We're Shaping the Next Generation of Patient Support

Navatar Health is transforming how patients are engaged, educated, and guided to take action—starting with colorectal cancer screening and expanding across the healthcare journey. Our insight is simple but powerful: in healthcare, knowing is not doing. Behavior is the missing link between medical knowledge and real-world outcomes.

Every year, tens of thousands of Americans die from cancers we know how to prevent. Screening is available, covered, and recommended—but nearly one-third of eligible people remain unscreened. Mailing test kits and sending reminders isn’t enough.

The real barriers are emotional: fear, confusion, cultural disconnect, and mistrust. And in a fee-for-service system under constant time pressure, most patients don’t get the support they need to overcome them.

Navatar Health was built to change that. Our platform uses AI-generated nurse-navigator avatars—called Navatars—to deliver emotionally intelligent, culturally tailored, behaviorally optimized engagement. Patients choose the language and identity that best reflects them, and the platform adapts to provide clear, persuasive, respectful guidance.

Navatar meets people where they are—emotionally, linguistically, and culturally—and helps move them from intention to action.

Our Core Beliefs

Better Health Starts With Understanding Human Behavior

At Navatar Health, we believe that true transformation in healthcare begins not just with better information—but with a deeper understanding of how people learn, decide, and act. Health decisions are rarely made through logic alone. They are shaped by emotion, identity, social norms, trust, and the subtle forces of habit and context.

Too often, patients are expected to navigate complex medical choices with limited support, low-quality communication, or messages that fail to resonate. Language barriers, low health literacy, and cultural disconnects create serious knowledge gaps. But even when people do understand the facts, they may still struggle to act.

That’s why Navatar doesn’t stop at information. We design for behavior—honoring the reality that people don’t always think what they feel, say what they think, or do what they say. We meet people where they are, using behavioral science, emotionally intelligent storytelling, and AI-powered personalization to guide them toward better choices. We’re building tools that connect not just with the mind, but with the human experience—because healthcare doesn’t change until people do.

Mission

Our mission is to turn knowledge into action and prevention into possibility. We empower people to make better health decisions—starting with those at risk for colorectal cancer—by delivering digital tools that engage, educate, motivate, and guide. Navatar serves as a trusted, culturally tailored navigation layer across the healthcare journey, helping patients move from confusion to clarity, and from intention to action.

About our Founder

Dr. David Perdue is a visionary healthcare leader, board-certified gastroenterologist, and health technology innovator. An enrolled member of the Chickasaw Nation, Dr. Perdue brings over two decades of experience in clinical care, preventive oncology research, and quality improvement. He is the Founder and Principal of Navatar Health, a digital health company focused on using AI-powered technologies to enhance patient engagement, streamline care delivery, and improve health outcomes. His work combines clinical expertise with cutting-edge technology to close gaps in care, address disparities, and make preventive healthcare more accessible and effective.Before launching Navatar Health,

Dr. Perdue held several senior leadership roles, including Chief Medical Officer and Board Member at MNGI Digestive Health, one of the largest private gastroenterology practices in the U.S. In these positions, he led enterprise-wide initiatives to optimize care quality, operational efficiency, and patient experience. He developed scalable programs to enhance clinical documentation, streamline workflows, and deliver exceptional care. Dr. Perdue also has a strong academic foundation, having served as a faculty member at the University of Minnesota, and Founder and Medical Director for the American Indian Cancer Foundation, where he advanced cancer prevention research and initiatives.Dr. Perdue’s vision is to redefine how healthcare leverages technology to improve lives.

With a career rooted in addressing barriers to care and improving cancer prevention, he is now focused on scaling AI-driven solutions to empower patients and providers. His academic and professional background—including a Master’s in Public Health, postdoctoral training in cancer research, and Chief Quality Officer certification—reflects his deep commitment to evidence-based innovation. As a healthcare entrepreneur, Dr. Perdue is dedicated to building scalable, data-driven solutions that make care more personalized, efficient, and impactful.

