SAN DIEGO, CA--(Marketwired - September 23, 2014) - Bob Rogers, CEO of Ivera Medical, was named Entrepreneur of the Year by the San Diego Business Journal. The award was announced on September 18, 2014 at an awards ceremony for Healthcare Champions at the Hall of Champions in Balboa Park.
“Given the number and quality of entrepreneurs in this area, it is really an honor to be recognized,” said Mr. Rogers. “My interest has always been to identify solutions to problems that have defied prior efforts, and given the great history San Diego has with product innovation, it is humbling to receive this consideration.”
Ivera Medical, and its flagship product Curos® Disinfecting Port Protectors represent an entire market that Mr. Rogers created. Bloodstream infections are a significant problem in healthcare, having severe financial consequences, and causing serious health issues for patients. The idea behind Curos is to change clinician behavior and eliminate technique variability in device disinfection in order to reduce catheter-related bloodstream infections. “Nurses are incredibly busy with so many important things to do to care for patients, sometimes the workload can be overwhelming. I wanted to build something to help them and in doing so, improve the quality of care for patients,” said Mr. Rogers.
Instead of relying on nurses to scrub a needleless connector on a patient’s catheter or IV line with an alcohol pad, Mr. Rogers developed a small cap that contains alcohol. The cap’s entire purpose is to disinfect these connectors and then remain in place to protect the port from contacting sources of contamination. When a nurse needs to administer a medication, the Curos Port Protector is removed, discarded, and the medication administered into the line without requiring a nurse to manually scrub. Curos saves the nurse time and, more importantly, ensures that the port is properly disinfected. Like many effective solutions, the invention is very logical in hindsight, but since it is a major shift in universal nursing protocol, it took a few years to catch on.
“We still have a lot of work in front of us, but our list of prestigious hospitals and healthcare systems benefitting from Curos is lengthy, and include local leaders such as Rady Children’s Hospital and UCSD Medical Center,” said Mr. Rogers. “I suppose entrepreneurs never rest, always working on the next challenge. In that vein, we will soon commercialize two new products that will have further impact on the challenges hospitals face combatting bloodstream infections. And, we have our sights on new technologies that will greatly expand our company’s profile while targeting another major area of concern for hospitals and their patients. Being recognized by the San Diego Business Journal is an unexpected honor, and helps underscore the importance for all entrepreneurs to continue seeking out solutions to everyday challenges.”
About Ivera Medical
Ivera Medical Corporation, a certified Minority Business Enterprise (MBE), is focused on the design, development, manufacture, marketing and sale of products that help healthcare providers reduce facility-acquired patient infections. Curos, manufactured in Carlsbad, CA, is the first disinfecting cap to be marketed in the U.S. and has received FDA’s 510(k) market clearance. For more information about Curos and Ivera Medical, visit the website at www.curos.com
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