Patty Post, Founder, and CEO of Checkable, Is Taking on Big Pharma and Strep Throat

Patty Post, Founder, and CEO of Checkable, is revolutionizing the healthcare market. She is on a mission to provide consumers with at-home health resources so they can save time and make informed decisions about their health in the comfort of their homes. One of her core missions is to provide an at-home Strep test to save parents the stress and time of taking their loved one to the doctor.

Grit Daily talked with Patty and learned more about what has made Checkable so successful in a market that seemed so dominated by big pharma.

Grit Daily: Please share more about your background and how the idea for Checkable Medical came to life?

Patty Post: The idea of Checkable was born out of frustration after many years of bringing my three kids to the doctor’s office to check for strep throat. I remember the exact moment when the idea came to my mind. I was at a CVS Minute Clinic with my daughter for the third time in a week. We waited over an hour to be seen, and she was quite sick. While the nurse practitioner was running the test in front of me, it was like a light bulb went off, and I said out loud, wouldn’t it be awesome if I had this test at home? I built my career in medical devices, and at the time, I was working at a clinical research organization. That’s how I started putting the puzzle pieces together. I knew the rapid strep test was a legacy technology, the same technology as a pregnancy test. I started getting obsessed with the question, why couldn’t we put that test in every American home and empower parents to check for strep throat and not rely on the provider? I spent nine months researching why no one had done it, the path to OTC clearance, and the big question, would anyone ever fund it?

Grit Daily: With so many health brands on the market, how does Checkable Medical set itself apart from its competitors?

Patty Post: Checkable is a full circle at-home health eco-system. Check your symptoms easily, conveniently, and for less money with an FDA-cleared diagnostic and mobile application. Get a treatment plan from home with Checkable’s telehealth, stay healthy, and create and maintain healthy routines with Checkable’s mobile experience.  Our purpose is to empower moms with the freedom to make healthcare decisions for themselves and their families from home through the use of diagnostics, telehealth, education, and community.

Grit Daily: What goals did you have in mind when starting Checkable, and what are your goals moving forward?

Patty Post: My goal was to have an FDA-cleared strep test with a mobile app to make the process easy for moms and dad’s to run the test and interpret the results. It had to have telehealth to enable them to get the prescription with a positive test. This model can be used for so many different illnesses, and we’re coming out with a rapid UTI test and vaginal pH. I think there’s an incredible amount of opportunity at home in the cancer screening and genetic testing categories as well.

Grit Daily: At-home testing has seen a significant increase since the pandemic. In your opinion, do you see at-home testing being a continued tool for consumers?

Patty Post: Absolutely it’s a tool. The world has experienced how convenient it is to test their symptoms at home and then make a decision on what to do next. They no longer need to rely on a healthcare provider to do this. They’re empowered to make clinical, evidenced-based healthcare decisions from home through the use of at-home diagnostics and telehealth.

Grit Daily: Why did you choose Strep as a clinical trial for your at-home test kit?

Patty Post: Because I personally was frustrated with the system’s protocol. For example, my two boys test positive for strep on Monday. On Wednesday, my daughter wakes up with the same symptoms; call the pediatrician’s triage line to ask for a prescription for amoxicillin because my daughter has the symptoms of strep. They tell me I need to bring her in for the rapid test; they won’t prescribe over the phone without a positive rapid test. This is incredibly frustrating; she’s been exposed and has the symptoms. Why do I need to take half a day to check for strep? The scenario works in reverse too. Your child wakes up with a sore throat, and you can’t tell if it’s strep or not, so you send them to school. Hours later, you get a call from the school nurse letting you know you need to pick up your child, now it’s noon, and your pediatrician can’t see you. Two options exist, same-day walk-in clinic or urgent care, or wait until tomorrow. Either way, you’ll need to take another day off of work when you could have diagnosed it sooner, for less money and time by doing it at home.

Grit Daily: Will Checkable launch other at-home tests for other illnesses and ailments?

Patty Post: Yes, we’re launching a line for women’s health and maternity, a rapid UTI test, a rapid vaginal pH test, and two breast milk strips to determine the alcohol level in the milk and its nutritional value.

Grit Daily: What’s on the horizon for Checkable Medical?

Patty Post: We’re looking at new ways to engage our consumers on our app and researching other diagnostics that can be performed at home.

Grit Daily: As a female founder and entrepreneur, what tips can you share for anyone wanting to start their own business?

Patty Post: Take the risk, have the confidence, and make bold decisions for yourself and your family. The world needs more Moms to start companies and back technologies that solve mom problems. I encourage women not to make the excuse they don’t have time or that their family needs them. Do it when they’re sleeping, wake up early, or stay up late to complete the research and time-consuming work. The world needs your innovation and your passion.