Building CareCloud Small Business Insights
Entrepreneur taps IBM SmartCamp resources to help expand startup healthcare IT business
Members of the CareCloud team at the South Florida Business Journals 2012 Business of the Year Awards event. CareCloud was a finalist for SFBJs inaugural H. Wayne Huizenga Startup Award. From left: Kerrie Martinez, Nicole Trueba, John Hallock, President & CEO Albert Santalo, Zac Bruker, Madelyn Young and Lysette Gonzalez.
Entrepreneur Albert Santalo understands the challenges and opportunities inherent in starting a business. However, he took the plunge most recently in 2009 when he started CareCloud Corporation with the vision of becoming a healthcare information technology leader focused on eliminating waste and inefficiency found in healthcare today.
Santalo turned to IBM SmartCamp for assistance in his venture. Providing access to world-class advisors and a direct route to seed and venture capital, SmartCamp is an exclusive global program that brings together entrepreneurs, investors and mentors.
Latin Business Today caught up with Santalo, president and CEO of CareCloud Corporation to learn more about his entrepreneurial journey.
LBT: What is CareCloud and how does it contribute to the healthcare industry?
Mr. Santalo: CareCloud is a leading provider of Web-based software and services for the healthcare industry. The company leverages state-of-the-art cloud-computing technology to provide physicians with an intuitive, user-friendly digital ecosystem for medical practice management that addresses the administrative inefficiency and disconnected nature of the U.S. healthcare system. CareClouds solutions for practice administration, electronic health records, revenue cycle management, and provider-patient communication are helping more than 1,200 physicians to increase collections, streamline operations and improve patient care in over 30 states.
CareCloud employees at the 2012 Health Information Management and Systems Society (HIMSS) Conference and Exhibition in Las Vegas. From left: Jim McNamara, President & CEO Albert Santalo, Mike Cuesta, Michael Gold, Nicole Trueba, Ian Bjorsvik, Tom Packert, Dr. Juan Reyes, Rich Lopez del Rincon
LBT: What were your two greatest challenges and how did you conquer them?
Mr. Santalo: I left the first company I founded, Avisena, and went without pay for a yearnot an easy decision, particularly with four children to supportas I made plans to launch CareCloud.
Another core challenge I faced was to start an IT company in Miami, not in Silicon Valley. This is a challenge from the human resources standpoint, as the company is striving to build a management team with talent that has vast experience in the industry. We have been able to overcome this challenge and hire industry experts and move them to Miami. As the company keeps growing, we are now also looking to open additional offices in Boston and Utah before years end.
