Rendr’s Executive Recognized with Global Healthcare Entrepreneurship Award
John Hui Honored with Global Healthcare Innovation Award for Advancing Value-Based Care in Asian American Communities
At the recent annual meeting of the Global Healthcare Leaders Foundation (GHLF) in Boston, John Hui, Chief Development Officer of Rendr, received the Global Healthcare Entrepreneurship Award in recognition of his leadership and achievements in digital healthcare innovation and the advancement of Asian community health systems.
From Shanghai to New York: “Language Was My First Barrier”
Originally from Shanghai, Hui immigrated to the United States in 1998. He recalls that his first challenge was language. “When I first arrived, I couldn’t even fill out the customs form. My English was terrible,” he says with a laugh.
While studying marketing at Baruch College, City University of New York, Hui worked part-time to support himself. “Learning English was a tough process. I started from the most basic ESL level. Every mistake became an opportunity to reflect and improve.” He also actively sought internships and part-time roles, staying focused on his career goals. “I knew exactly the kind of company I wanted to work for after graduation, and the salary I was aiming for.”
Before graduating, Hui secured a sales position with one of the largest U.S. consumer goods companies, managing non-Chinese markets in Brooklyn. “At first, there was some cultural friction,” he recalls. “When clients were distant because I was an Asian immigrant, I learned that sincerity and persistence could turn doubt into respect.” He later joined a multinational pharmaceutical company, an experience that laid the foundation for his lifelong involvement in healthcare and ultimately led to the creation of Rendr.
Turning Challenges into Opportunities: The Entrepreneurial Journey
Before co-founding Rendr, Hui spent over two decades in the healthcare industry, spanning pharmaceuticals, diagnostics, medical devices, and imaging. In 2015, he co-founded Twiage, a healthcare communication platform that enhanced real-time coordination between ambulances and hospital emergency departments. The platform earned multiple innovation awards from organizations such as the American Medical Association, American Heart Association, and American College of Emergency Physicians, and was adopted by over 120 hospitals across 16 U.S. states, including Yale New Haven Health, Mass General Brigham, and HCA Healthcare. In 2024, Twiage was acquired by a leading healthcare company backed by a major private equity firm.
In 2019, Hui co-founded Rendr alongside Dr. Richard Park, founder of CityMD, and several Chinese-American physicians. Their mission was to modernize and unify the fragmented network of small, independent Chinese community clinics through advanced management systems and technology.
“The idea started from my regular conversations with Dr. Park,” Hui recalls. “He wanted to support low-income families through primary care programs. One day he told me, ‘You’ve been talking about those Chinese physicians for months, maybe it’s time I meet them.’ That’s how Rendr was born.”
He emphasizes that true entrepreneurship requires patience. “Many young founders chase quick success, but real innovation takes time. What people call ‘luck’ is really preparation meeting opportunity.”
Rendr was scheduled to launch just before the COVID-19 pandemic, but despite delays, the company became one of New York City’s first non-hospital organizations approved to administer vaccines. “The key is turning crisis into opportunity,” Hui says.
In 2022, Rendr merged with Beacon Medical Group, forming what is now Rendr-Beacon Medical Group, the largest independent physician group serving Asian communities in the U.S. The organization now includes over 250 physicians and physician assistants, 100+ clinics and diagnostic sites, and delivers over 1.3 million patient visits annually to nearly 200,000 patients.
Advancing Value-Based Care: From Prevention to Holistic Health
Unlike the traditional fee-for-service model, Rendr champions Value-Based Care (VBC), aligning physician incentives with patient health outcomes and quality of care. This model promotes early screenings, chronic disease management, and preventive medicine to reduce hospitalizations and improve community health.
“We care more about keeping our patients healthy than about how many times they visit us,” Hui explains. Rendr’s data analytics team proactively identifies patients who have missed key preventive screenings, such as mammograms, colon cancer checks, or diabetic eye exams, and coordinates follow-up care to ensure timely intervention.
“This model only works at scale,” Hui adds. “If a clinic only has a few thousand patients, a handful of severe cases could impact profitability. But with a six-figure patient base, we can manage risk more effectively.”
Rendr’s VBC model has received strong support from both government agencies and insurance partners, setting a new standard for community-based healthcare delivery.
While acknowledging that reform is never easy, Hui remains steadfast:
“Entrepreneurship is rarely glamorous. But for us, the most meaningful goal is ensuring that more Chinese-Americans can receive high-quality, dignified healthcare, in a language and culture they feel at home in.”
Click here to read the original article from Sing Tao Daily