"Redefine success for yourself" with Dr. Ashwini Bapat
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Photo Credit: Emeric Bojarski
Dr. Ashwini Bapat is a palliative care doctor and founder of EpioneMD, a telehealth platform that empowers individuals who are aging, living with illness, and their caregivers to live well now. Dr. Bapat completed her training at Yale-New Haven Hospital and then worked at Massachusetts General Hospital. She quickly noticed that not everyone had access to the benefits of palliative care, and it was this frustration that got her thinking about creative ways to improve access. EpioneMD harnesses the power of telemedicine to bring palliative care into the homes of all those who could benefit.
Can you tell our readers about your background?
I have always been inspired and awed by human resilience and the mysteries intrinsic to life and death. As a palliative care doctor, I care for people living with serious illnesses, such as cancer, dementia, heart failure, and ALS. My patient’s courage to show up to clinic visits, to learn the results of their latest CT scan, and to undergo biopsies and surgeries, and chemotherapies, inspires me to be courageous in my own life.
My patients also remind me that my time here on earth is fleeting. It was while interacting with my patients that I had an “ah-hah” moment. I realized that if I continued on this conveyor belt, I would likely head to my funeral with a hearse brimming with regrets and with dreams left in storage.
What inspired you to start your business?
In my daily work, I witness how a palliative care clinician can positively impact the lives of those living with serious illness by equipping them and their caregivers with the tools to live better, now. I also knew that many people in the US are unable to access the benefits of palliative care. I saw telehealth as a way of bringing palliative care expertise into the homes of patients and caregivers who would have traditionally struggled to access it. This is what inspired us to start EpioneMD.
· Where is your business based?
EpioneMD is based in Massachusetts. That said, our telehealth services are available to anyone located in the United States.
How did you start your business? What were the first steps you took?
We started EpioneMD in 2020, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic introduced telehealth to the general public on a grand scale. Patients were connecting with doctors through video visits and we built off of this growing familiarity with telehealth.
We first brainstormed the types of services that could help increase access to the benefits of palliative care. We then put together a team, comprised of physicians, social workers, and chaplains to provide a holistic approach to care.
· What has been the most effective way of raising awareness for your business?
The most effective way of raising awareness has been through a combination of social media and community outreach.
Through our social media platforms, we shared EpioneMD’s wellness challenge called the 7-Day Advance Care Planning Challenge. This challenge walks people through planning for their future medical health in a bite size, approachable manner. We also partnered with local councils on aging and senior centers to educate our community on how palliative care can help individuals live well now.
What have been your biggest challenges and how did you overcome them?
I think the biggest challenge is that most people don’t understand what palliative care is and the breadth of services under the umbrella of palliative care.
Palliative care helps people live well in the present moment – whether they are aging, living with an illness, or are a caregiver. At EpioneMD, we do this by helping individuals identify what matters most to them, develop a framework for medical decisions, communicate their wishes with loved one and their medical team, and learn about supportive resources. We also provide emotional and spiritual support and provide more person-centric care. When I explain our work in this manner, most people wonder why they didn’t have palliative care earlier.
We are overcoming this barrier through educational initiatives on social media and through local community outreach.
How do you stay focused?
Our mission inspires me to focus. Our mission is to ensure that everyone who could benefit from palliative care can access it. I know there are people waiting for our help and I know we can help make their lives just a little bit better. This is what gives me the courage to make cold calls and send cold emails and continue through every “No”.
I also know that as a woman, and as someone who never quite felt seen, I stand on the shoulders of all the woman who were not seen, who were not heard, who never had the opportunity to step into their own shoes. Many women still do not have the opportunity to read, to write, to explore, and to fulfill their potential. So, when I show up, I take comfort in knowing I bring these women with me.
How do you differentiate your business from the competition?
EpioneMD values person-centered care. We value the fact that a person is more than their illness and with a team of physicians, social workers, and chaplains, we provide holistic care, centered on YOU.
We also provide direct access to palliative care trained experts. We make it easy for people to get the care they deserve. Individuals don’t need a referral or prior authorization or insurance. They don’t need to wait in a waiting room or on a waitlist. There are no surprise bills and no 15-minute appointments. Instead, you get humanity restoring, dignified care.
What has been your most effective marketing strategy to grow your business?
Our most effective marketing strategy has been to educate our audience and empower them with knowledge. We have done this through social media, such as our 7-Day Advance Care Planning challenge, and through educational sessions at local councils on aging and senior centers.
What's your best piece of advice for aspiring and new entrepreneurs?
Redefine success for yourself. I used to think that success was about the outcome - having a certain title, working in a particular institution, or making a certain salary. As an entrepreneur, this definition of success just doesn’t work.
I have redefined success to have the courage to take one more step. I try to focus more on the process - what have I learned, what am I learning, how can I trouble shoot around a particular problem.
· Why are you doing this? How is this work going to serve others?
I entered medical school to “help people”. I was searching for a way to contribute in a way that played off of my strengths; luckily, I found my calling in palliative care. Many people think that palliative care is depressing - to constantly be around people who are really sick. But to me, I get to help people when they are the most vulnerable. I can’t think of anything more fulfilling.
Through EpioneMD, I hope to be able to share the expertise of our team to all individuals that could benefit, regardless of geographic location.
What's your favorite app, blog, and book? Why?
My favorite book is “Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking”. I call this my Gita or my Bible – it is the first book I read where I felt understood.
I have been called “quiet” my entire life – from elementary school report cards to feedback during medical training. It has always been seen as a terrible thing – I was told that if you were quiet people assumed you were stupid. “Speak up” my teachers would say. This book was the first time that I saw how my natural tendency to being an introvert could actually be a strength.
What's your favorite business tool or resource? Why?
My favorite business tool is Canva. It is user friendly and helps our team create beautiful marketing and social media content on a budget.
Who is your business role model? Why?
I have many role business role models from Michelle Obama, Maya Angelou, Jhumpa Lahiri, Alexandria Ocasio Cortez to mentors within medicine - Dr. Lisa Sanders, Dr. Jen Kapo, and a friend Dr. Sanjeet Baidwan. These are women who are unapologetically themselves and who didn’t follow traditional career paths.
How do you balance work and life?
By accepting the fact that at different times in my life I will have different priorities. Currently, I have two young children who adore my attention. I know that right now, it is very important to be available to them when they need me. I give myself permission to carve out time for my kids and for myself.
Also, as a palliative care doctor having worked with thousands of people who are acutely aware of their mortality, one thing I have learned is that at the end-of-life, accolades, awards, job titles, all that falls away. You are left with the relationships you build with other people. So at the end of each day, I check in with myself - how would I feel if I died in this moment? I use this question as a gauge to reprioritize where I am putting my energy and to rebalance my life.
What’s your favorite way to decompress?
Exercise. I now have easy access to a 50-meter Olympic size pool in my neighborhood and I have gotten back into swimming. When I swim underwater, I cannot hear a thing. It is quiet. There are no babies crying, no children throwing a tantrum, no husband asking me where his shirt is. Instead, I focus on the sunlight that filters through the atrium, refracts in the water, and plays at the bottom of the pool.
What do you have planned for the next six months?
EpioneMD is looking forward to partnering with organizations, such as health insurance companies, hospitals, or employers to help their members navigate aging and illness with confidence.
How can our readers connect with you?
Readers can visit our website www.epionemd.com. They can also connect with us on Instagram @epioneMD, Twitter @Epione_MD, and through our Facebook Page www.facebook.com/epionemd.