Driving for change

Trey Lauderdale has sought ways to transform mobile health communications since he founded Voalte in 2008.

The Sarasota-based firm has done that through software that helps nurses and other medical caregivers communicate with each other faster and easier. Voalte is one of the fastest-growing businesses in the region and has raised nearly $60 million in funding in three years.

Now Voalte plans to tackle what he calls a $45 billion health care conundrum in the United States: How to transport some elderly people and others with a lack of transportation to medical appointments. Lauderdale announced his plans recently at VUE15, Voalte's inaugural client conference.

“Can we think of any company that can help us solve that issue?” Lauderdale asked the audience. He joked about it being a “little startup out of San Francisco.”

Then he pulled up the Uber logo.

The ride-sharing giant and taxi industry disruptor is working on an initiative that includes Voalte and Sarasota Memorial Hospital. The goal of the partnership, which will start in 2016, is to make it easier for patients to get to their medical appointments, says Lauderdale.

The program will combine Uber's Internet-based scheduling services with Voalte Platform, the firm's newest communication system. The system will help users schedule rides to appointments. Family members of a patient will also have the capability to schedule a ride on the platform to ensure they make the appointment on time.

Lauderdale announced two more plans for the company at VUE15: Voalte Insight and Voalte Story.

Voalte Insight will provide clients with data and analytics on communication throughout the organization. The tool, which will be available in the first quarter, can show communication volume, patterns and trends.

Voalte Story is like Facebook for the health care industry, where messages and activity between a patient and the caregivers are put onto a wall page and can be viewed by other staff.
Voalte Story will also be launched in 2016.