One doc’s prescription for hassle-free health care (NPR)

Sherpaa is a New York City-based health care startup that claims to solve 70% of patients’ problems via phone and email. For the 30% of patients who can’t be diagnosed by the group of doctors accessible through the 24/7 service, Sherpaa has 100 or so hand-picked specialists that will see patients in person. Dr. Jay Parkinson, CEO and co-founder, got the idea for Sherpaa after a friend of a friend emailed with symptoms for acute appendicitis. Parkinson referred the patient to a surgeon who removed the appendix laparoscopically at an outpatient surgical center. The patient was back home recovering within six hours of sending the email, according to Parkinson. Plans are in the works to open the service in California, Boston and Washington, D.C.