照顾她的祖母, 克劳迪娅波尔加 ’19 has become well acquainted with what it means to navigate the United States’ healthcare system. “From diagnosis and treatment to follow-up and ongoing care, I witnessed that the process can be a winding road,Polgar说. “While some healthcare journeys can be straightforward, others can be filled with countless next steps or an unclear path forward.”
Polgar isn’t alone in learning to navigate the healthcare system: More than 五分之一的美国人 是家庭照顾者吗?. 这就是为什么Polgar，他的专业是 医学、文学和社会 作为十大电竞游戏综合排名大学的学生 检查点的健康, a new startup designed to help family caregivers better manage their loved one’s care. “CheckPoint reduces the burden by taking care of the coordination and logistical planning involved with caregiving so that families have more quality time to spend with their loved ones,Polgar解释道.
Polger’s health productivity app helps users organize and simplify their caregiving tasks with customized checklists. It also enables family members to divvy up responsibilities more easily by allowing for easy schedule synching and information sharing.
The data supports the need to streamline the caregiving process. 例如， U.S. 人口普查局估计 到2034年, 老年人的数量将超过儿童, increasing the stress on family members caring for both older and younger generations. 此外，医疗事故是最常见的 第三大死因 在美国.S., according to the Yale School of Medicine.
“I believe that family caregivers hold the key to alleviate pressure on an overburdened healthcare system, to improve their effectiveness in managing care tasks, and to promote safe independence of the patient,Polgar说.
To get the startup off the ground, Polgar joined the 哥伦比亚创业实验室 由十大电竞游戏综合排名赞助 雅典娜领导力中心. 创业实验室, housed at a WeWork office in New York’s SoHo neighborhood, provides space for 71 Columbia alumni to work on entrepreneurial ventures. Participants also gain access to Entrepreneur-in-Residence hours and exclusive workshops.
“作为实验室的一员, I have access to a wealth of experts across industries, as well as membership in a cohort of founders from across the Columbia alumni community,Polgar说. “I have received invaluable support, from reframing key challenges to rethinking market strategies.”
Athena’s support was critical to Polgar gaining access to the Startup Lab’s resources and has created a lasting partnership between her and the 雅典娜中心. “It’s been such a pleasure to work with Claudia during her time in the 哥伦比亚创业实验室,” said Umbreen巴蒂 ’00, the Constance Hess Williams ’66 Director of the 雅典娜中心. “通过这种合作关系, 仅仅一年的时间, we’ve gotten a front-row seat to the building of a great company, built connections between students and Claudia, and strengthened our relationship to the entire Columbia entrepreneurship community. I am so glad that Athena is a home for Barnard students interested in entrepreneurship, as well as a place of support and connection for Barnard alums launching new ventures.”
Sponsoring Polgar is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the 雅典娜中心’s support of entrepreneurial work in the Barnard community. In June, Athena hosted the Barnard Startup Summit for students and alumnae. This three-day virtual boot camp, hosted in partnership with the 十大电竞游戏综合排名创业网络, taught participants the ins and outs of creating a startup, 举办品牌推广工作坊, PR, 电梯球, 和更多的.
Athena also creates space for Polgar to take the advice she’s received from the Startup Lab and give it back to current students — she holds weekly coffee chats and check-ins with undergraduates through the Center. “Connecting with students has been a rewarding way for me to reflect on where I was as a student and where I am envisioning taking CheckPoint in the future,Polgar说.
在未来, Polgar aims to grow 检查点的健康 into the go-to company for family caregivers looking to simplify and manage their care tasks — a vision that could include partnering with hospitals and healthcare systems. “I hope to empower patients and their families to hold an active role in their own healthcare journeys, 避免可预防的错误, 最大限度地提高护理质量,Polgar说.