The phone call that changed my life came on an ordinary Tuesday. At 34, I heard the words “breast cancer.” As a single mother and emergency medical technician, I suddenly not only had to manage my career and raising my daughter, but also fight for my life. But it wasn’t just the diagnosis that changed my path, but also what came after.
One moment I will never forget was after the operation. My little daughter gently ran her finger over the scars on my chest and asked if they hurt. I told her something I deeply believed: Although they had once hurt, those scars were now beautiful, marking not just survival but transformation. Like the Velveteen Rabbit, I explained, sometimes our struggles make us more real.
When the cancer returned more aggressively a few years later, my oncologist threw “everything and the kitchen sink” at me. As I lay on my couch, exhausted from the treatment, it felt like I had an hourglass over my head and time was running through my fingers like sand. My daughter was so young and the thought of her growing up without me was unbearable. It was like gasping for air, desperate for more time. In healthcare we talk about “value,” but at that point it became crystal clear to me that meaningful time is the ultimate currency.
Going back to work after breast cancer
This insight became the foundation of my startup, Dimer Health, which provides 24/7 medical support, bridging the gap between hospital discharge and full recovery. Through innovative technology and AI, we are making continuous care the new standard of patient support. The U.S. healthcare system spends an avoidable $62 billion annually on hospital readmissions, affecting over 32 million patients. I know these costs exactly. Two years after my treatment, I became one of those statistics. After surgery to replace an implant, I rushed back to work early, got an infection, and ended up in the hospital for three days. The most heartbreaking thing about it wasn’t the avoidable admission, but the sight of the trauma in my daughter’s eyes after everything she had already witnessed.
During my 17 years in healthcare and my own journey as a patient, I discovered a critical gap: the dangerous space between hospital and home. Despite our best efforts, 80% of patients do not follow discharge instructions. Many wait weeks or months before they can reconnect with their care team, increasing the risk of complications.
My own mother’s 14-year battle with advanced cancer became my north star for innovation. During her four rounds of chemotherapy, living each year as if it could be her last, she taught me how to build better healthcare. Every feature we develop at Dimer Health, founded in 2022, is measured by their experience: Would it detect complications early enough? Would she trust him? Would Care be there at 3 a.m. when worries arise? My mantra is: If it’s not good enough for my mother, it’s not good enough for anyone.
I realized that the solution had to combine two crucial elements: the efficiency of artificial intelligence and the irreplaceable human touch. My company’s approach goes beyond cancer care – we’re transforming the entire transition from hospital to home care. Imagine your doctor holding one hand while we hold the other to ensure you are never alone. Our 24/7 virtual support system combines AI technology with expert clinical staff to guide patients as they recover from surgery, manage chronic conditions, or transition from hospital care.
How AI can be used in healthcare
Critics often ask whether AI belongs in healthcare. As someone who has taken on both the role of patient and the role of innovator, I can tell you: It’s not about replacing human care – it’s about improving it. When TechAviv, Silver Circle and Bill Ackmans TABLE Management recently invested in our vision, they didn’t just bet on technology. They relied on a fundamental truth I learned during my cancer journey: healthcare needs both innovation and humanity.
This belief drives our unique “Patient Shadow” technique, where our team members immerse themselves in the patient experience. It’s one thing to develop health technology; It’s another thing to actually live the problems you’re trying to solve and develop the necessary empathy.
We are at a pivotal moment in the history of healthcare. As hospitals face unprecedented staffing shortages and capacity challenges, we need solutions that scale human expertise while maintaining the personal touch that makes medicine human. AI is not just a buzzword, it is a bridge to a healthcare system that can finally deliver on its promise of putting patients first.
The future of healthcare isn’t just about better technology – it’s also about understanding that for every patient, there’s a little girl tracing her scars, a mother fighting for more time, or a family hoping for better care. This understanding is my superpower and helps build a future where no patient approaches their health journey alone. Because I learned that in healthcare, innovation without empathy is no innovation at all.
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