More than a year after the coronavirus pandemic caused widespread adoption of telehealth, Updox continues to solve new challenges for its physician clients – and foresees the shift to virtual visits becoming permanent.
Surveys indicate that patients want to keep digital access to their doctors for convenience, and practices are using its software to increase revenue and operate more efficiently, said Zach Zettler, president of the Updox brand.
Meanwhile, the resurgence of Covid-19 cases is bringing back some of the conditions that drove care online in the first place.
"They’re working overtime to operate their businesses safely and efficiently," Zettler said in written responses to questions from Columbus Business First. "We’ve continued to focus on virtual care solutions that allow healthcare providers to easily, securely and safely connect with patients without being in the same room."
Zettler was promoted in June after three years at the Dublin software developer. He succeeded Michael Morgan, the nine-year CEO who stepped down as brand president six months after Denver-based EverCommerce Inc. acquired Updox for $143 million, the largest of nine deals it made last year.
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Updox is one of nine product lines in the Health Services group serving small to medium independent practices. EverCommerce also owns software-as-a-service businesses in other industries such as home remodeling.
Since the acquisition, EverCommerce merged into Updox its Chicago-based AlertMD division, which makes mobile patient engagement and messaging tools, and in July added new acquisition MDTech, based in Houston, which automates how doctors record services they provide for insurance billing purposes.
"They both came to us with great products and talented staff," Zettler said.
Those additions along with the pandemic changed Updox culture: It's now managing three offices with capacity limits, including at Bridge Park, and remote employees across the country, all while continuing to hire.
"We’re trying to stay connected as a company, orient ourselves as part of EverCommerce and continue to grow our business," he said.
New Updox products developed this year include virtual waiting rooms, screen sharing and allowing multiple participants for its video chat and paperless forms and contactless check-in for offices, he said. Plus there is opportunity to cross-sell with EverCommerce's other healthcare brands such as an electronic health records division.
Zettler joined Updox as COO and most recently was senior vice president of business development. He had first worked with Morgan in the mid-1990s at the former Sterling Commerce Inc., which has spawned a number of tech founders and executives in Central Ohio since its 2010 acquisition by IBM.
Before their reunion, he'd spent 15 years in health IT sales, marketing and operations leadership, most recently head of sales and marketing for Dublin-based Northwoods Consulting Partners and before that Netsmart.
He said he could not comment on Updox's valuation, revenue or relative business unit size within EverCommerce. Founded in 2009, the business had grown almost entirely by sales and repaid loans, other than a $12.7 million growth equity investment in 2017.
"I’m proud of what Updox accomplished, and I hope our experience translates to similar success for others in the Central Ohio tech and startup community," Zettler said. "Our business vision was always about managing growth carefully and strategically. We were deliberate and considerate about taking on investment money and new partners.
"I want to build on our solid foundation to continue helping our customers operate more efficiently," he said. "I’m grateful for the strong team we’ve got in place and the opportunity to lead them in the next phase of our growth."
