When a successful disruptor like Seer Medical, Australia’s largest provider of epilepsy diagnostic services, launches an expansion into the United States, is there a better place to make home base than Rochester?

“Rochester has been innovative and supportive of disruptive med tech companies for quite some time. As a Minnesotan, you grow up hearing about Mayo – so it’s great to be near such a good community. It’s valuable to base the entire US ops in this ecosystem, surrounded by some of the best medical facilities and medical professionals and make sure that we’re learning from the best,” says Lizzie Stelten, senior project manager for Seer Medical.

Since Seer Medical’s 2017 founding in Melbourne, over 15,000 patients have connected to its technology – a take-home video EEG ECG monitoring device that assists with epilepsy diagnosis and seizure characterization. The widespread adoption of Seer’s tech by Australia’s healthcare system has freed up beds, cut patient wait times, improved seizure error diagnosis rates, collected over 200 years of inpatient monitoring data, and saved the country over $191 million.

On an individual level, it improves both patient experiences and outcomes by teleporting the monitoring environment from hospital bed to home sweet home.

Patients are connected to a lightweight wearable which sits around their shoulders and is connected to electrodes that monitor brain waves. This device sends signals to another portable device – a protective case that houses a wide angle, night-vision equipped camera that monitors patients constantly and provides a further source of information on which to differentiate seizure and non-epileptic events. If seizure activity is observed, these context factors can also be analyzed.

The system is also more comfortable than what came before it; Seer Medical’s adhesives which attach the electrodes to the scalp are water soluble, which avoids potential irritation by chemical removal methods.

“The cumulative impact of dreading the rash, the irritation, or the extra trip to the hospital can really escalate. So, from a purely consumer standpoint, it’s a much better experience.” says Levi Sauerbrei, product support engineer. He speaks from experience, “I have been connected to the Seer equipment. It’s almost like a rite of passage for new employees.”

“I was actually just connected last week, it was a wonderful patient experience,” says Stelten.

From Down Under to DMC

General manager and Vice President Chad Wilke leads Seer Medical’s current US team of six, which, as operations scale, will provide leadership across US operations as new regions open up. The company has over 200 employees globally, many based in Seer Medical’s global headquarters in Melbourne, Australia.

Seer Medical’s relationship with Rochester goes back to 2018, when a research relationship was started with Mayo Clinic. In early spring 2022, Seer joined the first cohort of Mayo Clinic’s Platform_Accelerate, which Sauerbrei points to as a “tangible instance” of Rochester’s med-tech ecosystem. Seer Medical won the final prize at the end of its Platform_Accelerate experience for its work using data to refine and test its epilepsy diagnosis and management capabilities, while also looking for digital biomarkers that might predict seizures.

“The number of organizations in Minnesota in general, but particularly in this part of the state, that are available to help businesses succeed is really remarkable. Something I haven’t encountered in other parts of the country.” says Levi Sauerbrei, who, as a small business owner himself, is a member of Collider Coworking Space and has connected with the Small Business Development Center.

“The sky’s the limit.”

In September 2022, the FDA cleared Seer’s technology for use in the United States. In December 2022, Seer Medical was awarded the Governor’s International Trade Award for Foreign Direct Investment by Governor Tim Walz and the Minnesota Trade Office.

“The growth path is very aggressive. We expect to grow to a few dozen US-based employees, certainly within the next calendar year or so.” says Sauerbrei. “The sky’s the limit on the expansion side. It’s just a question of maintaining the quality level that we expect and then expanding our capacity.”

“We’ve proven that we can change lives and disrupt the healthcare system. And we’re super excited to bring it here to American neurologists and patients,” say Stelten. “Our goal is to assist American neurologists with reaching more patients than ever.”

The quicker the company scales, the faster it can help break down barriers to healthcare. Stelton says Seer Medical has made a point to bring critical care to rural patients.

“In Australia, 30% of our patients are actually monitored, accessing this testing from more rural areas,” she says. “Assuming that people can travel to a clinic to get connected, which we do acknowledge is a privilege in and of itself, we can send them home and they can continue their lives and get monitored by world class doctors from afar, using the assistance of our technology. That’s one of the biggest reasons we are hoping to scale rapidly – so that we’re not just focused on the Rochester community and folks that might travel to Mayo. We want to bring it to everybody in this country quickly,” says Stelten.

Though momentum is picking up, the Rochester team has not lost its scrappy sense of startup energy.

“All of us are wearing multiple hats – also taking out the trash and making the coffee runs and things like that.” says Sauerbrei, whose mind these days is laser-focused on logistics, since, unlike Australia, the US does not have a network of Seer Medical clinics for convenient equipment returns.

