GEMS

Access to Specialist Knowledge Inc. ( ASK)

GEMS

Directly empowering healthcare workers with on-demand, global access to board certified medical specialists, combatting health inequities worldwide.

San Antonio, TX, USA

USA

Nonprofit

Healthcare inequities often persist not because of a lack of knowledge, but because knowledge is inaccessible. According to a 2021 report by the World Health Organization and the World Bank, 56% of the global population lacks access to healthcare, and Sub-Saharan Africa is among the hardest hit. The region has only 1.3 healthcare workers per 1,000 people, far below the global standard of 4.8. The number of doctors is even lower, at just 0.2 per 1,000 people compared to the recommended 1.3. Access to specialist doctors is alarmingly limited. In some countries, there are no oncologists at all, and nephrologists may be as rare as one per million people. This shortage is especially dire in rural areas, where over 65% of the population lives—often in economically disadvantaged countries. These communities face nearly nonexistent access to specialized care, despite Sub-Saharan Africa bearing 23% of the global disease burden. The disparity stems from two key issues: the migration of doctors abroad in search of better training and opportunities, and the unequal allocation of healthcare funding, which heavily favors urban areas. Without urgent reforms and innovation, millions will continue to lack critical, life-saving specialist care.

Access to Specialist Knowledge Inc. (ASK) is bridging the healthcare gap in underserved communities. With a focus in Sub-Saharan Africa, ASK connects local healthcare workers with U.S. Board Certified medical specialists to deliver timely, expert consultations that improve patient outcomes in remote and resource-limited settings. Local healthcare professionals submit de-identified case requests through ASK’s innovative platform, GEMS (Global Electronic Medical Consultation System). GEMS streamlines and automates the process, using smart triaging to match each case with the most available specialist. If a specialist is unavailable, the system instantly reassigns the case, ensuring no delays in care. Through secure, web-based access, clinicians in countries like Uganda, DR Congo, Kenya, and South Sudan can receive ongoing expert guidance, including follow-ups and diagnostic support, until effective treatment is delivered. Additionally, all approved consultations are archived for dynamic healthcare trend analysis, supporting long-term capacity building and research in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki principles. In just three years, ASK has facilitated over 30,000 consultations across 30 clinics in ten countries. ASK is transforming how specialist medical care reaches the world’s most vulnerable populations; GEMS is making it faster, smarter, and more impactful.

ASK serves patients in some of the world’s most underserved communities—those in rural areas, conflict zones, and regions facing infectious disease outbreaks. These populations often live hundreds of miles from the nearest specialist and are forced to rely on overburdened general practitioners with limited resources. Many suffer or die from conditions that would be treatable with timely expert guidance. Our solution bridges this gap by connecting local health workers with board-certified specialists who provide real-time diagnostic and treatment support. In the DR Congo, for example, ASK supported hospitals in Beni and Goma with managing cholera outbreaks, treating gunshot wounds, and responding to monkeypox and measles epidemics. In Uganda, our specialists helped identify lactose intolerance as the cause of severe child malnutrition at Katwe Health Center, enabling the shift to non-dairy solutions that saved lives. By making specialist knowledge accessible, ASK empowers frontline health workers to make informed decisions and deliver better care—reducing preventable deaths, improving patient outcomes, and building resilience in fragile health systems