid supporter of the American Heart Association and sat on the Greater Nashville Heart Walk Executive Leadership team for the last four years. Beaverson earned a bachelor’s degree in business management from Bowling Green State University.

For more information, visit modmed.com.

 

ModMed & Medtronic Collaborate to Drive Efficiencies in Documenting Colonoscopies Using Artificial Intelligence
ModMed Appoint Joe Harpaz to Co-CEO After 6 Years in Leadership
ModMed doubles down on efforts to empower young girls in tech with Pace Center for Girls Broward
Getting to know Boca Raton-based ModMed’s new CTO Venkatesh Jayaraman
Here’s to another 13 years of healthtech innovation for Modernizing Medicine
ModMed Appoints Chief People Officer, Jody Beaverson