In 2017, Scott Brady ’97 founded a start-up in molecular diagnostics focused on infectious diseases. With the accuracy and speed of PCR testing, Wise Diagnostic Systems sought to provide clinicians and their patients with faster turnaround and better results compared to traditional cultures. When the pandemic created a surging demand for COVID-19 PCR diagnostic testing, it just made sense for the company to get involved as part of the healthcare system’s frontline effort.
Just outside Houston in The Woodlands, the Wise Diagnostic Systems lab serves dozens of nursing homes and long-term care facilities across Texas. Now processing hundreds of COVID-19 specimens each day, the incredible team of laboratory technicians and staff get results to the physicians who care for this at-risk population within a day or two.
“We are extremely busy each and every day," says Brady. "Taking on COVID-19 testing has required us to move into a much larger lab to accommodate the additional equipment and double the number of employees in just a few months. There were a tremendous number of logistical challenges, laboratory supply chain issues, and employee safety considerations to navigate so we could make that happen. West Point and the Army definitely taught me the skills to create that plan and execute it under those conditions and a super condensed timeline.”
Wise Diagnostic Systems has tested over 20,000 COVID-19 specimens since August.