Building a Rural Pediatric Care Platform from Vision to Reality
2024
Product
Building a Rural Pediatric Care Platform from Vision to Reality
Client: PEMPal
Founder: Dr. Alana Arnold
Stage: Pre-seed (Zero-to-One)
Focus Area: Sustainable Health & Economic Development in Rural Communities
The Challenge
Dr. Alana Arnold saw what others overlooked: a critical gap in rural pediatric emergency care. Her vision was clear : every child deserves exceptional care, delivered right where they live but she needed to translate her clinical expertise into a viable product that would attract both hospital clients and investor interest. Without a technical co-founder or product background, she needed a partner who could build a foundation while she focused on clinical validation and customer development.
Our Approach
We structured a phased engagement combining strategic consulting with hands-on product development. Starting with a 6-month retainer for ongoing product management support, we quickly moved into building PEMPal's MVP - a digital platform equipping hospitals, ERs, and urgent care centers with pediatric care protocols. Rather than building everything at once, we focused on high-impact use cases: asthma, bronchiolitis, and fever work-up procedural questionnaires that could demonstrate immediate clinical value.
What We Delivered
Product Foundation (14-Day Sprint)
Zero-to-One MVP development with clinical workflow integration
Website design and development for provider and parent-facing experiences
User acquisition funnel automation to drive early adoption
Strategic Roadmap
12-18 month thematic, metric, and feature-based product roadmap
Prioritized feature set aligned with hospital client needs and investment milestones
Product analytics dashboard tracking key metrics for traction and growth
Ongoing Product Management (6-Month Retainer)
Weekly check-ins to iterate based on user feedback and market validation
Product strategy refinement as the business evolved
Support for investor conversations and partnership development
The Impact
PEMPal isn't just operating - it's thriving. Dr. Arnold has successfully positioned PEMPal as a critical solution for rural pediatric care, securing hospital partnerships and garnering media attention. She's been on a media tour sharing PEMPal's impact, elevating the conversation around equitable access to pediatric emergency care in underserved communities. From concept to market-ready platform, PEMPal now stands as proof that rural communities don't have to accept substandard care and that the right product foundation can turn clinical expertise into scalable impact.
