IU Ventures Funds Health Communications Tool

Dave Wortman is CEO for Indy-based Diagnotes. (photo courtesy: IU)

An online tool that helps healthcare providers to communicate with colleagues, patients and their families just received a financial boost from the IU Philanthropic Venture Fund and the Innovate Indiana Fund to grow the company.

Indianapolis-based Diagnotes Inc. received a follow-up investment of $250,000 to further commercialize the app. It received an initial investment of $500,000 in 2019.

The funding comes at a critical time as doctors try to protect their patients from unnecessary exposure to the coronavirus by conducting more virtual visits.

“A lot of the uses have been focused on keeping patients away from outpatient clinics and the emergency department while still empowering doctors to provide care through virtual visits,” said Dave Wortman, Diagnotes chief executive officer. “We believe that mirroring the natural communication habits of doctors, nurses and patients is the best path forward for health care.”

IU said Diagnotes serves approximately 78,000 users in 10 hospitals/health systems and 15 physician groups in nine states across the country.

“These follow-on investments will help us ramp up our commercialization efforts,” said Wortman, allowing the company to add a chief commercial officer and more sales staff.

Wortman said everyone in health care delivery has received a great deal of experience in digital communications in a short amount of time due to the COVID-19 crisis. He expects those virtual practices will remain.

“Now that telehealth is demonstrated to work, these digital health services will be here to stay.”