A South African-born healthcare company that set out to change healthcare in the country is 15 years later serving the needs of nearly 11-million individuals on a multi-national basis.
Under the leadership of Dr Johan Pretorius, executive chairman and group CEO, and Catharina Sevillano-Barredo, deputy chairperson and group chief financial officer, Universal Healthcare has evolved rapidly.
Since its inception in March 2009, strategic acquisitions transformed it from a startup to a full-service healthcare management provider operating across multiple sectors.
With an innovation hub in Silicon Valley, Universal.one has delivered healthcare software technology products for over five years, addressing private and public health challenges, including the Covid pandemic.
Dr Pretorius says that the strategic acquisitions, matched with in-house innovation, help the company to tailor its comprehensive suite of services to meet the changing needs of medical schemes and blue-chip clients.
“Having consolidated the original acquisitions with a number of new healthcare technology and service start-ups with a stellar track record into a single, newly energised stable with an unshakable vision, we were strategically positioned to deliver unparalleled healthcare value to South Africans from the outset.
“Our approach has been differentiated by refining our strategy to enhance the attractiveness of medical schemes, ultimately guaranteeing superior care for a wider range of South Africans,” says Dr Pretorius.
“Fifteen years on, as the entrepreneurial driving force behind Universal, we remain steadfast in our commitment to delivering excellence and charting a strategic path for sustainable healthcare, just as we did in 2009.”