Founder and President Joan Melendez leads the team at Xcelrate UDI. She is a passionate advocate for the safety of patients and for innovation in healthcare.
Xcelrate UDI is a medical device barcode scanning solution that goes beyond compliance to improve patient safety at the point of care. Their technology helps more than 500 healthcare procedure rooms and areas to identify and prevent the use of unsafe medical devices, biologics and supplies.
What is Xcelrate UDI all about?
Breakdowns in communication between the FDA, manufacturers and healthcare facilities result in patients at-risk. We’re in the advantageous position of having reams of healthcare data — but without accurate and efficient tracking and communication, it’s for naught.
Xcelrate UDI uses innovative barcode scanning technology to capture the data required by the FDA and digitally document the patient health record with precision accuracy. By tracking and removing expired, faulty and recalled medical devices, patient safety is given a massive boost, and healthcare facilities are able to save countless hours and errors.
Tell us a little bit about your background and how you started your company?
I’ve always been a patient advocate. That’s where my idea and passion for this company comes from.
I worked in a medical office in my teens, and never left the industry. In my 20’s I became more aware of how communication problems between a primary health provider and say, a surgeon, could lead to patients dying.
Fast-forward to 2013 when my interest was piqued by the FDA’s promotion of the unique Device identifier (UDI). This scannable barcode was mandated to be on all medical devices by 2018 as a way to track medical devices and potentially recalled items.
But even with the UDI…when you’re looking at a medical device, how do you know if it’s recalled?
It was time for us to create a solution. We know what’s in the barcode. We take that data and parse it into the electronic health record. Xcelrate UDI is the only 3rd-party application that does this, the first with this solution and the technology.
What were the top mistakes you made starting your business and what did you learn from it?
I am an extremely trusting and forgiving person. A lot of the time this can work in my favour, but when I started my business it led to a lot of problems. I got taken advantage of and ended up losing a lot of progress.
Since then, I’ve learned to cultivate a team that I trust and can advise me on what’s best for the business. It helps to have second opinions when you’re thinking of trusting an outside party.
Building and improving the brand and brand awareness was a big learning curve too. Xcelrate UDI originally started as Team EHR (electronic health record). I named it just because it was obvious and seemed like clients would immediately know what we were about. But later, we recognized that the name needed to better reflect the business goal: accelerating UDI adoption and tracking.
Once we get our foot in the door and people know what we’re about, it’s easy to get a signature. But finding those people was the challenge.
What is one thing that you do daily to grow as an entrepreneur?
I’m always questioning myself and relying on others. That’s one thing I would tell other people to do. Be open and ask for help. Focus on value-checking.
A person who is introspective and has a sense of vulnerability makes them more amenable for feedback. Vulnerability and humility doesn’t make you wishy-washy, so don’t let that sway you. I’m always open to hearing from others and asking for feedback.
What are three books or courses you recommend for new entrepreneurs?
- Start with Why, by Simon Sinek
- $100 Startup, by Chris Guillebeau
- Crushing It! How Great Entrepreneurs Build Their Business and Influence-and How You Can, Too, by Gary Vaynerchuk
What is the one thing you wish you knew before starting your business?
Good talent is hard to find. You’d be surprised how many people you trust with aspects of your business, who do not have your business’s best interest at heart…and unfortunately, I had to learn the hard way.
I made some poor talent choices at the start of my business that did more harm than good that I wish I could have avoided had I known before starting my business.
Now that I’ve hired a strong and reliable team, I’m consistently amazed at how much of a difference it makes. Working with the right people, trustworthy people takes a load off my shoulders.
What has been your most effective marketing strategy to grow your business?
My company was founded on the notion that technology improves performance. Marketing automation tools are the lifeblood of my business’s marketing success.
We’re able to automate the delivery of our email campaigns, create and schedule social media posts, and significantly improve the user response to our marketing efforts with rules-based personalization… all without spending hours of time manually managing these efforts.
If you only had $1000 dollars to start a new business, knowing everything you know now, how would you spend it?
Create a basic website, email address and database. That can all be done with $1,000. If you haven’t got an online presence, there’s nowhere to direct people. There’s no available information or contact opportunity.
Setting up a website is almost the modern day version of having an office. But cheaper, more effective, and more accessible.
What’s your best piece of advice for aspiring and new entrepreneurs?
Know the ins and outs of your industry before you become a leader in it.
My mentor, Jeanne Counts, once said to me: “I will not work with you in building the electronic health records until you fully understand the procedure and procedural area.”
She refused to work with me until I knew how to circulate, scrub and understand a case, and understand the supply chain and sterile processing areas before I built a screen. It was the best experience I could have asked for.
My knowledge of the process has allowed me to build an application that fits into a workflow rather than redirect it out. But without experience in knowledge in the field, I would never have been able to build it up the best way possible.
What’s a productivity tip you swear by?
I get up every day and make my bed. It may seem small but it really helps me set up the day to get things accomplished. No matter what happened yesterday, it’s in your power to set the tone for today.
I also work off task lists to keep myself organized, and of course, I have a great team. Oh, and espresso.
What is your favorite quote?
“Please tell me you’ll always remember you’re braver than you believe, stronger than you seem and smarter than you think.”
– Winnie the Pooh
How is running a company different than what you thought it would be?
I started out thinking that I’d be able to capitalize on the things I’m good at and interested in, and hire others to support me with the rest.
But with a growing startup, even with a nimble team, I find myself learning to take on certain tasks as and when they need to be done. There’s a diversity in tasks that I was initially surprised by but adds to my personal development and skill range.
How can readers get in touch with you?
The best way to connect with me is through LinkedIn, with my name Joan Melendez. If you’re looking to learn more about our barcode scanning solution, you can contact us through the Xcelrate UDI website.
Tech Entrepreneur: Interview with Mylène Besançon, Co-founder of Tunedly
