CEO
Cambridge - MA United States
The big idea: In 25 words or less, please tell us how this Fast 50 Nominee is helping to address the planet's problems.
Sermo is empowering physicians to fix healthcare through an online platform where they can exchange medical advances and work directly with government and industry
Please describe how this nominee is using business as a force of positive change. What technology, idea, or strategy is the nominee using -- and what problem, such as global warming, poverty, or pollution, does it address? (suggested length: 100 words)
Sermo, the largest physician-only community, leverages Web 2.0 technologies to connect thousands of physicians and provide a platform for government, industry and financial services to access their collective knowledge. This real-time exchange among the major healthcare stakeholders has not been possible until now and is the only way to affect real change. At the epicenter of frontline medical thinking, Sermo delivers insights that only thousands of collaborating physicians can deliver, achieved through a unique business model that is free of charge and advertising. Unlike other communities/social networks, Sermo makes money by charging its clients for accessing anonymized data from practicing physicians.
What are the results, both financial and social? How has the nominee's business performed, and what impact has it had on the problem it addresses? (suggested length: 100 words)
In less than two years, Sermo has become the largest physician-only community with 60,000 members and growing. In the process, Sermo has created a platform for physicians nationwide to share front-line medical thinking and for leading healthcare organizations such as the FDA, the American Medical Association, CDC, Pfizer, and others to access it in real-time.
Through its unique two-sided business model, Sermo has built a growing community of physicians who are learning from each other, improving the way they serve their patients, and making their collective voice heard by the industries that are influencing their profession.