Publications by Dr. David Perdue

  • Perdue DG, Bulkow LR, Petersen KM, Singleton R, Gellin B, Davidson M, Parkinson AJ. Invasive Haemophilus influenzae disease in Alaskan Adults 1980-1996: The impact of childhood vaccination programs on adult morbidity. JAMA. 2000;283(23):3089-94
  • Perdue DG, Nelson DB. Virtual virtual colonoscopy? Gastroenterology. 2001;121:221-2 
  • Perdue DG, Murray J, Wang KK. The wizards of odds: cost-effectiveness, Barrett's screening, and surveillance guidelines. Clin Gastroenterol H. 2004;2:865-7
  • Chutkan RK, Ahmad AS, Cohen J, Cruz-Correa MR, Desilets DJ, Dominitz JA, Dunkin BJ, Kantsevoy SV, McHenry L Jr, Mishra G, Perdue D, Petrini JL, Pfau PR, Savides TJ, Telford JJ, Vargo JJ. ERCP core curriculum. Gastrointest  Endosc. 2006;63(3):361-76
  • Perdue DG, Schwartzenberg SJ, Cass O, Milla C, Dunitz J, Jesserun J, Sharp HL. Hepatolithiasis and cholangiocarcinoma in cystic fibrosis. Digest Dis Sci. 2007;52(10):2638-42
  • Perdue DG, Perkins C, Jackson-Thompson J, Ahmed F, Coughlin SC, Haverkamp D, Jim M. Regional differences in colorectal cancer incidence, stage, and subsite among American Indians and Alaska Natives, 1999-2004. Cancer. 2008;113(S5):1179-90
  • Jim MA, Perdue DG, Richardson LC, Espey DK, Redd JT, Martin J, Kwong SL, Kelly JJ, Henderson JA, Ahmed F. Primary liver cancer incidence among American Indians and Alaska Natives, 1999-2004. Cancer. 2008;113(S5):1244-55
  • Lemrow S, Perdue DG, French H, Jim M, Richardson LC, Swan J, Stewart S, Edwards B, Wiggins C, Dickie L, Espey DK. Gallbladder cancer incidence and stage among American Indians and Alaska Natives, US, 1999-2004. Cancer. 2008;113(S5):1266-1273
  • Wiggins C, Perdue DG, Henderson JA, Edwards B, Jim MA, Espey DK. Gastric cancer among American Indians and Alaska Natives in the United States, 1999-2004. Cancer. 2008;113(S5):1225-33
  • Perdue DG, Freeman ML, and the ERCOST Study Group. Plastic vs. self-expanding metal stents in hilar tumors; early complications and outcomes. Journal of Clinical Gastroenterology. J Clin Gastroenterol. 2008:42(9) 1040-6
  • Haverkamp D, Perdue DG, Espey DK, Cobb N. A Survey of Indian Health Service and Tribal  Health Providers' Colorectal Cancer Screening Knowledge, Perceptions, and Practices 
Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved - Volume 22, Number 1, February 2011, pp. 243-257
  • Perdue DG, Henderson JA, Garroutte E, Bogart A, Wen Y, Goldberg J, Buchwald D. Culture and colorectal cancer screening on three American Indian reservations. Ethn Dis 2011 Summer;21(3):342-8. PMID: 21942168.
  • Warne D, Kaur J, Perdue D. American Indian/Alaska Native cancer policy: systemic approaches to reducing cancer disparities. J Cancer Educ. 2012 Apr;27 Suppl 1:S18-23
  • Redwood D, Provost E, Perdue D, Haverkamp D, Espey D. The last frontier: innovative efforts to reduce colorectal cancer disparities among the remote Alaska Native population. Gastrointest Endosc. 2012 Mar;75(3):474-80.
  • Filippi MK, James AS, Brokenleg S, Talawyma M, Perdue DG, Choi WS, Greiner KA, Daley CM. Views, barriers, and suggestions for colorectal cancer screening among American Indian women older than 50 years in the midwest. J Prim Care Community Health 2013 Jul 1;4(3):160-6. PMID: 23799701.
  • Perdue DG, Chubak J, Bogart A, Dillard DA, Garroutte EM, Buchwald D. A comparison of colorectal cancer screening uptake among average-risk insured American Indian/Alaska Native and white women. J Health Care Poor Underserved 2013 Aug;24(3):1125-35. PMID: 23974386.
