This Austin startup brings easy, online check-in to local urgent care centers

by Kelly O'Halloran
February 15, 2017

There are over 20 emergency and urgent care centers within Austin's city limits. Nationally, 296 million people visit emergency rooms and urgent care facilities each year. While 77 percent of consumers would prefer an online appointment to schedule appointments, an Accenture study found that only 21 percent actually do so.     

One local startup recently launched to make it easier for patients to search for the closest locations with the shortest wait times and check-in online. 

ConfirmX, a graduate of DivInc’s inaugural accelerator program, offers a SaaS solution providing medical facilities with an online check-in platform in addition to its searchable marketplace. Patients can check in through the app or directly from a facility’s website with their branded white labeled service. 

Dr. Sherard Houston, ConfirmX’s founder and CEO, used to own an urgent care center in Florida where he developed his own online check-in service specifically for his facility. 

“It was called ‘Zero Minute Wait,’ and it turned those visitors online into actual patients about 100 to 120 times a month,” said Houston. 

For his facility, Houston said this online presence made a difference in their bottom line revenue by increasing patient outcomes while reducing spend on Google Adwords, which he said can cost about $10,000 to $12,000 a month. 

Houston said that for many of these privately owned centers, a few extra patients a day could mean keeping the doors open. 

“I thought, 'How can I do this on a grander scale?'” said Houston. “How can I make this accessible to all urgent care centers across the country?”

So Houston moved to Austin in late 2015 to concentrate on business strategy for the company. He has since teamed up with Blanca Lesmes — who now serves as ConfirmX’s CCO — to take the product to market. The two met during the startup’s time at DivInc, where Lesmes is a mentor. 

“It is an honor to be part of this amazing project. I have been passionate about women’s health for years and this is a way of increasing accessibility to care for all patients,” said Lesmes.

To date, ConfirmX is active in Austin, San Antonio, Houston and Phoenix. Houston has bootstrapped the efforts thus far and is open to funding plans with the right strategic partner.

 

Image provided by ConfirmX.

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