When Dr. Jennifer Schneider, CEO of rural healthcare start-up Homeward, was 12, she was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. But living in rural Minnesota, she hadn’t seen an endocrinologist in a long time.
“It wasn’t until I went to medical school that I realized how scary and dangerous that was,” said Schneider, who previously served as the organization’s president and chief medical officer. i’m in love.
San Francisco-based Homeward is working to fill gaps in primary and specialty care in rural areas.company Announce On Wednesday, it raised $50 million in Series B funding from ARCH Venture Partners and Human Capital.company roll out In March, General Catalyst provided an initial investment of $20 million, bringing the total raised to $70 million. Schneider’s own experience reflects the lack of specialists and primary care physicians in rural areas across the country. For instante, 61% of primary care health professional shortage areas are rural, according to Rural Health Information Center.
The startup also announced its first value-based care partnership with Michigan-based Priority Health, a health insurer owned by the BHSH System. Through the partnership, Homeward will provide primary and specialty care to more than 30,000 Medicare Advantage members in rural Michigan.
With the new funding, Homeward hopes to expand into other markets beyond Michigan and partner with other health plans, though Schneider declined to say which partnerships the company is currently exploring.
“Through the partnership, we are able to demonstrate how novel technology-enabled models of care, designed for rural America and integrated with local providers and health systems, can expand clinical capacity and deliver better clinical outcomes in these communities. . to reduce costs,” Schneider said. “We felt great excitement across the industry following the announcement of the partnership.”
By partnering with Priority Health, Homeward’s clinicians (local physicians in their communities) will begin by conducting home visits for their patients.
“It’s really critical in rural markets, and it gives us insight into how to provide care for that person,” Schneider said.
Clinicians can also serve patients virtually or in the community through mobile clinics. If needed, Homeward will refer patients to other local providers or the hospital system for in-person visits.
Members use cellular-based remote monitoring technology so Homeward’s clinicians can track patient health between visits. In rural areas that lack broadband, using the technology instead of an internet connection can be beneficial, Schneider said.
“Certainly, there are limited broadband connections in rural markets,” Schneider said. “But there are a lot of innovations and technologies that can be used without broadband. There are a lot of remote monitoring devices that require a cellular connection, so you don’t have to have internet.”
Homeward makes money through a value-based care model, which means it assumes the full financial risk of care costs and patient outcomes. It provides preventive home care by leveraging technology. The goal is to keep patients healthy, thereby avoiding the chance of requiring expensive medical procedures.
Homeward isn’t the only startup in the rural value care market, Schneider said. The other is Main Street Health in Nashville, roll out June 2021, and match Medicare beneficiaries at participating health facilities with local health navigators. But Schneider said Homeward differentiated itself by partnering with existing providers and working with its own clinicians.
Photo: Pongasn68, Getty Images
