Dr. Shaival Kapadia refers to himself as a “docpreneur,” and for good reason.
In the more than two decades he’s spent practicing medicine, the Richmond cardiologist has pursued innovative ways to extend care beyond the hospital and doctor’s office.
Kapadia co-founded two Richmond-based startups, mentored a Lighthouse Labs startup and is an advisor for two health tech companies, pursuits he credits as energizing in a field whose practitioners often suffer from exhaustion.
“I think it’s fueled my passion for what I do every day, because I see that creativity and innovation in all that I do,” he said. “I think that’s been an amazing hedge from preventing burnout.”
On the heels of a Richmond Inno panel discussing the future of health tech in Richmond, we checked in with Kapadia to get his insights on health care innovation and learn how he’s innovating now.
“I think health care is still very much the Blockbuster model, where I’m the provider, you come to me, and that’s how it works,” he said. “But I think what you are seeing in health care is the Netflix model evolving.”
The traditional doctor-patient visit is still important, he said. But it’s only a snapshot.
“You need to be able to insert yourself in the health. care journey of patients to really be effective.”
Kapadia’s first startup, C3 Nexus, used wearable technology to track biometrics like blood pressure and heart rate. Iggbo, his second venture, performed on-demand blood draws. The company was rebranded to WorkPath and acquired by the health tech firm Ro in 2020.
Last fall, Kapadia was a Lighthouse Lab mentor for MindCo, a mental health company that uses remote digital therapeutics to help people with addictions. The advice he shared applies to all health tech entrepreneurs.
“There’s a lot of shiny objects out there, and the most important thing is to find out what the problem is you’re trying to solve,” he said.
The pandemic has been a catalyst for innovation, Kapadia said. With the ability to reach investors, clients and advisors virtually, you can be leaner and launch a business with less money.
Kapadia currently serves as an advisor for Monj, a digital food and nutrition platform. He’s also on the advisory board for GoMo Health, “a platform where you can deliver inspiration, motivation, education, reminders, that are all very tailored in a personalized way to the patient and consumer.”
At the moment, his top focus is his day job as a cardiologist for Richmond’s James River Cardiology. He remains passionate about what he described as the “gray space” between transactional visits.
“I think that’s the next opportunity that will be rapidly accelerated,” he said.
He’s working with GoMo Health to introduce a new project at the practice: behavioral science that uses chatbot technology designed to reduce post-procedure complications, encourage compliance with a medication schedule and provide cardiac wellness education.