A message from Dr. Saeid Gholami, the founder and CEO at iCareBetter:
The story behind the movement
When I used to practice as a primary care doctor, I saw patients’ struggles to find doctors that could do proper endometriosis surgery. Endometriosis patients often came back to our clinic month after month without change in their pain and suffering. Many patients had multiple failed surgeries. That was because almost all gynecologists claimed expertise in endometriosis surgery. Unfortunately, patients could not differentiate truly skilled gynecologists from others for treating endometriosis. One specific patient that I still think of after a decade was a thirty-five years old lady with rectal bleeding during her periods. I recall her coming back every month until everyone believed she was seeking attention. And no one could help her. We tried hard to find endometriosis surgeons for the patients, but no doctor would be able to show enough knowledge and expertise to earn our trust. Some of them claimed endometriosis expertise, but after a couple of questions, we realized that they could not manage the complexity of this disease.
Someone needs to stand up and build a solution when there is a problem. That is how the world has improved since the beginning of humanity. And it was our turn to make something to enhance the world of endometriosis patients. We created iCareBetter to help patients find doctors who possess the knowledge and surgical skills needed for endometriosis treatment. iCareBetter makes the search for endometriosis doctors much more effortless and removes the randomness of finding an endometriosis specialist. By having a platform of peer-vetted endometriosis surgeons, patients can focus on finding a doctor that will match their criteria and personal needs. Criteria such as location, cost, team, and areas of expertise can define a patient’s path to recovery. And patients do not have to worry about the doctor’s basic understanding, empathy, and skills of endometriosis care.
Searching for an endometriosis surgeon is very hard. Most of the time, you have no idea about their surgical skills and whether they will be able to treat your case. iCareBetter evaluates gynecology surgeons for their skills in managing different types and locations of endometriosis. Their surgical expertise is peer vetted, so their ability to do safe surgery. We bring endometriosis specialists closer to patients.
What is iCareBetter’s mission?
To help endometriosis patients receive efficient care. To educate patients on endometriosis, to better understand endometriosis and patient’s needs. Patients wait years to receive a diagnosis, are sent to various specialties, and undergo multiple surgeries, and very few people take their pain seriously. iCareBetter mission is to improve endometriosis patients’ lives by providing them with what is needed the most; doctors that can handle each individual’s unique case.
Who is behind iCareBetter?
I, Dr. Saeid Gholami, am the founder of iCareBetter. I have training as an MD, MBA, and MS in Digital Technology. My training is not in OBGYN, and at the moment, I do not provide care to patients. I founded iCareBetter with my financial resources and then had some family and friends invest in the company to support us. None of the investors are related to the current doctors on the website. And none of the doctors on the website have any ownership or leadership position in the company.
Last words
Like every other life-changing initiative, ours started with a personal story and someone who wanted to make a change. My personal goal has been to improve patients’ lives at the minimum cost for them. And we are just at the beginning of the road. There are many patients with endometriosis who need help. And we have several problems to solve for the patients and the community. Nothing will stop us as long as endometriosis patients use iCareBetter to find hope and care for their debilitating pain and suffering.
