Luis Montes has worn many hats: physical therapist, clinic owner, tech enthusiast, and now founder and CEO of Innova Health. OneStep recently sat down with Luis for a spotlight conversation, where he shared his journey from hands-on care to pioneering intelligent clinical operating systems for senior living. His perspective is as grounded as it is visionary, rooted in lived experience and future-focused on AI, data, and real-world impact.
Luis Montes: I began as a physical therapist, working in outpatient care. I loved clinical work, but discovered I had an entrepreneurial drive. I opened my own practice and that’s when I started tinkering with technology. I realized tech could solve real problems in care and operations. Eventually, I sold my clinics and joined health tech startups. That gave me a front-row seat to how you build something from the ground up.
Montes: Two things. First, the product. We are building a modern clinical operations system, not just an EHR platform. It supports both the clinician and the operator with real-time insights and workflow improvements. Second, the team. A great company is a group of people aligned around a mission. That’s what I’m working to build every day.
Montes: I’ll never forget the first note a therapist completed in our system. She had no training but logged in, opened her caseload, and finished a note in under five minutes. That’s 50 percent faster than what she was used to. She told me, “This will help me get home earlier to see my family.” That’s the kind of feedback that keeps us going.
For a therapist walking into a new building, especially someone PRN, it can be tough to get up to speed. At Innova, we’re focused on making it easy to see exactly what you need to know about a patient at a glance. From progress and precautions to prior treatments and clinical notes, all the key info is right there. The goal is simple: help clinicians make fast, informed decisions without digging through multiple screens or reports.
Montes: Therapy is not going away. We need more therapists, not fewer. Technology cannot replace the human connection or hands-on care. What it can do is support hybrid care models where you combine in-person visits with remote monitoring. That leads to better outcomes without burning out the clinician.
Montes: When systems are designed with the end user in mind, everyone benefits. OneStep, for example, captures continuous gait data outside the clinic, offering therapists a clearer picture of how patients are really moving day to day. That kind of insight makes it easier to deliver more proactive, personalized care. At Innova, we focus on making it just as easy to act on those insights – whether that means documenting progress, adjusting plans, or communicating with the care team. When great tools each do their part to support the clinician, the entire care experience improves.
To listen to the complete interview and what Luis has to say about the future of AI, his philosophy and what podcasts he’s into now, visit here.
Luis Montes is not just building technology – he is building systems that empower clinicians and elevate care. In a field that is evolving fast, his work shows how thoughtful innovation can keep the human element at the center.
The Movement is a OneStep initiative to spotlight heroes in the healthcare or healthcare tech space who have a passion for what they do and have made a difference in their field. Know a hero we should spotlight? Drop us a line at hello@onestep.co