Meet Our August Grant Winner: Rachell Dumas

Tell us a bit about yourself and your background. 

I am a nurse, entrepreneur, and maternal health advocate who has walked the difficult road of being both a patient and a caregiver. My journey has included nine pregnancy losses and two brain surgeries, both experiences where I was dismissed, gaslit, and almost lost my life. The only reason I was able to survive was because I spoke the medical language as a neuro ICU nurse. Most patients do not have that background, which fuels my mission to make advocacy accessible to everyone.

What is SpeakRx, and what led you to develop it?

SpeakRx is a health technology platform designed to give patients the language, tools, and confidence to advocate for themselves in healthcare settings. It provides incident documentation, self-advocacy scripts, peer-reviewed research, professional second opinions, and even legal consultation when needed. My own experiences of being ignored and almost dying inspired me to build a solution that makes advocacy a right, not a privilege.

Who would benefit from using SpeakRx?

Anyone who has ever felt dismissed or unsafe in a healthcare setting would benefit from SpeakRx. That includes patients, their families, and even caregivers who need to advocate on behalf of loved ones.

Why is now the right time for SpeakRx?

Healthcare systems are strained, and patients are more aware than ever of issues like medical errors, bias, and delayed care. Trust in healthcare is at historic lows, and people are demanding tools that put them in control of their health journey. SpeakRx meets this exact moment by giving patients the ability to document, escalate, and advocate in real time.

What makes your business different from others in the space?

Most platforms are either patient portals that only share medical records or legal hotlines that focus on lawsuits after harm has already occurred. SpeakRx is proactive, giving patients tools before harm escalates while also offering pathways to resolution if it does. We combine AI, clinical expertise, and legal backing into one ecosystem, which makes our approach unique and comprehensive.

Why have you decided to begin with a focus on maternal health?

Maternal health is deeply personal to me. I experienced loss and near-death because my concerns were dismissed. Black women and other marginalized groups continue to face the highest rates of maternal mortality and morbidity. Beginning with maternal health is both a mission and a necessity. It allows us to address one of the most urgent gaps in care while proving the model for broader use across healthcare.

And of course, congratulations on winning the CHASM grant! How will this grant help you with SpeakRx?

Thank you. This grant allows us to accelerate key milestones. We are using it to expand our development team, cover research costs for beta testing, support marketing through storytelling campaigns, and manage legal partnerships for the second-opinion and legal consultation tiers. It is not just funding; it is validation that this work matters and has the power to transform patient safety.