James CLarkson, MD
Dr. James Clarkson, Chief Medical Officer of WAVR Inc., is a plastic and hand surgeon focused on revolutionizing localized surgeries through enhancing the patient experience using “Wide Awake Virtual Reality” (WAVR). This technology reduces anxiety, lowers costs, improves workflow, and enhances patient education by shifting surgeries from hospitals to offices. Alongside his roles at WAVR and SimpleMed, Clarkson is an Assistant Professor at Michigan State University College of Human medicine teaching medical students. He provides hand and Facial Trauma services to Sparrow Hospital, Lansing MI. His career, including 12 years with the British NHS, is marked by innovation and a strong commitment to the doctor-patient relationship.
Dr. James Clarkson
Chief Medical Officer, WAVR Inc. and SimpleMed LLC | Assistant Professor of Surgery, MSU | Plastic & Hand Surgeon
The Patient Experience Re-imagined.
Imagine a better, safer, less costly, more sustainable patient experience.
About
Chief Medical Officer of WAVR Inc.
Doctor James Clarkson, current Chief Medical Officer of WAVR Inc and SimpleMed LLC., is an accomplished plastic and hand surgeon, educator, and executive seeking to change the way patients experience awake surgery under local anesthesia by utilizing “Wide Awake Virtual Reality”, or WAVR. WAVR is proven to enhance the patient experience by reducing anxiety, increasing joy, and overall simplifying the complex process of surgical anesthetics that have become commonplace in healthcare today. Through his personal experience utilizing WAVR in surgical settings, Clarkson campaigns that Virtual Reality decreases costs, improves workflow, and increases productivity by taking localized surgeries out of the hospital and back into the office, benefiting both patients and physicians alike. He also demonstrates that VR can provide a more convenient and sticky educational experience for patients, helping them understand their surgery and post-operative instructions.
Assistant Professor of Surgery, MSU
In addition to serving as the CMO at WAVR Inc., Clarkson works as an Assistant Professor of Surgery and a practicing Hand Surgeon at Michigan State University. Clarkson has also worked as a Medical Director for the Sparrow Hospital wound clinic (2014-2023). Prior to his current roles, Clarkson served as a physician for a twelve-year tenure in the British National Health Service before his emigration to the United States, bringing with him the knowledge and expertise he gained working in the world’s largest socialized healthcare system. The arrow of Clarkson’s career is that of a commitment to health justice, innovation, and placing the Doctor-Patient relationship at the pinnacle of the surgical process. Clarkson has conducted studies for the last six years as he has utilized Virtual Reality in his surgeries, which trial data and outcomes establish the efficacy of this technology to revolutionize the standard of care for patients.
Bio
He is double board certified in Plastic Surgery from the Royal College of Surgeons Edinburgh and the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.
He spent 2 years at the Christine Kleinert Institute of Hand and Microsurgery between 2008 and 2010. Between 2010 and 2024 he has worked as Assistant Profession and Attending Hand and Plastic Surgeon at Michigan State University, College of Human Medicine.
He is a member of the American Society of Plastic surgeons and sits on their Patient Safety and Healthcare Delivery Committees. Clarkson resides with his family in the Greater Lansing area.
Innovating Surgery with Wide Awake Virtual Reality
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Virtual Reality decreases costs, improves workflow, and increases productivity by taking localized surgeries out of the hospital and back into the office, benefiting both patients and physicians alike.
James Clarkson
Chief Medical Officer, WAVR Inc.
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