When ZocDoc announced $75 million in new funding last September, the 5-year-old company stated that it planned to use the cash infusion to expand rapidly into new regions. Now, the company, which has raised $95 million to date, including cash from Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos, is bringing its doctor appointment scheduling service to Seattle.
It marks the 14th market for the company, which actually got its start when founder and CEO Cyrus Massoumi burst his eardrum on a flight from Seattle to New York in 2007. Upon landing, Massoumi — who previously worked at McKinsey and Trilogy Software — couldn’t find a doctor for four days.
“My painful experience made me realize that while technology has brought us instant access to books, flights and music, nothing is more important than medical care when you need it and no service existed that could deliver instant access to a doctor,” he said in a release.
Doctors pay $250 per month to enroll in ZocDoc, allowing patients to book appointments at the last minute while also helping doctors fill open appointment slots.
Consumers can find dozens of doctors in the Web directory or via the ZocDoc’s mobile apps, searching by location and insurance plan. Physicians, obstetrician-gynecologists and dermatologists are offering more than 50,000 appointments across the Seattle area.
The company said that 40 percent of patients who use ZocDoc get an appointment within 24 hours, and 60 percent get an appointment within three days. Typically, patients on average wait three weeks for an appointment in most U.S. cities, according to research provided by the company.
In order to support the Seattle market, ZocDoc has established a sales office in the city with five employees.
