The engineer who built a healthcare platform from the ground up.
Nearly 9 years of full-stack experience. Lead developer of CariCanary — a production multi-module SaaS serving US Skilled Nursing Facilities. AI integration, payer eligibility, CMS compliance, and complex workflow systems — all in production.
Where I go deep
I don't just write code — I own systems. Here's where I've built genuine expertise over years of production work.
US Healthcare SaaS
Deep domain knowledge in SNF/LTC operations: CMS compliance, PBJ reporting, Medicare/Medicaid payer eligibility via pVerify, resident management, and the real business logic of skilled nursing facilities.
AI Integration (Production)
Built production AI pipelines using the Claude API — Map→Reduce→Extract patterns for clinical document processing. Multi-stage summarization of referral documents, diagnoses, medications, and labs at scale.
Full-Stack Laravel + Vue
Sole lead developer across Laravel backend, Vue 3 frontend, MySQL, queues, PDF generation, Excel import/export, M-Pesa payments, multi-tenant architecture, and DigitalOcean infrastructure. Strong vanilla JS and custom CSS/SASS — comfortable building without frameworks when needed.
WordPress & Site Operations
Years of hands-on WordPress work — custom and child theme development, template hierarchy, staging environments, database backups, and site migrations. Comfortable managing multiple client sites and accounts in agency settings, with working SEO fundamentals and site performance tuning using PageSpeed Insights, Lighthouse, and GTmetrix.
Remote-First Engineer
Remote work with clients in the US and Germany, delivering across time zones with async communication, clear documentation, and consistent output. Also a founder — built and ran two products with small teams.
3+ years. 20+ modules. One platform.
The project that best represents the depth and scope of what I can build and own entirely.
CariCanary
app.caricanary.com ↗A full-stack, multi-module SaaS platform for US Skilled Nursing Facilities. As the lead developer over 3+ years, I designed and built every layer — database architecture, Laravel backend, Vue 3 frontend, queue-based job processing, DevOps, and AI pipelines — serving real nursing home operations across the US. The system handles census tracking, multi-level wage approvals, 360-degree staff evaluations, CMS data compliance, resident admissions, and AI-powered clinical document extraction.
"Working with Derrick remotely from Germany was seamless. He took full ownership of our frontend — the architecture, the component design, the API integration — and delivered consistently without needing to be managed. His communication was clear, his work was clean, and he understood the product deeply. I'd work with him again without hesitation."
Real AI work — not demos
The AI integration I've built is production-grade, queue-based, and handling real clinical documents at scale.
AI-powered clinical document extraction
Built a queue-based parallel processing pipeline that ingests referral packets from skilled nursing facilities, breaks documents into clinical sections, and extracts structured data — diagnoses (current vs historical, 90-day rule), medications, labs, and care needs — for physician review. Uses claude-haiku-4-5 for mapping and claude-sonnet-4-5 for reduce and extract stages.
More from the last 9 years
International remote contracts, a founder story, and 7 years of agency delivery across industries.
Talemai / Amatum
Part-time remote frontend contract for a Germany-based talent-to-employer platform. Built the entire Vue.js frontend — component architecture, routing, forms, state management, and API integration — collaborating with a European product and design team.
Modern Coast Booking System
Built an end-to-end online bus booking platform for Modern Coast, one of Kenya's leading intercity bus operators. Full seat selection, route management, and M-Pesa payment integration — built independently as a side project.
Chekistock
Founded and built a stock management SaaS for Kenyan SMEs. Developed the full backend, implemented M-Pesa monthly subscription billing, hired and managed an Android developer and UI/UX designer, and ran the business as CEO. A genuine founder experience — built end-to-end, shipped to real users.
Risk Show
Full WordPress redesign and rebuild for a US-based risk and business podcast. Custom theme development, performance optimisation, and editorial CMS structure for ongoing content publishing.
Bean Interactive — Digital Agency
7 years as full-stack developer at a Nairobi digital agency, delivering across banking, insurance, FMCG, telecoms, and NGO clients. Built numerous custom WordPress themes and plugins from scratch — no page builders, hand-written CSS/SASS and vanilla JS throughout. Worked across multiple concurrent client accounts, handling theme builds, child themes, staging-to-production migrations, database backups, and on-page SEO. Key deliveries included the Jubilee Motor Insurance and J-Inue digital products, Safaricom's Home and BLAZE websites, and the MRM Eye in the Wild campaign platform.
The stack I work in
Production-tested across large, complex codebases — not just tutorials.
The person behind the code
I'm Derrick Njoroge, a full-stack engineer based in Nairobi, Kenya with nearly 9 years of professional experience across startups, agencies, and international remote contracts. I've built production software for clients in the US, Germany, and Kenya.
My most defining work has been as the lead developer at CariCanary — a healthcare SaaS platform I've helped architect and build over 3+ years. Working as the full-stack engineer on the product, I've developed deep experience owning a complex system end-to-end: schema design, API architecture, frontend UX, job queues, DevOps, AI integration, and continuous feature delivery to real end users.
I also bring years of hands-on WordPress and agency experience — custom and child theme builds, staging environments, migrations, and SEO/performance work — from 7 years at a Nairobi digital agency managing multiple concurrent client sites.
I'm a founder too — I started Chekistock, a stock management SaaS for the Kenyan market, where I built the product end-to-end, integrated M-Pesa subscription billing, hired a small team, and ran the business from 2021 to 2023. That experience makes me someone who thinks about business outcomes, not just technical implementation.
I'm currently looking for remote full-stack and WordPress roles — ideally with a US or European team building serious SaaS, healthtech, or marketing/agency-driven products. I thrive in async environments and have a strong track record of independent delivery and clear communication.