“People come to Rochester from all over the world. And then they go home, and they’ll go home with our equipment, and then we’ll need to retrieve it when their study time is over,” he says.

Luckily, the longtime IT specialist’s newest favorite hat says ‘multi-channel logistics operation builder’.

For more information about Seer Medical, head over to their research and publications page, where their peer-reviewed publications are available for community review.

Join Destination Medical Center and partners for an evening reflecting on the past year and what is to come.

Join us in celebrating Rochester’s continued growth and vitality at the DMC Annual Meeting on Thursday, September 21 from 4 – 6 p.m. at Soldiers Field Memorial Park, just east of Zumbro Lutheran Church. This location is at the nexus of several DMC-funded projects connecting the Heart of the City, Discovery Walk, and improvements at Soldiers Memorial Field.

4:00 – 5:00 p.m. – Open House Highlighting Strategic Initiatives
Our partners will host learning stations where attendees can hear more about how their work adds to the vibrancy of our community. During this time, attendees can also grab a delicious bite from Twig’s, Pasquale’s, Cafe Steam, and People’s Food Co-op.

5:00 – 5:30 p.m. – Program
A recap of the past year and a glimpse into what is to come for downtown Rochester will be provided by the DMC EDA executive director Patrick Seeb, City of Rochester Mayor Kim Norton, and DMC EDA Board President Dr. Clark Otley.

5:30 – 6:00 p.m. – Networking
End the evening by connecting with community members.

The DMC Annual Meeting is free and open to the public. Advanced registration is preferred.

In 2013, Joselyn Raymundo founded Rochester Home Infusion (RHI), a small home infusion pharmacy providing intravenous medications in the patient’s home. Starting with only a handful of dedicated team members, she worked tirelessly with Mayo Clinic physicians, at-home nursing agencies, and pharmaceutical companies and distributors to bring the critical care services of a hospital to the patient — in the comfort of their very own homes.

Over the past decade, RHI has contributed to transforming Rochester’s business ecosystem. Coming to the city in 2013 with two decades of home infusion pharmacy experience, Raymundo identified an unmet need for more comprehensive support after patients left their hospital support system and sought to close that gap. She chose to run RHI out of the Minnesota BioBusiness Center, where she could take advantage of the collaborative and innovative relationships forming between tenacious entrepreneurs like herself. She quickly integrated into the community, provided job opportunities to community members, and gathered a remarkably diverse workplace.

As Rochester’s first and only locally-based home infusion and alternate infusion center provider, RHI was uniquely positioned to help local and visiting patients throughout the Midwest navigate the challenging transitions out of hospital care. Since its founding, Rochester Home Infusion has supported thousands of people in their health journey through compassionate medical and educational services, helping patients heal in the company of those they love most. RHI stood out because of the team’s ability to provide exceptional patient experience, even in the face of the high care standards set by the Mayo Clinic.

While RHI owes much of its success to its founder and dedicated team, the DMC initiative laid the groundwork for entrepreneurs like Raymundo to thrive. When interviewed, Raymundo remarked that the “DMC fosters innovation by offering resources and connections for new entrepreneurs. There is strong collaboration between DMC, Mayo Clinic, the city, and other business owners. It makes all the difference, especially for first-time business owners like myself.”

“Life science businesses or medical providers who choose to build and grow their business in Rochester will have an extraordinary opportunity,” Raymundo says. “It is truly a destination medical center, but understand that, to be at this level, your business model and offerings must also be at that level to complement what has already been established here. RHI, for example, has always focused on helping the community and providing exceptional patient care. That is what works in Rochester.”

RHI’s engagement with local charities and reputation for transforming patients’ lives helped the company expand its coverage to nine states throughout the Midwest. But a broader geographic range brought new challenges, and Raymundo discovered that large-scale success would require more physical infrastructure and industry support. By 2022, she had a choice: forge the path forward alone or partner with a national infusion company.

Raymundo chose the latter. On August 5th, 2022, Option Care Health became the corporate owner of RHI. As a well-established national home infusion company, Option Care Health could help RHI form direct relationships with pharmaceutical companies, distributors, and provide in-network access to over 98% of insurance providers in the US.

“By combining the strengths of Option Care Health and Rochester Home Infusion, we can serve patients from all 50 states while still focusing on providing the most excellent service to our patients,” says Raymundo.

Having left her mark on Rochester’s history, many are wondering what comes next for Raymundo. While spending time with her family and friends, she will continue to serve on multiple for-profit and non-profit boards, including DMC, and provide invaluable expertise as the initiative draws talent and innovation to Rochester. Speaking optimistically, she had the following to say about entrepreneurship in Rochester.