  • James AS, Filippi MK, Pacheco CM, Cully L, Perdue D, Choi WS, Greiner KA, Daley CM. Barriers to colorectal cancer screening among American Indian men aged 50 or older, Kansas and Missouri, 2006-2008. Prev Chronic Dis. 2013 Oct 3;10:E170.
  • Redwood D, Provost E, Asay E, Roberts D, Haverkamp D, Perdue D, Bruce MG, Sacco F, Espey D. Comparison of fecal occult blood tests for colorectal cancer screening in an Alaska Native population with high prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection, 2008-2012. Prev Chronic Dis 2014 Apr 10;11:E56
  • Perdue DG, Haverkamp D, Perkins C, Daley CM, Provost E. Geographic variation in colorectal cancer incidence and mortality, age of onset, and stage at diagnosis among American Indian and Alaska Native people, 1990–2009. Am J Pub Health 2014; Apr 22
  • Suryaprasad A, Byrd KK, Redd JT, Perdue DG, Manos MM, McMahon BJ. Mortality caused by chronic liver disease among American Indians and Alaska Natives in the United States, 1999–2009. Am J Pub Health 2014; Jun;104 Suppl 3:S350-8
  • Yeh HW, Gajewski BJ, Perdue DG, Cully A, Cully L, Greiner KA, Choi WS, Daley CM. Sorting it Out: Pile Sorting as a Mixed Methodology for Exploring Barriers to Cancer Screening. Qual Quant. 2014 Sep 1;48(5):2569-2587.
  • Perdue DG, Haverkamp D, Perkins C, Daley CM, Provost E. Geographic variation in colorectal cancer incidence and mortality, age of onset, and stage at diagnosis among American Indian and Alaska Native people, 1990-2009. Am J Public Health. 2014 Jun;104 Suppl 3:S404-14
  • Filippi MK, Perdue DG, Hester C, Cully A, Greiner KA, Daley CM.  Colorectal cancer screening practices among three American Indian communities in Minnesota. J Cult Divers. 2016 Spring:23(1) 21-7.
  • Nadeau M, Walaszek A, Perdue DG, Rhodes KL, Haverkamp D, Foster J. Influences and practices in colorectal cancer screening among health care providers serving Northern Plains American Indians, 2011-2012. Prev Chronic Dis. 2016 Dec 15; 13: E167.
  • Wang S, Kim AS, Church TR, Perdue DG, Shaukat A. Adenomas per colonoscopy and       adenoma per positive participant as quality indicators for screening colonoscopy. Endosc Int     Open. 2020 Nov;8(11):E1560-E1565
  • Feuerstein JD, Bilal M, Berzin TM, Calderwood AH, Guturu P, Juncadella AC, Ketwaroo G, Mishkin DS, Perdue DG, Sekhon S, Sengupta N, Singh S, Pleskow DK, Sawhney MS. Triage of General Gastrointestinal Endoscopic Procedures During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Results From a National Delphi Consensus Panel. Tech Innov Gastrointest Endosc. 2021;23(2):113-121
  • Shaukat A, Rex DK, Shyne M, Church TR, Perdue DG. Adenoma Detection Rates for 45- to 49-Year-Old Screening Population. Gastroenterology. 2022 Mar;162(3):957-959
  • Rogers CR, Perdue DG, Boucher K, Korous KM, Brooks E, Petersen E, Inadomi JM, Tuuhetaufa F, Levant RF, Paskett ED. Masculinity Barriers to Ever Completing Colorectal Cancer Screening among American Indian/Alaska Native, Black, and White Men (Ages 45- 75). Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022 Mar 5;19(5):3071
  • Brooks E, Islam JY, Perdue DG, Petersen E, Camacho-Rivera M, Kennedy C, Rogers CR. The Black Panther, Masculinity Barriers to Medical Care, and Colorectal Cancer Screening Intention Among Unscreened American Indian/Alaska Native, Black, and White Men. Front Public Health. 2022 Apr 6;10:814596
  • Shaukat A, Lichtenstein DR, Somers SC, Chung DC, Perdue DG, Gopal M, Colucci DR, Phillips SA, Marka NA, Church TR, Brugge WR; SKOUT™ Registration Study Team. Computer-Aided Detection Improves Adenomas per Colonoscopy for Screening and Surveillance Colonoscopy: A Randomized Trial Gastroenterology.. 2022 Sep;163(3):732-741
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