ATA Announces Winners of 2018 Telehealth Pitch Jam

ARLINGTON, VA, May 15, 2018. The winner of the American Telemedicine Association’s 2018 Pitch Jam is TalkPath™ Live, a New Jersey-based start-up offering live, online therapy,

Federal law requires public schools to provide services to students with special education needs. As diagnostic capabilities improve, and diagnoses increase, students frequently face long wait times for therapy, while school systems face increased costs from overtime and recruiting costs for therapists. In rural areas or areas of short staffing, therapy may not be an available option at all, no matter the cost. Through contracting directly with school systems, TalkPath™ Live provides a means for students to receive needed therapy using only a computer, webcam and internet connection, eliminating travel time and cost for students and therapists, and expanding access to services.

“Winning the top prize in the ATA Pitch Jam is validation for the efforts we’ve made thus far on behalf of the diverse populations we serve,” said Michael L. Kaufman, MSW, PhD, TalkPath™ Live’s President and CEO. “We hope to increase our presence on the telehealth landscape to become known by and accessible to more and more people in need of affordable, effective, and flexible therapeutic services—where and when they want them. We aim to become an active and significant voice in the movement to bring teletherapy into as many schools, homes, and facilities as possible.”

QT Medical, a start-up founded by UCLA Medical School professor Ruey-Kang Chang, MD, MPH, won the Pitch Jam’s People’s Choice recognition for their home-use12-lead ECG. The device enables heart patients to monitor their conditions conveniently from home, detect any abnormalities early and thereby seek effective treatment before a condition becomes an emergency. Other Pitch Jam finalists were American TelePhysicians, VectraCor, SingFit Musical Health Technologies and SkinIO. ATA Board member Kristi Henderson, DNP, Vice President of Patient Access and Care Delivery Transformation for Ascension Healthcare, served as the competition’s host and moderator. Grant Chamberlain, Managing Director of Ziegler Healthcare Investment Banking, Naomi Fried PhD, Founder & CEO, Health Innovation Strategies, Steven Gould, MD, Founder & Principal, The Gould Consulting Group, and Samir Batra, Founder & CEO of BAHA Enterprises, served as the competition judges.

“The ATA Pitch Jam showcases the innovation happening among our healthcare and solutions provider members,” said Ann Mond Johnson, ATA’s CEO. “ATA is committed to supporting the growth and success of telehealth and virtual care to do more good for more people. Telehealth solutions such as TalkPath and QT Medical, as well as the solutions developed by our other Pitch Jam finalists, demonstrate the potential for telehealth to revolutionize care models and change healthcare for the better.”

Contact:

Euphia Hsu Smith
(703) 373-9600 x1011

Watch the announcement video fromTalkPath™ Live

About the American Telemedicine Association (ATA)

Established in 1993, ATA is a non-profit, membership-based association located in the greater Washington, DC area. Comprised of a membership network of more than 10,000 industry leaders and healthcare professionals, ATA is the leading telehealth association helping to transform healthcare by improving the quality, equity, and affordability of healthcare delivery throughout the world. To learn more about ATA, visit www.americantelemed.org.