What do you do when the standard medical tools just don’t work? If you're Dr. Cephus E. Simmons, Sr., you invent something better.
In this episode of Lightning RX, host Colette Nataf talks with the Founder & CEO of SealCath, President at Simmons Medical Devices, and Professor Emeritus of Radiology at MUSC, Dr. Cephus Simmons, about his journey from frustrated clinician to successful medical device entrepreneur.
After struggling through a difficult pediatric intussusception reduction procedure, Dr. Simmons sketched a better catheter on a piece of paper. That drawing became SealCath, a novel multi-balloon catheter that’s now FDA-approved, in use across six applications, and scaling across hospitals nationwide.
What You’ll Learn:
- The case that inspired Dr. Simmons to invent a better catheter
- How he navigated the patent and FDA clearance process
- Lessons from pivoting post-COVID to a latex-free solution
- How SealCath went from idea to 20+ hospitals, with just two people
- Why LinkedIn is surprisingly powerful in B2B medical device marketing
- How email campaigns and short videos drive strong engagement (40% open rate!)
- What it takes to scale a medtech business through partnerships and distributors
💡 Quote of the Episode:
"You don’t need an MBA to build a business—you just need thick skin, real feedback, and the drive to learn every step of the way."— Dr. Cephus E. Simmons, Sr.
Connect with Dr. Cephus E. Simmons:
- LinkedIn:linkedin.com/in/dr-cephus-simmons
- Company: sealcath.com
- Company: simmonsmedicaldevices.com
Connect with the Show:
Subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or your favorite platform.
If you enjoyed this episode, share it with someone passionate about healthcare marketing, startup growth, or innovative product launches, and don’t forget to leave us a review. New episodes drop weekly!
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