Caroline Merin, a former executive at Uber Eats and Rappi, is tackling the healthcare communication gap in Latin America with her startup, Leona Health. Acknowledging the frustration doctors face in managing patient messages via WhatsApp—often inundated with 100 messages after seeing 20 patients—Merin has developed an innovative solution. Leona Health has successfully secured $14 million in seed funding, spearheaded by Andreessen Horowitz and inclusive of notable investors like General Catalyst and Accel.
Leona’s platform integrates seamlessly with WhatsApp, allowing healthcare professionals to manage patient communications through a dedicated mobile application. This smart app prioritizes messages, suggests replies, and enables other team members to respond on the doctor’s behalf, reducing the overwhelm often felt by physicians. The service has now expanded its reach, supporting 22 medical specialties across 14 countries in the region.
Merin highlights the critical need for improved communication in healthcare, noting that many patients choose their doctors based on their responsiveness via messaging platforms. Leona addresses various types of inquiries—including urgent and administrative concerns—by notifying doctors only of high-priority health requests. This system helps practitioners reclaim valuable time, with users reporting two to three hours of saved time daily.
Looking ahead, Leona plans to launch an autonomous agent for scheduling and patient intake, with aspirations to expand into other regions where WhatsApp is a preferred mode of communication. Currently, Leona’s team operates from both Mexico City and Silicon Valley, positioning themselves for growth in the evolving landscape of healthcare technology.
