Bright.md

Bright.md, founded in 2014 in Portland, Oregon, developed a healthcare automation platform before its assets were acquired by 98point6 Technologies in early 2024. The company was established by Dr. Ray Costantini and Mark Swinth. Dr. Costantini, a physician and former medical director for a large hospital system, and Mr. Swinth, an entrepreneur with a background in enterprise software, were brought together by a shared vision to fix inefficiencies in the healthcare system. This vision was initially sparked by Dr. Costantini and digital health innovator Kitty Powell, who experienced the shortcomings of early telehealth solutions. After Powell's passing, her husband, Mark Swinth, joined Dr. Costantini to co-found the company.

The firm operated on a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) business model, licensing its platform to large health systems and integrated delivery networks. Its primary offering was an asynchronous telehealth platform, originally named SmartExam, designed to automate clinical workflows and administrative tasks for low-acuity conditions. The platform functioned as a virtual physician's assistant, conducting a dynamic, AI-powered interview with the patient to gather symptoms and medical history. This information was then synthesized into a chart-ready SOAP note, along with a provisional diagnosis and treatment plan, for a clinician to review and approve—a process that could reduce visit times from 20 minutes to under 90 seconds. The system was developed to handle over 450 common medical conditions, thereby increasing provider capacity and reducing patient wait times.

In October 2023, the company's core technology was acquired by Evernorth, Cigna's health services division, to be integrated into their MDLive platform. Subsequently, in January 2024, 98point6 Technologies purchased Bright.md's remaining assets, including 16 customer contracts with health systems like Baptist Health and UAB Medicine. This final acquisition allowed 98point6 to accelerate the launch of its own asynchronous care module, built upon the foundation and market presence established by Bright.md.

Keywords: asynchronous telehealth, care automation, clinical workflow, health systems, SaaS, virtual care, patient intake, provider efficiency, digital health, SmartExam