Nia, Health, founded in 2022, has one employee.
Here's a Q&A with Dr. Alisha Jiwani, the company's founder and a burn and trauma surgeon.
What is the most important thing your company accomplished in 2022?
Raising awareness and gaining state-wide recognition of the problem of high-quality burn specialty care access within Alabama and Nia Health’s solution.
What is a short-term and long-term goal for the company in 2023?
A short-term goal is to open Nia Health’s doors officially and accept patients in early 2023. Nia Health’s flagship clinic is in downtown Birmingham at Practice Works, 2208 University Blvd,. Suite 102.
Our long-term goal is to grow, including forging partnerships with non-burn providers like primary care, urgent care, pediatric and wound care providers, to expand access, while affording them a revenue stream and burn education. We also have been listening to those who work in high-risk burn occupations such as restaurants and utility companies, to create an employer based PEPM model for Nia’s services.
What can Alabama do to better support startups?
Make it easier for new entrepreneurs, particularly solo entrepreneurs and those wishing to move their businesses to Alabama, to get set up and going.
This state is too relational. You have to know someone to get going too often. That works for those who are in or have been in the scene for some time. These folks have well-established relationships and know who to go to for favors and support. For those who are new, it takes months and thousands of dollars, to achieve the same end goal.
It shouldn’t be this hard.
We need to create a state-wide business program for entrepreneurs. Model it after the Russell Center in Atlanta. Any new or pre-revenue startup business should be able to get professional services and have up-front costs of incorporation, legal fees, business license(s) and initial accounting covered. This would help a lot.
