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Colorado Companies to Watch 2014: Health & Wellness
Mike Taylor //August 13, 2014//
HEALTH & WELLNESS
American Vein & Vascular Institute
Pueblo
Portrait: Founded in 2009, AVVI is a network of medical facilities offering minimally invasive vein disease treatments. It also houses a state-of-the-art vascular diagnostic lab. AVVI has locations in Pueblo, Parker, Canon City and Vail, as well as Arlington, Texas.
Major Moment: Expanding into Arlington in 2012 was an important milestone for the company, which began with three employees and now boasts more than 50. Other key moments were the grand opening of AVVI’s corporate headquarters on the Riverwalk in Pueblo in October 2012, and the company’s corporate restructuring and name change in February (from the former Rocky Mountain Vein Institute and The Diagnostic Center).
Differentiator: Of AVVI’s five physicians in Colorado, three are double-board certified and the remaining two are scheduled to sit for the exam in phlebology to earn the same qualification. Only 2 percent of physicians who practice phlebology are board-certified in the field. AVVI’s facilities are full-time clinics, whereas many others are “part-time” locations. AVVI also has fully accredited diagnostic centers at each clinic.
Community: AVVI offers free 30-minute screenings that include ultrasound exams and conversations with specialists. The company has sponsored such events as the THINK PINK PARTY for breast health awareness, various Senior Health Fairs and Cowboys Kickin’ Cancer.
Axion Health Inc.
Westminster
Portrait: Founded in 2006, Westminster-based Axion provides companies with innovative software for managing employee health, wellness, safety and exposure to workplace hazards.
Major Moment: Four years after Axion was formed to fulfill a government-consulting contract, the company won its first non-government transaction. This foray into commercial markets became the driver for developing a robust software platform to cost-effectively manage clients’ wellness and safety. Another monumental moment came in late 2012 when Axion won a contract with the prestigious Cleveland Clinic – validating both the company and its investors.
Differentiator: Axion’s software is copyrighted and the company’s reputation has been fortified by a client base that includes the U.S. Department of Energy, Scripps Health, Spectrum Health, Children’s Hospital of Colorado, Craig Hospital and Christus Health Inc.
Innovation: Axion’s ReadySet 4(C) is the only native Web application that exists in the market. Traditionally, employee health systems were little more than event trackers (such as whether employees received flu shots). Axion pioneered the incorporation of administrative program workflow support and clinical decision support into its software to simplify program management, improve employee care and automate regulatory compliance reporting.
Marrick Medical
Denver
Portrait: Marrick Medical is a patient-centered and technology-focused asset manager for hospitals and health systems. Its proprietary WRx software is designed to help health organizations manage costly motor vehicle and third-party liability accounts while improving the patient experience. The Denver-based company was founded in 2007.
Major Moment: Marrick also restructured its operations away from an assembly-line approach to its current team-based system, allowing employees to more effectively communicate, problem solve, develop best practices and ultimately serve clients’ needs. A final pivotal moment was partnering with the right debt provider. This enabled Marrick to lower its cost of capital and thus add employees and maintain profitability during a period of rapid growth.
Differentiator: “Without a doubt, it’s our people,” said Perry Rickles of his team, which he calls “fully engaged with Marrick’s mission and values. We hire on character first and then we can teach how to do the job at hand.”
Company Culture: Marrick’s culture is one of collaboration, hard work and fun. Team members vote on employee of the month honors, birthdays are celebrated with catered breakfasts of the recipient’s choosing, and all work anniversaries are broadcast and rewarded with gift cards. Marrick provides all employees with company T-Shirts designed and voted on by Marrick employees.
UrgentRx
Denver
Portrait: Denver-based UrgentRx produces a line of fast-acting, over-the-counter medications for today’s on-the-go consumer. The company’s trademarked Fast Powders come in convenient, single-dose packets for easier portability and accessibility. The flavored powders can be taken without water for immediate relief whenever and wherever needed.
Major Moment: Shortly after UrgentRx started up, David Bentley, a retired airline pilot, suffered a heart attack while skiing and was administered UrgentRx Critical Care Aspirin by a ski patroller. Bentley credits the UrgentRx product for helping save his life. The on-the-go medication is credited for helping save the lives of more than 14 people and is carried by EMT/ski patrol units across the country, as well as American Airlines. Initially developed for heart attack victims, UrgentRx now produces medications for everyday ailments such as allergies, aches and pains, heartburn and upset stomach.
Differentiator: UrgentRx has a patent for its portable powder delivery system – a packet the exact size of a credit card and easily carried in a purse or wallet.
Innovation: UrgentRx is becoming known as a game-changer with retailers, offering customized front-end displays that help create an UrgentRx “Pain Relief Center” and act as a key distribution/marketing element as well as generating incremental revenue for the retailer.
Performance Mobility
Wheat Ridge
Portrait: Founded in 1989, Performance Mobility is a dealer organization that sells, services and installs adaptive vehicles and equipment for people with disabilities. The company has three locations in Colorado and four others in Oregon and Utah.
Major Moment: A turning point for Performance Mobility came when it shifted its product strategy from customized local manufacturing to a dealership with a protected territory for two major adaptive vehicle manufacturers. This allowed the company
to broaden its product offerings and focus on its strengths, serving customers with disabilities, scaling operations and reducing liability. The acquisition of another dealership in Portland, Ore., expanded the business and established a model for future acquisitions and growth.
Differentiator: When a customer purchases a vehicle from Performance Mobility, the company files all the paperwork with the Department of Motor Vehicles. Thus, customers don’t have to go to DMV offices and wait to receive their registrations and titles – a huge convenience to a person in a wheelchair. Performance Mobility also was the first mobility dealer to provide retail vehicle financing through a major provider, Ally Financial.
Community: Owner and President Kevin Durban is on the board of directors for The Chanda Plan Foundation, a nonprofit that provides integrated therapies for people with disabilities. The company is a sponsor for all Chandra Plan activities. It also aids Craig Hospital by sponsoring events and providing pro-bono consulting every week with patients. Performance Mobility has been recognized by Paralyzed Veterans of America, ALS Society and the Muscular Dystrophy Association for its outreach and support of those organizations.
