A new AI-powered employee wellness platform called Omni was launched in Trinidad & Tobago.

A new AI-powered employee wellness platform called Omni has launched in Trinidad and Tobago. Developed by local digital health company Patient Connect, Omni aims to boost employee wellness programs by making it easier for employees to access health resources and connect with care providers.

How It Works

Omni is an AI assistant integrated into Patient Connect's existing wellness apps. Employees can chat with Omni 24/7 to get curated recommendations for local health providers, resources, and wellness activities based on their needs and preferences. For example, an employee could tell Omni they are feeling stressed. Omni would provide a list of recommended mental health counsellors and detailed information on their services, fees, location and availability.

The goal is to make it simple and convenient for employees to get the health support they need. If desired, they can book appointments or video consultations directly through the app. Omni can also proactively suggest wellness program ideas to HR leaders, such as hosting a fitness boot camp around Carnival time.

Trained on Local Data

A key differentiator is that Omni has been trained on data specific to Trinidad and Tobago. Local data training allows it to understand local context and make more relevant recommendations. For instance, Omni knows to suggest a "beach lime" as a wellness activity, something a generic chatbot would miss. The AI training has been done entirely by Patient Connect's team in Trinidad.

Omni also aims to understand and communicate in local dialects. When the platform expands to other Caribbean countries, it will also be trained on data specific to those populations.

Security & Compliance

All data is stored in HIPAA-compliant servers on Amazon Web Services to protect user privacy. Additionally, user data is retained for at most seven days before being deleted. Patient Connect has been careful to work only with partners that enable them to maintain robust data security standards.

Business Model & Expansion Plans

Patient Connect is focused on a B2B model, making Omni available to employers through partnerships with HR associations like HRMATT in Trinidad and HRMAB in Barbados. Plans are also in place to expand the service to other groups, such as university students.

While Omni could also offer significant benefits to the general public, Patient Connect has opted not to pursue a B2C model at this time, citing challenges around cost and product control in that environment. However, the company believes it can still reach a large percentage of the population by targeting large employers and insurance companies.

No B2C option is a missed opportunity, as this solution can become very important to the average citizen's well-being. However, I understand the issues of a B2C subscription business in Trinidad and Tobago. B2C subscription services are not prevalent due to a lack of options for consistent small payments. Not to mention that while wellness has grown in terms of people paying attention to it, it is still taboo in our country.

The longer-term vision is to create a unified "One Caribbean Wellness" platform to connect all major healthcare providers across the Caribbean. One Caribbean Wellness will make it easy for users to access care even when travelling to other countries in the region. Latin America is another area being explored.

Balancing AI Utility and Risk

For now, Omni is focused on the less risky application of helping users access providers and resources. More advanced capabilities, such as using AI to assist with diagnosis and treatment, are not on the immediate roadmap due to potential harmful mistakes. Even as AI systems become more sophisticated, Patient Connect wants to be thoughtful about how and when to deploy those tools. Additionally, they would like to keep the human touch in their products. Therefore, AI will be used as an intelligent layer between the customer and the service provider.

Keeping It Local

Patient Connect has deliberately chosen to develop Omni as a homegrown solution tailored for the Caribbean rather than partnering with tech giants like Google or Microsoft. The goal is to keep the platform as local as possible—with local providers, content, and AI trained on local data—to best serve the unique needs of the population. Supporting local businesses and jobs is another key objective.

While international partnerships may be considered in the future as Patient Connect scales to new markets, the priority is on building Caribbean-first solutions. In a region often underserved by mainstream tech offerings, this locally grounded approach could prove to be a significant advantage.

In conclusion, Omni is an exciting example of how AI technologies are being adapted to serve the specific needs of markets like the Caribbean. By focusing on localised data, user privacy, and a clear use case around improving access to care, Patient Connect appears well-positioned to make a meaningful impact on employee wellness across the region. As capabilities expand, it will be important to see how the company continues to balance the power of AI with responsible and ethical deployment.