Digital medicine

Startup links patients and

doctors for 24/7 phone & online care, plus advises on insurance

When Shaun Young’s child came down with pink eye over Easter weekend, it not only was every parent’s common experience, but it also helped support the idea behind Young’s fledgling company.

“Why is it the kids never get sick during business hours?” Young said, chuckling.

The company, Ardina, is a health-care membership company providing 24/7 telemedicine support with licensed physicians, plus discounts on out-of-pocket health-care expenses such as prescriptions and dental services.

It’s not a health-care plan; it’s a supplement to health-care plans. After Young launched Ardina last month, he likened it to a AAA auto-club membership.

“Like AAA has roadside assistance available 24/7, Ardina has a health-care professional available to talk,” he said.

Not that Young, 37, needed to talk to a doctor to answer questions about his child’s illness. Young started his working career as a pharmacist, “so I’ve been on the front line

CHRIS RUSSELL DISPATCH Shaun Young, front right, and his team, clockwise from him, Ryan McManus, Stephanie Murnen, Mark McManus and Manny Larcher have rolled out a health-care service called Ardina that’s comparable to AAA. They’re shown here at Rev1 Ventures.