It’s estimated that between 700,000 and 1.2 million British Columbians are struggling with the family doctor shortage. Even those with a family physician may not be able to access timely care for urgent issues.
However, since COVID-19, telehealth has emerged as a promising complement to help patients access health care anywhere in B.C.
Avee Health is a homegrown British Columbia company that is changing how primary care is delivered in the province. While connecting patients with doctors via a virtual platform, Avee also created an all-in-one practice management solution for practitioners, including time scheduling, appointment booking, AI-powered scribing, billing and secure calls and messaging, all integrated with the EMR (electronic medical record) system.
“Everyone deserves timely access to high-quality care,” says Ali Salemi, co-founder of Avee Health. “Canada has a health-care system to be proud of, and we founded Avee to help make that promise a reality.”
Since its launch in 2021, the platform has facilitated more than 500,000 doctor visits, a volume that now rivals or exceeds the daily patient throughput of British Columbia’s largest hospital.
“Avee’s organic growth reflects the depth of demand in the market,” says Salemi. “People are struggling to find a doctor. Over 6,000 public reviews, with an average rating of 4.9 for Avee, show that when you deliver an excellent health-care experience, people are ready to embrace it.”
A key part of Avee’s impact lies in its pharmacy network. The company is partnered with around 700 community pharmacies—approximately 50 percent of all pharmacies in British Columbia. This connection enables patients in remote and rural communities to easily access doctors through their local pharmacy via a hybrid in-person/virtual care model.
“When it comes to health care, language, limited comfort with technology, distrust of online services or long-standing habits should never become barriers to care,” he says. “Avee was built with these realities in mind.”
Avee started with virtual care, and today, continuity of care is a core priority for the platform’s founders. The company is looking to expand its in-person offerings and add a family practice model alongside its existing services. The goal is to create more opportunities for physicians and other health-care providers who value flexibility, efficiency and better work-life balance in a strained health-care system.
“Telehealth is not the future. It is already here and making a real impact,” notes Salemi. “At a time when many people are turning to AI for medical advice, we leverage AI to expand access to real doctors.”
Backed by investments from 7 Gate Ventures, Fold36 Capital and other investment firms, Avee is reimagining access to primary care on two fronts: through technology innovation and direct clinic operations.
Learn more about Telehealth B.C. and avee.health.
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