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But a family health crisis in high school shifted his path, sparking a question that stayed with him: could his passion for technology be used to improve patient care? A mentor suggested that the best way to understand the challenges facing healthcare was get as close to them as possible. Justin took that to heart and became a physician.
During his surgical training, Justin witnessed and experienced first-hand one of the biggest challenges we have today: the way healthcare professionals are trained and assessed on procedures and technical skills. His background in game development gave him a unique lens and introduced him to early generations of modern virtual reality technology where he quickly recognized its potential to solve this challenge. VR could simulate procedures at scale, generate performance data, and offer repeatable, standardized practice. To test and prove the idea, he built an early VR prototype to demonstrate that immersive technology could make readiness measurable. That work became the foundation for Osso VR.
Today, the platform serves pharma, hospital systems, nursing programs, and sales teams in over 50 countries with evidence-based training designed to strengthen procedural skills, accelerate readiness, and support better patient care.
But a family health crisis in high school shifted his path, sparking a question that stayed with him: could his passion for technology be used to improve patient care? A mentor suggested that the best way to understand the challenges facing healthcare was get as close to them as possible. Justin took that to heart and became a physician.
During his surgical training, Justin witnessed and experienced first-hand one of the biggest challenges we have today: the way healthcare professionals are trained and assessed on procedures and technical skills. His background in game development gave him a unique lens and introduced him to early generations of modern virtual reality technology where he quickly recognized its potential to solve this challenge. VR could simulate procedures at scale, generate performance data, and offer repeatable, standardized practice. To test and prove the idea, he built an early VR prototype to demonstrate that immersive technology could make readiness measurable. That work became the foundation for Osso VR.
Today, the platform serves pharma, hospital systems, nursing programs, and sales teams in over 50 countries with evidence-based training designed to strengthen procedural skills, accelerate readiness, and support better patient care.
Heather Gervais was appointed CEO of Osso in August 2024 to lead the company through its expansion into Nurse Training.
She brings more than 20 years of experience across healthcare and information technology, with leadership roles at Everly Health, formerly PWNHealth, athenahealth, formerly Epocrates, and Cadient Group, now Cognizant. Her work has consistently focused on helping healthcare organizations adopt technology that works reliably in practice.
Heather is a member of the Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association and is focused on building outcomes-driven training solutions that strengthen clinical teams and support better patient care.
Justin Barad, MD, is the co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer of Osso VR. A pediatric orthopedic surgeon with a background in game development and bioengineering, Justin has spent his career at the intersection of clinical training, innovation, and health system transformation.
He earned his undergraduate degree in bioengineering from UC Berkeley and his medical degree from UCLA, graduating first in his class. He completed his orthopedic surgery residency at UCLA and fellowship in pediatric orthopedics at Harvard and Boston Children’s Hospital.
In addition to his work at Osso, Justin serves on the board of directors at Bioretec Ltd. and the Consumer Technology Association’s Health & Fitness Technology Division. He is also a clinical contributor to UCLA Biodesign and an attending pediatric orthopedic surgeon at UCLA Health and Luskin Orthopaedic Institute for Children.
Justin Barad, MD, is the co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer of Osso VR. A pediatric orthopedic surgeon with a background in game development and bioengineering, Justin has spent his career at the intersection of clinical training, innovation, and health system transformation.
He earned his undergraduate degree in bioengineering from UC Berkeley and his medical degree from UCLA, graduating first in his class. He completed his orthopedic surgery residency at UCLA and fellowship in pediatric orthopedics at Harvard and Boston Children’s Hospital.
In addition to his work at Osso, Justin serves on the board of directors at Bioretec Ltd. and the Consumer Technology Association’s Health & Fitness Technology Division. He is also a clinical contributor to UCLA Biodesign and an attending pediatric orthopedic surgeon at UCLA Health and Luskin Orthopaedic Institute for Children.
