A former Vets First Choice and Idexx Laboratories software expert has joined telehealth app developer Petriage as chief technology officer, a new position.
Gary Watson is expected to help the Bellevue, Washington, company enhance the app and develop new products, such as wearable technology. The 4-year-old company reported it is looking to expand from its primary market, the Pacific Northwest, to veterinary clinics and pet owners nationwide.
Watson most recently was vice president of product engineering at the client communication company PetDesk Inc. and before then was chief technology officer and vice president of technology at Vets First Choice and chief software architect at Idexx.
“With his solid knowledge and industry reputation, Gary will help us further penetrate the pet technology market and provide software applications that improve patient outcomes, drive revenue to vet practices and better integrate with vets’ practice management system,” Petriage CEO and co-founder Allon Freiman said.
The Petriage app uses an algorithm to assess both a pet’s health symptoms and the urgency of the situation. The pet owner can conduct real-time, after-hour text chats with their Petriage-enrolled veterinarian and share photos and videos. Petriage-generated medical records can be uploaded to a hospital’s practice management system.