Naples doctor Michael Havig has an idea he hopes will simplify health care around the country.
He’s developed an online store where patients can shop competitively for health care services and pay for them online before visiting a doctor, taking the mystery out of the cost of their visits, consultations and procedures.
Havig recently rolled out his website: healthmedocs.com. But the practicing physician and orthopedic specialist is unsure about the next steps to grow his startup business, so he’s turned to Fusion Pointe for help.
Fusion Pointe, a nonprofit group, offers a no-cost mentoring program for high-tech entrepreneurs in Southwest Florida. The goal of the program is to produce more investor-ready businesses in the region.
Havig is working with two mentors: Jim Talano, a healthcare and technology focused entrepreneur whose father is a local cardiologist, and Jim Hummer, a Harvard graduate who founded Whole Health Management, a provider of on-site clinics for large corporations.
In January Havig started meeting with his mentors, who he said are helping him with “a little bit of everything.” He has some lofty goals including having at least 1,000 participating doctors offering services through his marketplace within two months to “stock the shelves” of his online store.
Through his mentors, Havig said he’s happy to get help with sales and marketing, which will be key in his efforts to grow the business in Southwest Florida — and around the country. Also, he’s turning to his mentors to help him raise the money he needs for growth.
“I’ve bootstrapped it this far,” said Havig, who grew up in Naples and graduated from Naples High.
Havig came up with the idea that led to his launch of HealthMe five years ago, but he didn’t act on it until a little over a year ago. He feels his marketplace, offering discounted services to customers who pay upfront without involving an insurer, is needed now more than ever. With high-deductible insurance plans patients have more incentive to look for affordable services — and health care providers have more reason to find ways to get paid directly by their patients as the administrative headaches caused by insurers only get worse, causing physician burnout, he said.
Havig is grateful for the expert help he’s getting through Fusion Pointe. He said it allows entrepreneurs like him to stay in Naples and create jobs in Naples.
“To grow the company in my hometown is pretty exciting,” he said. “I really want to change for the better the way health care is being bought and sold in this country. I’m not just trying to make money with this.”
Havig is just one of the entrepreneurs who turned out for an annual community update Thursday night hosted by Northern Trust Bank in Bonita Springs, where attendees heard about the growth of Fusion Pointe’s mentoring program and…