Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Prof. Frank Chindamo. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Prof. Frank, thanks for joining us today. Setting up an independent practice is a daunting endeavor. Can you talk to us about what it was like for you – what were some of the main steps, challenges, etc.
Meet Prof. Frank Chindamo, who founded the healthcare startup LaughMD to answer that question after his younger brother, father, and step-father all died in hospitals. Frank started out as a pioneer in video, working for SNL, Ghostbusters, and making hundreds of comedy films for HBO, Showtime, Comedy Central and YouTube. He created the first mobile comedy video channel for Sprint and was featured on the covers of Forbes Magazine and the Los Angeles Times.
LaughMD is a market innovator in digital therapeutics. They have evidence that the app works; their latest study from USC Norris Cancer Hospital shows that 93% of patients responding said that LaughMD improved their patient experience and want to use it at their next visits, 89% it improved their mood and made them less stressed, and 91% of those with pain said it lowered their pain levels. That’s better than aspirin.
In their study at cCare Cancer Centers, 100% of the patients reported mood improvement, stress and pain abatement. 100%. Pain was lowered by 50%.
The website, www.LaughMD.com, shows how they’re launching iPads with comedy videos in both healthcare settings (hospitals, chemo and dialysis) and drug/alcohol treatment facilities. on the site there’s a 2-minute video showing how they might help you.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
Yes. I want to be known as the person who pioneered Laughter as “the Best Medicine,” because we’re the first to use it as scientifically proven, data-driven, HIPAA-compliant, billable medicine. Before that, I had the first mobile phone comedy channel starting in 2003. I developed www.FunLittleMovies.com, which had channels on Sprint, Microsoft and around the world. Lectured about it in 16 countries.
That got me gigs as an Adjunct Professor at schools including USC, UCLA, Chapman U., Emerson College and Pepperdine. Was “Adjunct of the Year” in 2016 at Chapman and awarded “Distinguished Lecturer” at USC. 4.8 to 5.0/5 ratings on http://www.ratemyprofessors.com/ShowRatings.jsp?tid=1788554
4. That led me into building www.VirtualFilmSchool.org, the first VR new media school. 2 awards. In 7 countries.
5. LaughMD: 3 awards (Health 2.0, www.AATH.org), several test deployments, one contract now so we’re coming out of stealth mode! We’re using laughter, “The Best Medicine,” to make sick people feel better RIGHT NOW. Is that amazing enough for ya?
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
I launched this in 2007, as part of my then very successful film company, FunLittleMovies.com. I did it because I had to, having lost 3 family members to cancer, and working in comedy. I really wanted to know: If laughter is the best medicine, why the hell don’t we at least TRY it as medicine? We convinced the good people at Kaiser Permanente and Cedars Sinai to put a channel of FunLittleMovies onto their TV systems. That cost me about $100,000 and yielded nothing from the hospitals but a Thank You card. And some very happy patients. So that – seeing the faces of the hospital patients laughing and feeling better — that’s what kept me going. We may never make money at this, or we might crack the code on CPT billing for medical reimbursement and make a billion dollars — but either way, for the sake of my brother, dad and step-dad, I cannot quit. You’ll have to pry my laptop from my cold, dead hands.
If you could go back in time, do you think you would have chosen a different profession or specialty?
NO! OMG No! I could have paid off my home three times for the amount of money I’ve put into LaughMD. On the other hand, I can only live in one home, so who needs three? Unless I clone myself, but hey, the clones can get a job.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.LaughMD.com
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/laughmd/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2C_OXhvZexhEny7Oq3Uzrg
- Other: https://youtu.be/WhavGkPuyY4