Today we’d like to introduce you to Dr. Renee Dua.
Dr. Dua, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Nick and I were motivated to create Heal after a bad personal experience in the emergency room with our son. We had to wait eight hours to see a doctor, only to be sent home 10 minutes after seeing the doctor and not feeling like it helped much at all. The ah-ha moment came for us in the middle of that experience when we realized that this was something so many other people experienced on a daily basis, and no one should have to wait that long to have to see a doctor, nor should they have to be amongst other sick people when they’re ill or injured.
With Heal, we want to eliminate those long wait times and make the entire experience of seeing a doctor a more personal, convenient and intimate one. The emergency room should be reserved for emergencies. For everything else, we believe everyone should be able to access the care they need from the comfort of their own home or office, on their schedule. We also believe patients should be able to build a relationship with that doctor, and that’s what we’ve set out to accomplish with Heal.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Some ask that, when I already had a great career in the medical profession, why go down this entrepreneurial path? I did it because I truly believe the current healthcare system is broken and receiving great medical care is a right, not a privilege. Jumping through the hurdles currently set up in our existing healthcare system has probably been the hardest part.
Also, being a mother to two young boys on top of being a doctor and an entrepreneur is challenging at times. There’s a lot of compromise that has to be made. Being a nephrologist is my truest calling, and being a mother is the joy of my life. I try to balance it all, and it’s not always easy to put something aside to be able to focus on growing Heal and being here for the company, but it’s worth it knowing that we’re truly impacting the way people access healthcare.
Heal – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Heal provides on-demand doctor house calls. That’s what we’re known for. Through our app or website, you can use Heal to order a doctor straight to your home or office, 12 hours a day (8 AM to 8 PM), seven days a week, 365 days a year. Sickness doesn’t take a day off, so neither do we. On top of sick-visits, we also do yearly physicals, STD checks, flu tests and more, and we bring it all to the patient. We work with all the major PPO’s and visits are either $99 if you have no insurance, or your in-network co-pay.
What sets us apart is that Heal truly is for everyone. Young, old, sick, well, busy professional, stay at home parent, anyone.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
What were most proud of as a company, and the most satisfying part of this entire endeavor, is seeing how grateful and relieved our patients are when we arrive. That alone makes every single part of this journey worth it, and it’s what constantly motivates us to keep raising the bar.
Pricing:
- Without insurance, Heal doctor visits are a flat fee of $99.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.heal.com/