“It is exciting to see these opportunities for life science businesses in Rochester. DMC has done an incredible job attracting and supporting these entrepreneurs. I am certain there will be more to come, and I can’t wait to see where our community goes.”

Written by Sheryl Barlow, Bryan Lund, and Olivia McCauley in collaboration with Destination Medical Center. 

Destination Medical Center Economic Development Agency (DMCEDA) is proud to announce the successful completion of Phase 1 of the $3 million Main Street Revitalization Grant program. This significant milestone marks a transformative step forward in enhancing the economic vitality and appeal of downtown Rochester.

The Main Street Revitalization Grant program, administered by DMC EDA in partnership with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development, aims to support and promote the growth of businesses and enhance the vibrant downtown core of Rochester. The program is part of the broader initiative undertaken by the Destination Medical Center (DMC) to position Rochester as a premier global destination for healthcare, innovation, and economic development.

Prior to Phase 1 of the program going live, an extensive collaboration process between DMC EDA and a co-design team that helped guide the application and review process. Using a community review team, businesses were chosen to receive grants based on their potential to create and retain permanent jobs, revitalize properties in the eligible districts harmed by the events of the past two years, elevate opportunities for BIPOC, veteran, or disabled business and property owners, or enabling existing businesses to strengthen and diversify their products and services. The grants were used to fund various capital improvement projects, not for business operating expenses.

Of the 54 projects that were awarded funds, 24% went to Black, Indigenous, or People of Color-owned businesses and 30% was awarded to women-led enterprises. Twenty-two of the projects occupied unused or underutilized properties and over 270 permanent jobs were created.

The grants went to a variety of organizations including:

• Retail and Dining – 31
• Office, Technical, & Mixed Use – 13
• Non-profit – 5
• Housing & Lodging – 5

The Main Street Revitalization Grant program aligns with the DMC’s overarching vision to create a vibrant and sustainable urban core that will serve as a catalyst for economic growth, job creation, and improved quality of life for residents and visitors alike. By investing in the revitalization of downtown Rochester, DMC aims to foster an inviting atmosphere for businesses, encourage entrepreneurship, and provide an exceptional experience for all who visit downtown Rochester.

Looking ahead, DMCEDA remains committed to continuing its collaborative efforts with the local community, businesses, and stakeholders to ensure the success of Phase 2 of the Main Street Revitalization Grant program which focuses on areas that are outside the DMC district.

For more information about the Main Street Revitalization Grant program and other initiatives by Destination Medical Center Economic Development Agency, please visit the Main Street Revitalization Grant webpage.

The final Downtown Rochester Task Force work session will be held Tuesday, March 14 from 10 – 11 a.m. This will be in an online format only. Registration is required for this session. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information on joining the meeting. This session will follow the same format as the in-person work sessions. Register for the work session here.

The Downtown Rochester Task Force invites the community and downtown businesses to participate and share specific challenges they are experiencing related to downtown. Together, attendees will identify both priority concerns and solutions. Once key priorities are identified, an action plan will be created to address each concern.

“The pandemic was a disrupter to many aspects of our national, state, and local economies. How and where people work, shop, and participate in activities has changed,” states Kim Norton, mayor of the City of Rochester. “While downtown Rochester has and will change, there are several opportunities in how we can strengthen and become a more resilient downtown. And we must do this work together.”

Patrick Seeb, executive director of Destination Medical Center, shares, “Everyone has a stake in a healthy downtown. Now is the time to be intentional about the steps we take to help accelerate recovery. We will build on existing strengths while focusing on the future.”

The Downtown Rochester Task Force includes members from the City of Rochester, Destination Medical Center, Experience Rochester, Mayo Clinic, Rochester Area Economic Development Agency, Inc., Rochester Area Chamber of Commerce, and Rochester Downtown Alliance.

An accelerated model in creating an action plan, which will allow participants to identify concerns and work on solutions quickly. The goal is to present an action plan by May 2023 to guide the Downtown Rochester Task Force moving forward. Register for the work session here.

DMC’s November Sustainability Series: Sketchbox – Simplified and Free Energy Modeling Tool

What:           Destination Medical Center (DMC) Monthly Sustainability Series

When:          Wednesday, November 16, 2022, 12-1 p.m.

Where:         Viewable by webinar only. Join the presentation here.

Details:        Join us for an interactive presentation by Slipstream, a mission-driven nonprofit organization, that recently launched a free version of its simplified energy modeling tool—Sketchbox.

