CardMedic wins first major US contract since taking Pitchfest crown

CardMedic have won their first major US contract since winning Pitchfest 2022 after signing a deal with a critical access hospital based in New Mexico.

Nor-Lea Hospital District is the first rural healthcare hospital to sign with CardMedic in a deal which will see the company’s web and mobile-based app, that helps healthcare professionals communicate with patients across multiple languages and communication barriers, being deployed.

CardMedic, which was crowned Digital Health Rewired Pitchfest 2022 winners in March of this year, guides patients through common clinical interactions in multiple languages, sign language, read-aloud and easy-read.

The deal with Nor-Lea Hospital District, which has a 24/7 level four trauma centre, follows a successful pilot which took place at the end of 2021. Followinf the pilot, the app is now being deployed across the hospital’s 25-inpatient-bed site.

Dr Rachael Grimaldi, co-founder and CEO of CardMedic, said: “Nor Lea Hospital District are a really innovative, forward thinking team and needless to say, we are absolutely thrilled to be working with them.

“Often, patients who speak a different language are underserved by the health and care system, but Nor-Lea have put these patients front and centre of everything they do.

“Working with a healthcare provider with a mission, vision and values so highly aligned to our own has given us an incredible opportunity to reduce health inequality and improve the experience of care for underserved populations.”

Nor-Lea hopes to use the app to aid communication with emergency and post-surgical patients speaking a diverse range of languages.

Dr Grimaldi added: “Doing this in the US, as such a young UK business, is such an exciting moment for CardMedic. Right now, we’re so delighted that we’re adding a tool to the digital pocket of clinicians.

“Looking forward, we’re incredibly excited to introduce CardMedic to the US more widely and help healthcare organisations to deliver the best services possible to as many people as we can.”

The CardMedic app will be used to overcome several communication barriers, including discussing care with patients through full PPE. The app uses flashcards to replicate conversations on a wide range of healthcare topics such as breathing and heart problems, end-of-life care and emergency situations.

Staff simply select a topic and choose from over 20 language options. They can use questions and explanations developed by clinical professionals or can input free text.

Jordan Benard, director of business development and community relations at Nor-Lea Hospital District, said: “Our mission is to give everyone an exceptional experience and to enhance lives, and a big part of that is communication. We want to enhance the health of patients and their communities, and critical to that is patients fully understanding their plan of care.

“I envisage CardMedic as being something every employee at Nor-Lea Hospital District can access if they realise there’s a breakdown in communication due to a patient, for example, speaking a different language or being hard of hearing.

“Our aim is for our employees to use CardMedic to improve that patient’s experience, reduce their anxiety and maximise the confidence they feel about the care they receive.”

To find out more about CardMedic’s background, how the app works, winning Pitchfest and their ambitions for the future, you can read our Pitchfest winner profile here, where Dr Rachael Grimaldi answers our key questions.