{"id":14955,"date":"2015-07-06T16:06:43","date_gmt":"2015-07-06T20:06:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wework.com\/creator\/?p=14955"},"modified":"2020-03-30T18:38:40","modified_gmt":"2020-03-30T22:38:40","slug":"untangling-the-healthcare-system-for-those-with-serious-illnesses","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wework.com\/ideas\/professional-development\/untangling-the-healthcare-system-for-those-with-serious-illnesses","title":{"rendered":"Untangling the healthcare system for those with serious illnesses"},"content":{"rendered":"

When Zoe Barry\u2019s brother was diagnosed with severe epilepsy, her family had to struggle to secure the specialized medications he needed. After hearing similar stories from other people dealing with the country\u2019s complicated healthcare system, she soon realized that their situation was far from unique. She decided to transform her frustration into action.<\/p>\n

Barry was no stranger to the healthcare industry, having worked for a time at Athenahealth. But the idea for her company ZappRx<\/a> stemmed much more from a personal desire to help her brother and others like him.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe problem is that the more expensive the drug is, the more information is required, and the more of a black hole the process is,\u201d Barry says. \u201cSo I had the idea to make it easier to get your prescriptions and have more transparency with the whole thing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Barry always knew she wanted to work in healthcare, but entering the sector as a female entrepreneur was an entirely new experience. Thinking she\u2019d have to battle with the traditional \u2018brogrammer\u2019 image that permeates tech, she was surprised when healthcare investors received her so warmly.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a slightly higher percentage of female investors in the healthcare space versus the tech sector,\u201d she says. \u201dI\u2019ve found it extremely positive to be a woman in the healthcare space, and 100 percent of my investors are either a woman or a man with young daughters.\u201d<\/p>\n

Once ZappRx got its financing, Barry had to work on getting other players in the healthcare system, including patients, doctors, and insurance companies, on board.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s all about getting the right introduction,\u201d Barry says. \u201cI\u2019m brutally honest about this\u2014there are certain players in healthcare where you need an MD or PhD associated with your name in order to be taken seriously. I call it OMDS: Old Male Doctor Syndrome.\u201d<\/p>\n

Barry is nothing if not straightforward, and possesses an uncanny, refreshing frankness.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve made sure in the very early stages to bring my own Old Male Doctor to every single meeting I went to, to warm the heart of the decision maker on the other side,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

ZappRx has experienced meteoric growth in the past year, a fact that Barry credits to her willingness to build it from scratch. Her business is based at two different WeWork locations: Boston\u2019s South Station<\/a> and New York\u2019s FiDi<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cI had no problem starting out with the basics,\u201d she says. \u201cI was eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches at my kitchen table and taking the Fung Wah bus back and forth between Boston and New York. I was very scrappy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Barry\u2019s do-it-yourself nature is something aspiring female entrepreneurs can learn from, and her willingness to take risks sets her apart.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn the beginning, I asked investors what they thought the difference was between a male entrepreneur and a female entrepreneur, and the investors were very candid,\u201d she says. \u201cThey said women are incredibly hesitant to go out and raise and ask for money, and when they do finally get ready to ask for money they ask for half as much as they actually need.\u201d<\/p>\n

For Barry, the most important part of building a new business is having the confidence to take the first step.<\/p>\n

\u201cGo out and do it, go out and build, go out and raise money,\u201d she says. \u201cI think women underestimate themselves so much, or they pause, or they hesitate, and my number one piece of advice to women is just to go get started. Create an army of advisors, go have conversations, and go find a partner who is crazy enough to join you early on.\u201d<\/p>\n

The ZappRx team has more than doubled in size over the past year, and Barry says she only looks for one thing when she is selecting a new hire.<\/p>\n

\u201cI definitely do not practice mirroring, which is hiring people who look like me,\u201d she says. \u201cI hire people who are as good or better than myself, and I\u2019m not afraid to say someone has more expertise than I do.\u201d<\/p>\n

ZappRx is split down the middle when it comes to gender, and Barry appreciates the level playing field this creates in the workplace.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re executing like crazy,\u201d she says, \u201cand blowing through expectations.\u201d<\/p>\n

Photography by Lauren Kallen<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

When Zoe Barry\u2019s brother was diagnosed with severe epilepsy, her family had to struggle to secure the specialized medications he needed. After hearing similar stories from other people dealing with the country\u2019s complicated healthcare system, she soon realized that their situation was far from unique. She decided to transform her frustration into action. Barry was […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1519,"featured_media":14961,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[43902],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-14955","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-professional-development"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nUntangling the healthcare system for those with serious illnesses<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"After hearing similar stories from other people dealing with the country\u2019s complicated healthcare system, Zoe Barry soon realized that their situation was far from unique. 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