If you’re not familiar with energy modeling, it is a software-based tool that architects, engineers and building operators use to make accurate energy-saving decisions on new and existing buildings. A user creates the initial building using an energy code baseline and then re-simulates the building using various energy conservation measures. Sketchbox can also be used to identify energy savings for existing buildings and retrofits.

For more information and to access Sketchbox, please visit https://slipstreaminc.org/sketchbox.

OUR PRESENTER
Ben Heymer
Slipstream—Director of Engineering, Chicago
Ben leads a team of energy engineers focused on decarbonizing the built environment.  He is an experienced engineering consultant, designer, researcher, and energy modeler. He leads technical assistance and program design for energy efficiency programs and builds tools to help owners and designers focus on high-impact solutions.

About the DMC Sustainability Series

The DMC Sustainability Series is a monthly seminar sponsored by Destination Medical Center and the City of Rochester. The purpose is to introduce sustainability concepts and best practices for everyone to consider. The series is held virtually the third Wednesday of every month at noon.

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The City of Rochester and Destination Medical Center Economic Development Agency are holding two in-person “Meet the Station Artists” events on Wednesday, November 2 and Thursday, November 3. The in-person events will provide basic information on Link Rapid Transit and will introduce the community to plans for integrating public art into the transit stations. The six artists will highlight their respective conceptual designs based on input collected during previously held community stakeholder sessions.

The events will be an opportunity for members of the community to ask questions of the project staff and artists, as well as share their concerns and aspirations for their neighborhood and for how the art will be represented in transit.

The two events are:

Meet the Station Artists – Open House #1
Wednesday, November 2, 6:30 pm-8:30 pm
Riverside Central Elementary School, inside the cafeteria
506 5th Ave. SE, Rochester, MN
Poster boards with project details and artists’ conceptual designs will be available.
Light refreshments will be provided. Parking is available.

Meet the Station Artists – Open House #2
Thursday, November 3, 11 am-1 pm
Café Aquí
1811 2nd St SW Suite B, Rochester, MN 55902
Poster boards with project details and artists’ conceptual designs will be available.
Light refreshments will be provided. Parking is available.

For more information, view the event flier or visit the Link BRT webpage.

Link Rapid Transit is a generational investment in Rochester’s public transit infrastructure, which promises to deliver an entirely new level of service and rider experience to the Rochester Community. The 2.6-mile bus rapid transit (BRT) line will provide high-capacity transit along 2nd Street and 3rd Avenue SE, and is expected to begin service in 2026.

With the newly unveiled mural Sol Flowers by local artist Jenna Whiting on display, the Rochester community gathered in a most unlikely spot for Destination Medical Center’s 2022 Annual Meeting. At the corner of 1^st Avenue and 1^st Street Southeast, guests enjoyed music from local duo True North, food from The Duck Truck and Infuzn, and a perfect southeast Minnesota evening. DMC partner organizations lined the tunnel next to the railroad tracks, showcasing the myriad ideas and activities that make downtown Rochester a vibrant, welcoming environment.

The location may have seemed unusual at first – located next to three parking ramps and an undeveloped city block – but, as DMC Executive Director Patrick Seeb described, it’s at the nexus of several potential development sites, as well as a future extension of the Heart of the City, connecting Peace Plaza with the Mayo Civic Center and the Zumbro River. “That is the conversation we want to begin tonight is thinking about the future of this site, thinking about the public realm potential of 1^st Street connecting the downtown to Mayo Civic Center,” said Seeb.

Reasons for Optimism

DMC EDA President Dr. Clark Otley spoke about the continued optimism for the future of DMC and Rochester. He pointed to the continued expansion of the Mayo Clinic Downtown campus with the Anna-Maria and Stephen Kellen Building and Proton Beam facility expansion, as well as the completion of Two Discovery Square as reasons for enthusiasm. “When we think of facilities, we think about building world-class facilities for world-class doctors and researchers and nurses and technicians for patients from across the world who have the toughest diseases in the world,” stated Otley.

Dr. Otley shined a spotlight on another significant project. “Earlier this year, we opened up the Peace Plaza to a renewed, beautiful state,” he noted. “Those of you that made it down through the summer saw little kids stomping in water, families having fun… It’s a really beautiful space.” He also prefaced the excitement of Discovery Walk construction as it will connect Peace Plaza to Soldiers Field Memorial Park.

The Riverfront presents another area for optimism. “It’s going to be an opportunity to be a legacy for our community,” he continued. “DMC has been a very good partner with the City, the County, and lots of other agencies, to do a community discovery process to really get input. What does that mean for us? What can we make that space into really speaks to our vision as a community? A community that is focused on health and equity and diversity and sustainability moving forward.”

