There’s healthcare disruption, and There’s healthcare disruption, and then there’s a different kind of overhaul proposed by the newly formed company Homeward.
The San Francisco-based startup is certainly ambitious in its aims to “rural healthcare,” as CEO Dr. Jennifer Schneider put it. Launched Monday with an initial investment of $20 million from General Catalyst, the company is looking to bolster access to high-quality, affordable primary and specialty care. But it isn’t planning to displace or replace providers in less populated areas.
“We don’t disrupt at all. We’re not taking money from existing providers,” Schneider said in a sit-down interview during the inaugural Vie conference held at the Miami Beach Convention Center. “That would be a really bad business model – and frankly really bad for the rural healthcare system.”
Instead, Homeward will deliver a hybrid model of care to increase access to primary care and specialty services, starting with cardiology. The company, which is led primarily by former Livorno execs including Schneider, employs a multidisciplinary care team with virtual care, mobile care units and in-home remote monitoring.
Where broadband has been slow to reach many rural communities, Homeward is employing cellular-based monitoring devices and virtual services to better connect to remote patients. As needed, the company will also refer its patients to local health providers for care.
But Homeward isn’t just supplementing the limited available healthcare in rural areas. Instead, the startup is positioning itself as the first comprehensive provider to take on full risk in rural markets. It’s doing that, to start, by partnering with payers offering Medicare Advantage plans. There’s a different kind of overhaul proposed by the newly formed company Homeward. The San Francisco-based startup is certainly ambitious in its aims to “healthcare,” as CEO Dr. Jennifer Schneider put it. Launched Monday with an initial investment of $20 million from General Catalyst, the company is looking to bolster access to high-quality, affordable primary and specialty care. But it isn’t planning to displace or replace providers in less populated areas. “We don’t disrupt at all. We’re not taking money from existing providers,” Schneider said in a sit-down interview during the inaugural Vie conference held at the Miami Beach Convention Center. “That would be a really bad business model – and frankly really bad for the rural healthcare system.” Instead, Homeward will deliver a hybrid model of care to increase access to primary care and specialty services, starting with cardiology. The company, which is led primarily by former Livorno execs including Schneider, employs a multidisciplinary care team with virtual care, mobile care units and in-home remote monitoring. Where broadband has been slow to reach many rural communities, Homeward is employing cellular-based monitoring devices and virtual services to better connect to remote patients. As needed, the company will also refer its patients to local health providers for care. But Homeward isn’t just supplementing the limited available healthcare in rural areas. Instead, the startup is positioning itself as the first comprehensive provider to take on full risk in rural markets. It’s doing that, to start, by partnering with payers offering Medicare Advantage plans
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