Clara – Your Guide Inside

4 min read • Melinda Yormick, RN, BSN, CNOR, Creator of the CLARA App

Our 'Why' Has Evolved

Caring for people in their most fragile moments is what draws many of us to nursing. We are the throughline. We are the soft landing in the stressful chapters. Nurses know firsthand that the backdrop to the diseases and treatments patients experience is a layered healthcare system where things don’t always go as planned. Nursing expertise is there to support patients on their journeys yet even with sophisticated advances simple logistical problems can have dire results. Our patients need us to create smart solutions from the inside.

If You Can't Find the Solution, Then Build It!

CLARA was born in response to a heart wrenching event, the death of a patient in-hospital because of gaps in moving emergency personnel and equipment to the right location at the right time. Even after Root Cause Analysis and revision planning, I realized there was no solution we could implement to prevent this from happening again. It was very clear - I could not just walk away without making it better for other patients. Relying on Evidence-Based Practice, I went down a research rabbit hole. I combed for positional technology that would be useful for the critical nature of hospital services. There were no solutions available that fit the need to advance emergency response and our understanding of internal spaces of healthcare sites. To find it I had to build it, and that’s when I began to assemble a team of collaborators connecting software engineers, business leaders, and UX designers with a shared goal of making hospital campuses safer and smarter.

Dismantling the Hospital Maze

Death and poor patient outcomes are the tip of the iceberg when considering navigational health system challenges. These challenges are exacerbated by high staff turnover rates, which have soared to approximately 100.5% over five years, and a 35% increase in reliance on travel nursing across organizations.

We know that hospitals have digital transformation on their strategic roadmaps, and they need a clinician-driven solution to support their long-term goals. CLARA provides data informed precision mapping of healthcare environments to improve patient outcomes and support the well-being of valued clinicians. We are keenly aware that patients and visitors feel that hospitals are “mazes” to find their way through and we want to support every patient, visitor, and clinician walking through their doors.

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Hospital Campuses: Leveled Up

We developed a scalable software solution to connect patients and providers to the exact locations of teams and equipment when they need it most. Our platform leverages the power of precision mapping and real-time data to streamline hospital operations, facilitate seamless patient care, and support the well-being of staff. CLARA applies a digital infrastructure for development of innovative, smart campuses that exceed patient expectations, monetize throughput efficiencies, and apply modern cost accounting standards. We fill costly information gaps for healthcare organizations with actionable data and high reliability clinical tools.

Ideas that Help Us Grow

The partners that go on the journey with you are the ones who will support and feed your drive. Find your tribe!
You've got to be your own cheerleader so trust in your vision and don't give up.
Be prepared to be doubted, dismissed, and misunderstood along the way. Use these challenges to make your work better, stronger.

Get Comfortable with Being Uncomfortable; This is Where the Growth is!

Follow your True North of patient well-being. Nursing is a high integrity field which asks that you access your highest sense of responsibility as a patient advocate.
Be ok with being different- if you're thinking differently that's a great start.
Don't be afraid to learn the business of business.