“Safeguarding the Health of Patients”

Although leading the product development efforts for AseptiScope has been extremely rewarding, many other aspects are critical to turning a product concept into a successful business. Kelly Powers, Founder & COO of AseptiScope, considers herself lucky in that she has solid experience in operations with previous jobs at several large corporations. This experience gives her an excellent baseline to craft what the organization must become as they begin their commercial growth phase. “I’m now working with our executive team to develop processes that allow us to service customers at all levels, and position the organization for long-term success.”

Over the last two years, Kelly has focused on organizational preparedness initiatives to secure the strategic vision for AseptiScope and develop a blueprint to guide the company towards maximum productivity. “I’m determined to create an organization that attracts the very best talent, ensures quality processes, and scales our manufacturing and distribution channels to meet our most ambitious sales forecasts.”

It has been both personally and professionally meaningful in Kelly's career to have formal mentors and role models as a guidepost. As she moved into management and leadership positions, she has, in turn, led women’s initiatives and presided over women’s affinity groups. “I have had aspiring female professionals approach me for individual guidance which has been intensely rewarding. To spend time understanding a young person’s goals and help them advance towards them, and even surpass them is a wonderful thing,” says Kelly. “This process is intensified when a young female executive overcomes issues and challenges that are uniquely common to those with which I’ve also dealt with personally. The bond I share with these young professionals is more profound and rewarding than can be described in an interview.” Armed with this ideology, Kelly has been taking the company to new heights.

With a mission to develop, manufacture, and commercialize novel solutions to address HAI challenges, an innovative medical device company named AseptiScope Inc. was formed. AseptiScope is driven to bring innovative and validated solutions to the market that lower the risk of contamination and infection in healthcare systems.

AseptiScope was founded in 2016 as a private entity by experienced business professionals and clinical experts. Most of their founding team members had previously worked together in various successful healthcare ventures; so it was natural to take an entrepreneurial step.Together, the team identified a significant need in the marketplace and set on a journey to establish a company dedicated to delivering essential, novel infection control solutions for patients and clinicians. Their team built out the organization with critical hires in the ensuing years, moved from product prototyping to commercialization, completed Series A funding, and kicked off their Series B raise.

AseptiScope is catalyzing sustainable change in ways that help nature and society in a fundamentally important way. In consultation with infection control experts, one piece of guidance provided was that they have an opportunity to help the emergence of highly pathogenic organisms by developing their technology through antimicrobial stewardship. “In the world today, we utilize alcohol to clean hands, countertops, door handles, etc. We use pesticides to improve crop yields. We use broad spectrum antibiotics to treat infections when we don’t know the specific bacteria or pathogen,” explains Kelly.

“This practice often is effective at achieving its immediate goal, but dangerous to our environment as it fosters the development of more resistant pathogens to emerge. At AseptiScope, we protect patients from harm by shielding them with a totally clean – or aseptic – barrier.” These barriers are highly effective at doing their job, but they do not foster the development of more virulent bacteria or viruses. This is good antimicrobial stewardship, and it is a form of sustainable change that is not often discussed outside the infection control community. “All AesptiScope products provide clean and effective solutions and we are very proud of our contribution to infection control ”

The company is on the move with requests for a product in scores of hospitals across the United States. 2022 will be a break-out year for AseptiScope as they navigate several growth phases over the next 12 months. IEWL