Joel Diamond, MD, and Assaf Halevy launched 2bPrecise in mid-2015 to connect physicians with precision medicine insights at the point of care.
The 2bPrecise platform brings actionable genomic data into clinical workflows to inform physicians' diagnosis and treatment decisions. The precision medicine 
startup counts healthcare organizations like Kingsport, Tenn.-based Holston Medical Group and the National Institutes of Health among its clients.
"2bPrecise is focused on creating an intelligent bridge: The last mile of precision medicine," says Mr. Halevy, who now serves as CEO of the company. "By bringing labs and other genetic data into [the] EHR workflow — and providing context — we give physicians the tools to interact with the information in a simple, yet meaningful, way."
Becker's Hospital Review caught up with Mr. Halevy to discuss how healthcare startups like 2bPrecise address the technological challenges physicians commonly face.
Editor's note: Responses have been lightly edited for length and clarity.
Questions: What prompted you to found 2bPrecise?
Assaf Halevy: Dr. Diamond and I have always been passionate about keeping people healthy. Over the years, we've invested a lot of time and effort into introducing care coordination and collaboration solutions, creating semantic interoperability and data harmonization. Now, 2bPrecise is focusing on a new frontier. The power of genomics and precision medicine is huge, and its potential is finally close to realization. We are harnessing the power of precision medicine and making it actionable and clinically relevant at the point of care and for research. We are realizing our vision for contributing to the next generation of healthcare.
Q: What challenges has 2bPrecise faced since its launch?
AH: For physicians today, there is a real downside to all of the new technology at their fingertips. The more software solutions and information they have access to, the less time they have to practically take care of patients. Additionally, while many doctors have practiced personalized medicine for years, the genomics and precision medicine space — and its potential — are still very new. This is an emerging market of early adopters, innovators and inconsistent maturity levels. We are constantly working with our customers to jointly innovate and problem-solve.
Q: What advice do you have for companies working with genomics and precision medicine?
AH: Be creative and invest time and effort into turning complexity into simplicity.
If you do not invest in this way — if you do not learn about the complexity of clinical and genomic information, its multiple inconsistent nomenclatures and knowledge representation; if you do not appreciate and focus on how a clinical team really operates in different clinical settings — you will meet your users like a deer in headlights.
I see many companies with great solutions coming out of a vacuum lab just to find that clinicians will never agree to swim in another ocean of data.
Q: What are some of your goals for 2bPrecise in the next year?
AH: We want to ensure our customers are satisfied. We see our customers as partners, and we are committed to their success. We listen to them, learn from them and respond to them as quickly as possible. We want them to trust us fully and understand the strategic value of working with us. This year, we are looking to increase our customer base and market signature.