OUR STORY

About WHI

South Africa’s public healthcare system today faces extreme patient loads, rising costs, resource constraints and suboptimal health outcomes.

Healthcare workers in South Africa’s public system are at the forefront of this fight every day. The consequence of this for our health workers is high burnout rates, mental health issues, emigration and reduced capacity to deliver quality care to our population.

Wits Healthcare Innovation (WHI) is a division of Wits Health Consortium and is supported by the University of the Witwatersrand’s Faculty of Health Sciences.

WHI was inspired by Groote Schuur Hospital’s Innovation Hub. Groote Schuur Hospital has shown how real problems in public healthcare can be solved through giving health workers the required support and time.

We realised that because health workers are faced with these problems daily they are often highly motivated to find solutions. We also saw the benefits of an interdisciplinary approach to solving these problems and how this brings innovative ideas into focus.

WHI is expanding some of the lessons learnt so far and experimenting with different models of interdisciplinary innovation in healthcare. We work with South Africa’s healthcare workers to create “bottom-up” innovation and change within the industry.

Our Partners

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Our Values

Believe in yourself
“Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t – you’re right” - Henry Ford
Find purpose
And motivation won't be a problem. (Drive. Daniel Pink, 2009)
Embrace diversity
The most diverse teams are the most innovative. (McKinsey & Co., 2015)
Adopt a growth mindset
Be curious and open-minded. "Becoming is better than being" - Carol Dweck.
Anyone can innovate
By doing something differently with impact. (HBR, 2012)
Maintain hope
Adversity brings opportunity. Look for the pockets of hope. (Zithulele Hospital, Eastern Cape)

Meet The Team

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Dr Max Rath

Founder, Head of division
Max wants to change healthcare in South Africa. He is currently specialising in internal medicine with the University of the Witwatersrand. Max graduated with a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery from the University of the Witwatersrand.
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Gomolemo Segabutle

Co-founder
Gomolemo has a diverse range of experience and is out to impact society positively. He holds an undergrad in Financial Management Sciences from the University of Pretoria and a Diploma in UX design from General Assembly in San Francisco.
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Dr Gabriella Benade

Research & Development lead
Gabriella has a passion for changing the system and believes that initiatives such as WHI are integral in doing so. She is currently working as a researcher on clinical trials for a HIV vaccine. Gabriella graduated with a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery from the University of the Witwatersrand.
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Dr Samantha Patterson

Head of operations
Sam is from Botswana and works as a GP in the Johannesburg area.  She has a diploma in Tropical medicine and has a keen interest in regional and global trends in disease. She is passionate about understanding the limitations to improving healthcare delivery within our public sector. Sam graduated with a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery from the University of Pretoria.
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Kgomotso Mokgatlhe

Scrum master
Kgomotso is intrigued by the intersection of healthcare and technology, and its potential to improve of the lives of South Africans. He is currently leading a team of consultants, helping to estimate IT projects in the banking industry. Kgomotso has completed a Bachelor of Commerce in Financial Management through the UNISA. He is certified in PRINCE2 (Alexos), Agile Project Management (APMG International) and Customer Usability Analysis (Human Factors International).
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Dr Benji Ozynski

Business development
Benji has a passion for business, medicine and the business of medicine. He is working to build a career in the integration of business, medical science and technology to solve complex problems within the healthcare space. Benji graduated with a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery from the University of the Witwatersrand.
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Rashaad Cassim

Technical lead
Rashaad is excited to develop new innovative technologies in the medical space. He wants to bring improved healthcare to more people in South Africa. Rashaad graduated with a Bachelor of Biomedical and Electrical Engineering from the University of the Witwatersrand.
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Dr Gareth Sessel

Consultant
Gareth is most enthusiastic about healthcare technology and innovation. He completed his engineering degrees (BSc and MSc) at the University of the Witwatersrand, and his medical degree at the University of Oxford. Gareth also founded Outreach Engineering NPC, a non-profit company improving infrastructure in South African public hospitals.