Better Patient Care with Better Ultrasound Imaging: Kevin Bergman and Mena Ramos of GUSI | Episode 4 of Twist of Fate 

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When Dr. Kevin Bergman was a second-year resident, he treated a mother for malaria in Malawi. Her treatment was like clockwork, until she took a turn. Kevin initially thought she needed a spinal tap, until he took an ultrasound of her stomach. The results revealed the woman’s stomach was full of blood, something he wouldn’t have even considered until he saw the images. 

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The Story of GUSI 

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This is just one tale of many that the founders of Global Ultrasound Institute (GUSI) shared with host Douglas Younger III on Twist of Fate. Dr. Mena Ramos and Dr. Kevin Bergman started a company that brings sophisticated ultrasound technology, dubbed POCUS for Point-of-Care Ultrasound, to people all over the globe. More importantly, they teach people how to use that technology to save lives. 

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Kevin’s patient in Malawi not only survived but was seen playing with her children the day after surgery. However, countless others aren’t so lucky. For the most part, ultrasounds are largely used in OB/GYN exam rooms and ignored elsewhere. GUSI was inspired by endless travel on the parts of both doctors, and an amalgamation of everything from treating patients to studying the global market. 

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Ultrasound technology has come such a long way, to the point where doctors and specialists can see what’s happening within the body in real time — instead of having to send out the images for interpretation and then wait for the results. 

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Much like it would be nice to drive your car up to a mechanic and get an instant understanding of what’s wrong, GUSI trains people to help them make better decisions in less time. 

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A Blend of Two Worlds 

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As an entrepreneur, Douglas Younger III is used to relating to physicians. There’s good reason for this, as there are multiple commonalities between professions. Both need to train themselves to commit to a cause that often takes decades to see through. 

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Kevin Bergman, a man who started out in business before making the leap to become a physician, sees GUSI as the best of both worlds. For Mena, she saw an opportunity to scale what she’d learned in her practice to the larger world. 

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Both talked almost exclusively about their passions rather than the potential profit margins of their venture. Not only was there a real need for POCUS, but there was a potential to shift how doctors fundamentally diagnose and treat patients. 

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Giving patients information when they come in doesn’t just provide instant gratification, studies show that it makes them more likely to stick with a treatment plan. Kevin and Mena also designed classes that both educate and entertain their target demographic, which ranges from general practitioners to sports medicine specialists. Anyone giving an exam could benefit from showing their patients what’s really going on in their body. 

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Doing What You Love 

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It’s a cliche to say that doing what you love is a way to forego ‘real’ work, but for Mena, she found that this really was true. Staying up at night to solve a problem wasn’t a slog for her. By contrast, it was a life-changing experience to be so caught up in a goal that could help so many people. 

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All entrepreneurs have to solve for the nuts of bolts of their profession, but they also have to look at their larger legacy. Not all of us will be able to save lives en masse the way Kevin and Mena are, but all of us can conceive of doing something a little bigger with our workday. 

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