Why Investing in Clinical Champions
Is Smarter Than More Software
Healthtech founders and investors—here’s the hard truth: most software alone won’t move the needle in care delivery. What does? The rare breed of clinician who sees a real problem, tests a real solution, and advocates it up the chain.
That’s the story of Dr. Ronn Berrol, an emergency physician at Sutter Health, who helped scale a care coordination platform from a single hospital pilot to full adoption across 21 hospitals. Not by building another dashboard—but by surfacing the right insights for the right patients at the right moment.
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Live Interview
The Pilot That Changed the Game
It started with a conversation and a surprising backer: the hospital’s charitable foundation. Dr. Berrol was offered the opportunity to pilot a care insight tool that could bridge the information gap between emergency departments. He wanted to try it—but expected budget constraints would kill the project. Instead, the foundation paid for the pilot.
That trial worked—and fast. The results? Fewer readmissions, shorter ER stays, and less provider burnout. Those outcomes unlocked systemwide adoption. And here’s the insight for investors: the ROI didn’t come from the software—it came from who used it, and how.
Epic Can’t Do It All—And It Wasn’t Meant To
Epic, like most EHRs, stores data. But it’s not optimized for surfacing real-time insights in a way clinicians can use in 30 seconds or less. That’s where the care insight tool delivered value—curating and pushing relevant, actionable information like medication gaps, housing instability, or frequent flyer patterns.
As Dr. Berrol put it: “If you’re not a clinician, you probably don’t understand how hard it is to pull insights out of Epic during a crisis.”
Invest in the Person, Not Just the Platform
The most valuable healthtech investment isn't a product. It’s a partnership. Specifically, a partnership with a clinical champion inside the system who can:
- - Validate your use case
- - Advocate upward with decision-makers
- - Translate clinical value into operational outcomes
Founders: if you’re not equipping and supporting your clinical champions, you’re not selling—you’re hoping.
The Power of Scalable Proof
Once that pilot showed fast ROI, adoption spread. What started with one ER became a model for 21 hospitals. The kicker? Other systems started asking, “Can we see what you’re doing?”
This is the moment investors should pay attention to: a single clinical use case with repeatable success becomes the basis for systemwide scale—and market expansion.
3 Takeaways for Investors Looking to Back the Right Tools
- Don’t ask if it integrates with Epic. Ask what Epic can’t do that this tool solves.
- Look for clinician-driven pilots with measured ROI. System leaders trust their staff—not marketing decks.
- Bet on companies that prioritize workflow clarity, not data complexity. The gold isn’t in the features—it’s in adoption.
Build Ecosystems, Not Add-Ons
Investors, your edge is in backing solutions that integrate into clinician reality—not add another burden. Clinical champions are the key to that adoption—and your returns.
Want to know if the HealthTech startup you’re watching is ready for scale? Send them to ImpactQuotientQuiz.com.
Or if you're evaluating where to spotlight your capital next—tune into founders pitching real ROI at HealthTechShowdown.com.
About Sabrina Runbeck
Sabrina Runbeck, MPH, MHS, PA-C helps healthcare technology companies scale sustainably—without burning out their teams or running out of cash. She is the Co-Founder of PulsePoint Path and works alongside a 12-integrated board of advisors to help founders make strategic decisions that multiply impact and protect capital. Her signature 5D Integrated System helps companies move beyond one-dimensional problem solving—what they think the issue is—and instead, builds an Empowered Ecosystem across leadership, team dynamics, and systems alignment. This is how founders evolve from early traction to 10x growth. Sabrina is also a TEDx speaker, former Cardiothoracic Surgery PA, and trusted advisor with over 15 years of experience in public health, neuroscience, and business acceleration.
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