“We need to take a chance on this.”.
Almost three years ago, on a cold November morning, we found ourselves walking through the streets of downtown Richmond toward a university innovation building. The air was crisp, the idea was unproven, and everything about what we were about to do felt uncertain.
We weren’t alone. Walking beside me was my colleague Mark, and together we carried an idea that was still very much in its infancy. Our question was simple—but ambitious: What if essential medical information could live exactly where clinicians already are—on their phones?
In anesthesiology, speed matters. Anesthesiologists don’t sit at desks—they move constantly between operating rooms, making high-stakes decisions in real time. When pacemakers and defibrillators enter the equation, those decisions become even more complex. These devices require precise perioperative management, and anesthesiologists are often the first—and last—line of defense.
Yet the information needed to manage them was scattered: textbooks, PDFs, online searches, mental checklists. None of that works well in a fast-paced operating room.
So we asked ourselves: What if that critical information were instantly accessible, clearly displayed, and always in your pocket?
That morning, we pitched the idea to the innovation team. It was a leap of faith. With thousands of new smartphone apps entering the market every day, there was no guarantee ours would stand out—or even work. But we believed the problem was real, and that belief was enough to take the first step.
From that moment on, it became a true team effort. Countless late nights. Endless revisions. Obsessing over details most people would never notice—but clinicians absolutely would. Every decision was guided by one principle: make it fast, accurate, and practical for real-world care.
The result was the PERIOP PACEMAKER smartphone app.
When we released it this past February, we weren’t sure what to expect. What happened next surprised us. Within the first two days, nearly 200 clinicians had downloaded the app, and we began receiving multiple five-star reviews almost immediately.
For us, it validated something bigger than an app. It confirmed that taking a chance—on an idea, on a problem worth solving, on building something thoughtfully—can pay off.