Capacity Building

Mayor Kim Norton spoke about the importance of ensuring all members of our community participate in the prosperity of the DMC initiative. “Not only are we designing and building the infrastructure necessary for Rochester’s successful growth,” Mayor Norton said, “we are also designing and building the systems necessary to ensure that how we build is just as important as what we build.”

Mayor Norton spoke about the goals that the City of Rochester and DMC share to make sure that women and minorities have opportunities to participate in publicly funded projects. She also spoke about the community co-design process which is an approach to encourage, compensate, and prioritize the inclusion of diverse populations throughout the design and development process. Community Co-Design has become a valued and effective community-centric approach to developing healthy and equitable projects, policies, and practices in the Rochester region. It has been used for projects like Discovery Walk, LINK Bus Rapid Transit, and Riverfront Small Area Plan development. Norton stated, “We use co-design to ensure that there would be inclusive, accessible, and welcoming spaces that encourage health and cultural belonging.”

Attention was also brought to collaborations with the local business community including the Business Forward strategy that has been employed on several recent construction projects like Heart of the City Phase I and Discovery Walk. Business Forward is meant to mitigate the impact of construction by prioritizing the needs of businesses and other stakeholders in the construction process.

The Main Street Economic Revitalization Grant Program was also highlighted. It is a partnership with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development designed to help our downtown businesses recover from the pandemic, as well as elevate opportunities for BIPOC, veteran, and disabled business and property owners. “To date, 30 organizations have been recommended for funding totaling over $1.6 million,” announced Mayor Norton. “These funds will help to leverage over $48 million in private investment into Rochester’s downtown. Our local businesses are the lifeblood of our community. We are eager to support them in whatever ways we can.”

Vision for the Future

DMC Corporation Chair Pam Wheelock pointed to the “persistence, resilience and spirit that is woven into the very fabric of this community” for an optimistic view of the future. She called attention to the way Rochester’s business community responded to the pandemic by pivoting to find new ways to safely reach their customers and to those that caught the entrepreneurial spirit and brought their ideas to life.

“The persistence, resilience, and community spirit already in evidence in Rochester bodes well for achieving Destination Medical Center’s vision of making Rochester America’s City for Health,” said Wheelock. “We are already attracting new investment from outside the area, including new commercial development and new life science and technology companies.”

She referenced the significant infrastructure improvements in the past and on the horizon, as well as a continued focus on community engagement as reasons why Rochester has a bright future. She also stressed the importance of telling Rochester’s story to the world as not only a destination for the world’s best medical care but also a great place to live, work and raise a family.

“On behalf of the Destination Medical Center Corporation’s board of directors, I want to express profound thanks and gratitude for the myriad partnerships and collaborations that have enabled the progress we have seen through DMC’s first years,” Wheelock avowed. “I firmly believe that what we have accomplished together so far grants us the right to think very boldly and optimistically about Rochester’s future and to fulfill our ambition to be America’s City for Health.”

Final Surprise

Patrick Seeb again took the stage to introduce the evening’s final speaker, one that was not on the agenda when the Annual Meeting was being planned. As part of the “leave behind” to continue bringing attention to the meeting space, a mural was painted on the blank wall of the Civic Center Ramp. There were many amazing artists that submitted ideas but none of them were better than Jenna Whiting. “I would like to give the last words to Jenna Whiting to describe this piece of art that will now be permanently part of our community,” said Seeb. “Perhaps it will be an inspiration for how we can use other blank walls in our community, to start enlivening and connecting.”

Jenna Whiting was born and raised in Rochester, MN. As a self-taught artist, she specializes in mural work, digital design, children’s book illustrations, and acrylic painting. Her designs reflect a sense of whimsy and childlike wonder but are also balanced with simplistic and sophisticated methods.

Here is Jenna Whiting’s description of her piece in her own words. “My inspiration for Sol Flowers literally came out of thin air. As I was reaching for my drawing tools to sketch out some ideas, three sun prints I had recently created fell to my feet in a perfect layout. I’m pretty sure a beacon of light was shining somewhere. I immediately imagined the facade of this building covered in botanical images on a vivid cyan background. The images are inspired by native grasses and flowers growing throughout our city – which are just as captivating to see on the ground as they are five stories up.”

A perfect end to a perfect southeast Minnesota evening.

Thanks to our sponsors

Gold Sponsors

Silver Sponsors

Bronze Sponsors

Alatus LLC, Home Federal Savings Bank, SRF Consulting Group, Inc., Knutson Construction, Premier Banks, Benike Construction, Fredrikson & Byron, P.A., Mortenson, Camegaran, Ryan Companies US, Inc., RSP Architects