06/02/2026
Lance Patak MBA ’07, a Marshall alumnus and pediatric anesthesiologist, founded VidaTalk, a platform to help patients with speech barriers (due to medical conditions, intubation or language) better communicate with their doctors.
As a first-time founder, Patak enrolled in USC Marshall’s Full-Time MBA (FTMBA) program to gain business-related skills and knowledge. “My MBA was the best thing that ever happened in my education,” Patak said. “It changed how I see the world. It changed every relationship I have. It changed how I do medicine.”
The VidaTalk platform, which includes over 100 simple phrases and basic needs and supports 45 different languages, has been adopted by highly ranked hospitals and healthcare systems to ensure speech-impaired patients can advocate for their needs.
Read more: https://www.marshall.usc.edu/news/marshall-mba-alums-app-vidatalk-helps-speech-impaired-patients-communicate-with-their-care-providers