Bio: Dr. Cierra Gromoff is a Clinical Child Psychologist who has dedicated her career to building high-quality telehealth programs long before the pandemic. With 10+ years of experience ranging from public health to private practice, Cierra is deeply familiar with the challenges and limitations of existing telehealth solutions. Her clinical background includes early intervention, comprehensive assessments, PCIT, and parental work. Cierra is committed to creating quality, engaging access for the entire family.

Org Info: While in-person pediatric healthcare has evolved significantly, telehealth has not; and existing solutions continue to be designed only for adults and workplaces. Kismet Health is here to change that by building the pediatric telehealth service of the future. We’re the first solution to be built for providers, by providers, and specifically with the unique needs of families and children in mind. Our proprietary experience meshes live video streaming with interactive interventions to make the playspace digital, all while harnessing the power of Kismet’s AI and NLP technology to enable a cost-efficient and high standard of provider care.

What motivated you to pursue your current work?

As a Native Alaskan who grew up on a remote reservation, access was always a challenge. Fast forward as a Child Psychologist in Oakland, California, I continued to see the same barriers to receiving quality care (e.g. parents couldn’t afford gas to come into my office for session); and knew technology had to be the solution to create equitable outcomes. After developing the first telehealth program for Solano County long before the pandemic, I painfully experienced how existing solutions have failed clinicians and children alike.

What distinct value does your work bring to the digital health field?

Kismet’s technology solves two of the biggest pain points facing families, children, and clinicians today: (1) quality of access, and (2) quality of care. Historically, telehealth has been designed for adults and workplaces, leading to lost time, information, engagement, efficacy, and revenue for the pediatric population. We know kids are not tiny adults, and that low engagement leads to poor outcomes. Our proprietary experience is the first to be clinically designed to delight and treat children, ultimately leading to improved engagement and outcomes. We’ve made the playspace digital to allow clinicians to focus on what they do best – providing quality care to families everywhere.

How does your work impact your target end-users or stakeholders?

Our users include anyone who telecommunicates with children (e.g. providers, educators), and families and children themselves. One of the top challenges of telecommunicating with children is engagement, where a recent study by Nationwide Children’s Hospital showed 25%+ of cancellations/rescheduling were due to the inability to engage a child to complete their session. With our product, providers are able to better engage patients, increase effectiveness, and provide a higher level of care. Our product also enables children to have access to developmentally appropriate ways of engaging in treatment, ultimately resulting in increased engagement, proper diagnostics, and better outcomes.

What is one exciting update or near-term opportunity that you would like to share with the digital health community?

We’re excited to share that we are gearing up to launch in Fall 2023! Interested in learning more? Please reach out to us at hello@kismethealth.com, we’d love to hear from you!