AltusCampus CEO Daniel Guerra Jr. uses a simple analogy when describing his company, saying it’s “like Netflix for continuing medical education.”
“I kind of stumbled upon the idea,” Guerra Jr. said. “I went to a conference and one of the big focuses was the need for an easier way for health care professionals to access continuing education. So I used my background in technology leadership and ran with it.”
State and federal laws require health care workers to keep taking classes to stay up to date in the evolving field of medicine. So AltusCampus sells its classes to medical facilities so their professionals can learn about medical devices, clinical trials, pharmaceutical devices and other topics.
“Not only is continuing medical education required, but healthcare professionals need to do it to stay relevant in their field,” Guerra said. “One in 11 healthcare professionals in Wisconsin don’t meet requirements for continuing education. That’s a problem that we’re trying to help with.”
The issue stems from the amount of time those requirements take up, as well as the large price tag for medical facilities in making sure their employees stay up to date with the requirements.
AltusCampus makes it easier for health care workers to fit classes into their schedules, Guerra said, offering an online platform they can access “anytime and anywhere.” Through the platform, they can track their progress and make sure they’re up to date. Medical facilities, meanwhile, can also see how their employees are doing to ensure the same thing.
“There’s a mutual benefit for the professionals and facilities,” Guerra said. “We just want AltusCampus to grow along with the growth of the field of medicine.”
AltusCampus is looking to raise $3 million to $5 million to continue its growth, with the money going toward further software development and funding for a new marketing strategy.
The company recently began working with select medical departments at the UW-Madison and the University of Chicago.
Guerra said he hopes to eventually assist both institutions with their full portfolio, and he hopes to add customers across the country to meet the evolving needs of the industry.
“We know with the changes in healthcare, continuing education plays a huge part,” Guerra said. “We have the right people bringing the product to market at the right time.”
By Zach Nelson,
for WisBusiness.com
Nelson is a student in the UW-Madison Department of Life Sciences Communication.
