Julius Bruch is a healthcare innovator with 11 years’ experience across the USA and many international healthcare systems. In addition to being an experienced leader with expert knowledge in value-based care, virtual care, and medical cost management, Julius is also a physician and scientist with a PhD in neuroscience and experience in clinical research.

Conception of Isaac Health

“As a society, we are terrible at looking after people with dementia. I have experienced this firsthand with my own grandmother. Over many years my family was in the dark about the exact diagnosis and best treatment. As it turns out, 90% of doctors do not feel equipped to look after people with dementia and over 60% of cases are undiagnosed,” observes Julius. He adds that waiting times for the few medical experts in memory clinics often exceed 6 months and only a minority of patients receives the standard of care. Hence, the need to create Isaac Health with an aim to make the standard of care for dementia patients more accessible using age-friendly technology.

Healthcare system challenges

The pandemic has opened patients’ minds to new ways of seeking care – including through telemedicine and in their home. “It is our duty as providers to ensure that those that need access to quality healthcare the most, such as the elderly, don’t lose out on the advantages brought by technology.”

Isaac Health’s technology enabled platform for dementia care

Isaac Health covers the entire dementia care journey from screening to treatment. The company partners with Medicare plans, senior living communities and other senior care providers to offer screening, diagnosis, and treatment. People who have concerns about their own or a loved one’s memory function can also sign up directly on the company website for an assessment and medical consultation. Clients undergo a full diagnosis, including cognitive assessment and medical specialist visit. The service is covered by most insurance plans. In addition, those who are looking to reduce their risk of getting dementia and to sharpen memory performance to the level of a hobby memory champion can undergo a training program developed by 7 x world memory champion Boris Konrad. “What sets us apart is the clinical and scientific approach – we have developed a therapy approach that follows the latest guidelines and is administered by medical professionals,” says Julius.

Leadership traits

In building the culture at Isaac Health, Julius puts a big focus on quality and patient experience: “We believe that the key to success is to deliver care at least twice as seamless and enjoyable as the next-best alternative. Beyond that, we also believe in an open and blame-free culture accepting of people from a wide variety of backgrounds.”

Words of advice

Julius advises his peers to take measured risks. “Whenever I face a situation where I fear failure (and this happens a lot while building a business), I try and assess the best and worst possible outcome. If the worst possible outcome is bearable, I go for it.” Currently, the focus at Isaac is all about growing the platform and user base. A positive client experience leads to many more potential clients and potential business partners. However, the macroeconomic environment has become more challenging this year and many healthcare companies have yet to prove their value to society and payers. “This calls for additional attention and a much smaller margin of error – for example in the fine-tuning of unit economics – than may have been possible even a few months ago”, he says.

Success mantras

“I chose the healthcare sector for my career as it is almost always aligned with helping people and creating both financial and social capital. Whatever I do should have a positive impact on society and drive innovation. If I notice something falling short on these two criteria, it’s probably time to reevaluate” he closes off.