Part Mall, Part Hospital
By Nash, Sheryl Nance | |
Proquest LLC |
For more than three years
Today, she has developed enough interest in the project to fill nearly all of its 650,000 square feet. She has done that in just a couple of months. "It's unbelievable, but that's Priti," says Simone, who first became acquainted with Pandya-Patel about 10 years ago when her company was a tenant in one of his medical office buildings in
REIMAGINING HEALTHCARE IN
The former Mercer Hospital is now called the
It's that philosophy that has propelled Pandya-Patel's 20-plus years in the healthcare business. The 43-year-old is CEO and co-founder of the
Nearly 10 years ago, she pioneered the first independent, state-licensed sleep laboratory in
The past several years, Pandya-Patel was searching for the ideal site for a health and wellness complex. She had
"There will be all brand new services. This will bring momentum to
DON'T LEAVE HOME WITHOUT IT
Her vision also includes the Global Life Card. Cardholders would have a unique ID number that would be used wherever they go around the world to receive medical services.
If you have an emergency and you have the card, you can go to the hospital, put your password in, and your pertinent information is there. The hospital can see your allergies, what medications you're taking, and avoid mistakes, according to Pandya-Patel. "This card can save lives," she says. The card can also be an organizer, she says, which is handy if you're traveling and lose your passport. You can access vital information with it.
There is excitement in her voice when she talks about the GLC. She explains that her passion is driven by personal experience. When her son was two years old, he was diagnosed with leukemia. "When he goes off to college I won't be there to tell the doctor all the details of his medical history," Pandya-Patel says. There's little to worry about though, if he has the card full of information. Furthermore, "The card will have an 800-number where you can call the next of kin," she says.
The GLC would provide networking for personal, financial, medical/health, and legal information. Users will be able to access and update their information using a computer through online, phone support or a USB smart card. The information syncs to the cloud so it can be accessed anywhere and documents are encrypted as the card aims to decrease insurance fraud, make it easier for patients to have access to their health records, decrease medical mistakes, cut down on repetitive medical tests, and more.
"My kids are a big part this. My son and daughter started the concept three years ago. My son came up with the name and my daughter came up with the logo," Pandya-Patel says of her children
The GLC is in its prototype stage and she hopes to have it live this year. Pandya-Patel initially did some fundraising through crowdfunding, but she says she is tapping other private resources and investors. She hopes that once the prototype is finished, people will have a better idea of what she envisions and that she will be able to get contracts with insurance companies, government agencies, healthcare institutions, and others to help with funding.
She believes the GLC will be a part of her legacy.
"It is a way to change healthcare," she says, "to empower patients so they have more control over their health records and their health."
BUILDING A BRAND AND A FAMILY
Pandya-Patel, who was born in Gujarati,
"Everything that has happened in the past 20 years has brought me to this point," she says. "All the people I have met along the way, the connections I have made, and the things I've learned about what people need and want are all from healthcare. I'm goal-oriented. I like to find solutions to problems and to get results."
What impresses Hohner most is Pandya-Patel's commitment. "She does whatever she says she will do. She keeps her promises." That commitment includes patients, too. "She has passed up deals that would have made money, but if it wasn't really in the best interest of patients, she has said no," Hohner says. "Patient care is her priority."
Despite the demands of her business, she has coached basketball and softball, is vice president of the
She is passionate about her business, but even more passionate about her family. Her husband and two children are her top priorities.
"I spend quality time with my children. We cook, clean, shop together, we work as a team. I involve them in everything I do. My kids have come with me to help set up a facility, or they will come with me to volunteer when I'm helping out at non-profit events," says Pandya-Patel. "I spend time teaching them Indian culture, our religion, and customs."
She's is now at a turning point in her business, reorganizing the International Sleep Network and launching the
"I don't regret anything," she says. "Every experience, good or bad has made me a strong person. I've learned the most from the worst experiences."
That optimism and her ability to see the good in everything square up with what she says is her motto: Live life to the fullest, love as much as possible, and laugh as often as you can.
Copyright: | (c) 2014 MIDJersey Chamber of Commerce |
Wordcount: | 1496 |
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