Using headset, virtual care startup aims to improve rural health

Using a headset that live streams the interaction, carers can communicate with a specialist using the Hippo platform.  Ochsner Health, a major healthcare organization with headquarters in New Orleans, provided early investment to Hippo Technologies, a startup in the Vancouver, Washington, area that is working on technology to connect patients in remote areas with specialists. According to a spokeswoman, the fundraising takes the overall investment in Hippo to $3.7 million. The firms did not disclose the funding amount. Members of Hippo's management team and additional backers on an individual basis have already invested. The voice-activated, hands-free headphones can be utilized at the point of care to webcast patient interactions with medical specialists. In order to connect experts with physicians and patients in remote areas of Ochsner's network, which spans Louisiana, Mississippi, and the Gulf South, Hippo will partner with Ochsner. The first emphasis will be on neurology. CEO Patrick Quinlan said in a statement announcing the alliance that it is "bringing the specialist and care team to the patient wherever they are." Quinlan co-founded Hippo in 2020. He was formerly the CEO of Ochsner. Other co-founders include Brian Hamilton, co-founder of Vancouver-based RealWear, an assisted reality wearable startup that recently raised $23.5 million, and neurosurgeon and chief medical officer Wale Sulaiman, formerly a professor of clinical neurosurgery at Tulane University and medical director of the Ochsner back and spine center. A medical professional is sporting a Hippo headset. (Hippo Image) The software, which is also compatible with other head-mounted displays and smart glasses, is created by Hippo and manufactured by RealWear for use with the company's dedicated headgear. Hippo charges a hardware installation fee as well as a usage-based monthly licensing fee. Hippo claims that by providing a team-based clinical workflow that enables numerous professionals to advise on a patient case, it distinguishes itself from other virtual care providers. The Hippocratic Oath is reflected in the acronym Hippo. It stands for wellbeing, morality, respect for others, goals, and results.