RISING STAR

DR PETA-ANNE BROWNE Wardworx wardworx.app

Wardworx is a free mobile app created

for doctors, by a doctor. Since its launch on 26 January 2021, it has proven to be a crucial tool for healthcare workers, especially during these challenging times when many have been required to work more hours.

‘I’m very proud of what we have managed to achieve in such a short space of time with a small team, limited budget and little experience,’ says its creator, Dr PetaAnne Browne.

Having personally dealt with the frustrations of trying to keep track of hospital patients while managing the treatment needed for each one, PetaAnne knew there had to be a better solution and that the answer lay with mobile technology. It took her just under a year to develop an app that would take care of the admin so doctors could focus on what really matters: their patients’ wellbeing. Wardworx simplifies the work of doctors in public hospitals by streamlining patient task lists, and allows doctors to share their workload with other doctors on the team in real time. ‘Wardworx aims to improve patient outcomes and reduce physician burnout,’ PetaAnne says. ‘Being an app launched during a pandemic, it has specific features designed to modernise the care of Covid19 patients, helping the doctors who are working on the front line.’

You may wonder how Wardworx makes money. ‘We’re able to keep the app free for healthcare workers thanks to advertising and sponsorships,’ PetaAnne says. Many brands see doctors as a hardtoreach market. ‘With Wardworx, we’re able to provide a platform where corporates can engage with doctors in an authentic manner.’

PetaAnne can testify to the fact that being an entrepreneur while being a doctor during a pandemic isn’t for the fainthearted. ‘Medical school doesn’t prepare you to be the founder of a healthtech startup,’ she says. ‘I found myself juggling my day job with the many “hats” a founder must wear.’ But, she acknowledges, it did teach her to ask for help. ‘Each time I picked up the phone and reached out, I was rewarded. With that support, an incredible team and a healthy dose of bravery, I grew into the role. I’m still learning every day.’

For PetaAnne, winning the Women of the Future Rising Star Award is the encouragement and validation she needed to keep pushing herself. And she knows the exposure, mentorship, financial reward and business support services that go with the prize will increase Wardworx’s footprint in South Africa and beyond.

‘I hope to inspire other young doctors, especially women, to innovate to solve the problems they face on a daily basis,’ she says.

I’m very proud of what we have managed to achieve in such a short space of time with a small team, limited budget and little experience.