Brave Care is a unique children’s medical clinic and a part of our VIDA Coworking community. So, we’re thrilled to share this Portland-based business with all you parents out there. It’s an excellent (even necessary) healthcare tool to have in your belt. To learn more about Brave Care Portland, we caught up with their Chief Operating Officer and Co-Founder (and VIDA Member!), Maryam Taheri, to talk goals, advice and why some of her most important teachers have four feet.
Imagine this: It’s a beautiful Thursday evening in late June. Dinner’s cleaned up, school’s been out for a week, and there are still two solid hours of precious daylight left. The kids are outside playing in the yard while you catch up on some much-deserved quality-time with a new novel. Then you hear a sudden wail. Your six-year-old just toppled off the jungle gym and hit his chin on a rock, and suddenly there’s more blood than you’d like to see.
Accidents like this try even the most unflappable parents. The mind races. Does he need stitches? How worried should you be about infection? Your pediatrician’s office is closed. Where should you take him? The emergency room? Urgent care? What if they make you wait for hours in the lobby? Will the doctors be able to calm your distressed son? And what will it cost?
Located in Northeast Portland, Brave Care is a pediatric urgent care clinic open 12 hours a day, seven days a week. It comes equipped with a child-friendly waiting room, doctors and nurses who specialize in pediatric care, transparent and affordable pricing, kid-sized medical instruments, and a welcoming attitude that makes little ones and their parents feel right at home.
Currently in a major growth phase, Brave Care’s goal is to expand from Portland to cities across the country. While doing so, they’ll be leveraging technology to make healthcare more kid-friendly.
How’d you get involved with Brave Care?
My professional background has been at the intersection of health and technology, and personally, I love children and dogs. As an aside, if you have a kid or a dog, please don’t let me know because I will spend my entire day angling for time with them.
Anyway, a year ago I started a conversation with one of my co-founders about problems and challenges in healthcare. Around the same time, his four-year-old dove off a bike ramp and his one-year-old started having breathing problems. In both instances, he took them to a pediatric urgent care facility nearby.
Our big takeaway from that whole experience was about how much better kids care can be…when it’s actually designed for kids. We ended up joining forces with the doctor from that urgent care, an engineer friend, and Brave Care was born.
What do you like most about your job?
I love working with my team to solve complex and complicated problems. They inspire me every single day, and I’m constantly learning from them.
I can honestly say that I’m the happiest I’ve ever been in my professional journey. I get to spend my day making our systems work better, helping people do their jobs better, and changing the way healthcare is delivered for children.
I think we’ve done a great job finding our Brave Care Staff, who are top-performers and also fit our cultural profile. This is something we strive to do from investors to partners to employees. In my view, every interaction creates forever so it’s been very important to find people who are honest, passionate, kind and proactive about creating joy in all of their interactions.
Time to brag: What’s one skill, quality, or attribute that makes you great at your role?
I love helping people. Whether it’s figuring out a career path, fixing a problem (personal or professional), I’ve always got your back.
Can you tell us about a time your career took a surprising or unexpected turn?
I never thought I’d work in a technology field. My undergraduate degree was in Biochemistry and I honestly thought I’d pursue a career in medicine.
If you could go back in time and give your 16-year-old self a piece of advice, what would it be?
If the goal is to learn you can never fail. You’ll make choices every step of the way in your life, some will be good choices and some will be bad choices, but own them…you made those choices – hold yourself accountable.
Can you tell us about somebody who’s had a big influence on you?
That’s a tough question because I feel constantly influenced and challenged by the people in my life. I certainly wouldn’t be where I am today without my friends and family.
If I had to pick one person, I actually choose my dog, Sherlock.
As dorky as it might sound, Sherlock really inspires me and has been a big influence. As humans we really need to take more lessons from dogs. I can go out for meetings all day and he’s still happy to see me when I get home. He keeps me out and active, and he’s always reminding me of what’s most important – love, sunshine, a good walk, and a cuddle. What more do you need?
How do you like to unwind, relax, and take care of yourself after a long week?
When I’m stressed, you’ll find me in the kitchen baking 10 versions of a chocolate chip cookie.
My favorite unwinding moments are outside in the sun – hiking, camping, swimming. Going to the mountains, for me, always feels like coming home. It always brings me serenity and a smile.
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