Doctor On Demand Provides a New Kind of House Call
*By Conor White*
When Doctor On Demand began offering access to mental health professionals in 2014, the company's CEO Hill Ferguson knew the video-based telemedicine service was filling a need.
He couldn't have expected 240 percent growth in just four years. But it didn't surprise him either.
"There's just not enough doctors to go around to treat the patients that are out there," said Ferguson in an interview Thrusday on Cheddar. "And so our platform we knew would be a great fit for solving this problem because not only does it make access to a doctor much, much easier, it also addresses a lot of the stigma associated with mental health."
Doctor On Demand recently closed a $74 million series C round of financing, which will allow it to continue to grow its on-demand services.
"In this day and age we manage our entire lives on our phones, many of us are so busy we're doing everything on the go," said Ferguson. "Healthcare should be no different."
Doctor On Demand was founded in 2012, helping patients with a range of healthcare issues before branching out into mental health two years later.
For full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/a-new-kind-of-house-call).
On this episode of Cheddar Innovates: Evolution Devices CEO breaks down how the Evowalk wearable device can help those with walking impairments; Cresilon CEO explains how he's created a plant-based gel to easily treat wounds in both humans and animals; A look at Curiosity Stream's 'The Colorado Problem.'
Pier Mantovani, Founder and CEO of Evolution Devices, joins Cheddar Innovates to discuss how the Evowalk wearable device can help those with walking impairments, and how remote physical therapy is becoming a reality.
Joe Landolina, CEO and Co-Founder of Cresilon, joins Cheddar Innovates to discuss how he's created a plant-based gel to easily treat wounds in both humans and animals.
The virtual world of the metaverse continues to present a bright future for many artistic creators. A group of six mural artists from the Bay Area have decided to turn their painted and installed murals into a one-of-a-kind collectible. Thanks to NFTS these murals can be enhanced and extend far beyond just their physical walls. Muralist and Creative Director of the Bay Area mural program Rachel Wolfe Goldsmith, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
New York City ride-hailing app drivers are about to get a pay raise. According to the city's Mayor Eric Adams, New York will increase its minimum driver pay rate for both Uber and Lyft drivers. This means both platforms would now be required to pay their drivers a minimum of $1.61 cents per mile and about 0.50 cents per minute. Ultimately, the move would give riders at least a 5.3% race. New York City Comptroller Brad Lander, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
A Senate bill unveiled on Wednesday looks to tackleonline safety for children by regulating Big Tech and social media platforms to deter users from content that can harm their mental health. Irene Ly, a policy counsel for the age-based ratings and review organization Common Sense Media, joined Cheddar News to break down the potential of the Kids Online Safety Act. "We can't be imposing such a big burden on parents to be doing it all on theirselves," Ly said. "I think you also have to keep in mind that parents often didn't grow up with social media, so they don't understand what it's like to be addicted to social media or really understand how they work."
While many still remain skeptical about the metaverse, big tech firms and even one big bank are ready to expand their virtual worlds. Facebook parent company has pivoted so hard it will now call its employees 'Metamates,' and even JPMorgan Chase has created its own digital lounge on one virtual platform. While the sector remains young, there seems to be significant investment opportunity, especially with companies like Nvidia. Adam Johnson, a portfolio strategist at Adviser Investments, joins Closing Bell to discuss which companies could win in this space, consumer appetite, and more.
Marc Blinder, Co-Founder and CEO of Aikon, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell, where he discusses how his company is helping businesses use blockchain applications without needing to learn the intricacies of the new technology.
