On a recent episode of Health Futures – Taking Stock in You Radio show, in collaboration with Money Radio 1510AM and 105.3FM., host Bob Roth interviewed Jenna Morgenstern Gaines, Co-Founder and CEO of Pocket RN. They discussed how Pocket RN is innovating home healthcare by providing virtual nursing support directly to patients and families.
For the full hour-long episode, we invite you to access the full recording by clicking here or listening to us on our podcast on any of these outlets:
Introducing Pocket RN
Founded in 2020, Pocket RN has developed a virtual care model that gives patients and caregivers on-demand access to nurse consultations and ongoing support from their smartphones. Their network of licensed nurses covers all 50 U.S. states.
Pocket RN: Background and Vision
Gaines came up with the Pocket RN concept while at Stanford University, after recognizing major gaps in providing clinical care in the home setting. She assembled a founding team including co-founder Sam Thomas, combining their varied expertise to build the company.
Within three years, Pocket RN has expanded to serving over 3,000 patients nationwide. Their goal is making specialized nursing guidance easily accessible from home to ultimately “put a nurse in everyone’s pocket.”
Key Benefits of At-Home Virtual Nursing
Pocket RN focuses on forming long-term relationships between patients/families and a dedicated “nurse for life.” This personal connection builds trust and enables nurses to gain deeper health insights.
On-demand access empowers patients to get clinical questions addressed in real-time without necessarily visiting urgent care. Virtual consultations also facilitate follow-up monitoring from hospital/rehab discharge.
For older adults and caregivers, reducing barriers to expert nursing advice promotes better health outcomes, independence and peace of mind.
The Future of In-Home Virtual Health
While still early in its growth, Pocket RN illustrates the vast potential of telehealth to make home the centralized hub for multidisciplinary care. The COVID-19 pandemic only underscored the need for tech-enabled home health solutions.
As the U.S. senior population grows exponentially in the coming decades, expect virtual nursing and care coordination platforms like Pocket RN’s to play a major role in efficient healthcare delivery.
