Cleveland, OH,
15
November
2022
|
10:00 AM
America/New_York

General Catalyst and MetroHealth Announce Digital Transformation Collaboration

The MetroHealth System, Greater Cleveland’s safety-net public health care system, has joined a strategic collaboration led by the venture capital firm General Catalyst dedicated to accelerating health sector innovation.

Bringing together a leading venture capital firm and health system that provides care at more than 60 locations throughout Northeast Ohio, this partnership aims to improve patient experiences and business efficiency, optimize caregiver relationships and create new care models for MetroHealth and the entire industry.

The ultimate goal is to build a more resilient, value-oriented healthcare system that enhances quality, access, equity and affordability.

MetroHealth is among the latest health system partners that, with General Catalyst, will serve as a first-of-its-kind strategic ecosystem, working with technology and health companies to deliver solutions that build accessible, affordable and effective care models.

General Catalyst announced its first strategic partnership in October 2021; today there are 13 health system partners with operations based in more than a half dozen states.

“MetroHealth’s innovative and courageous approach to equity proactive health care has delivered value to our patients, community, and our organization,” said MetroHealth President and CEO Akram Boutros, MD. “Our focus on innovation and partnership is based on a relentless pursuit of solutions to support our care for all.

“The General Catalyst team wants to accelerate the transformation of all health care through its Health Assurance Network,” he said. “As the only essential safety-net system in the network, I believe that working with the like-minded health systems, General Catalyst, and its partners will lead us to find solutions, create change and open the doors of opportunity.”

In July 2022, the venture capital firm launched the $670 million Health Assurance Fund II; it describes “health assurance” as an emerging category of health care that offers consumer-centric, data-driven, cloud-based services designed to help people stay healthy and reduce the need for “sick care.”

The partners will have access to the technology General Catalyst invests in and the ability to collaborate with each other and General Catalyst.

“The invitation by General Catalyst demonstrates that MetroHealth has achieved a national prominence for innovation and our partnership approach,” said Julie Jacono, MetroHealth’s Executive Vice President & Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer. “This opportunity places MetroHealth at the table with other like-minded innovators that seek to accelerate transformation in their systems and value for their organizations.

“In partnership with General Catalyst, we are excited to see what the future holds through this work and what it will mean for MetroHealth and those we serve,” she said.

The health system partners cover a wide array of communities, needs and specialties, ranging from rural and urban communities, academic and public systems, children’s and adult patient focus, large and small patient populations, and more.

“In order to make health assurance a reality, we are partnering with innovative and intentional health systems that share our desire to drive digital transformation and impactful change,” said Daryl Tol, General Catalyst’s head of health assurance ecosystem. “These partnerships open the door for radical collaboration: health systems have the opportunity to work with startups, scale existing products, and even collaborate on new technologies. In turn, health technology companies can innovate, design and test products on the ground. The responsibility to improve care for 10% of the population is not lost on us, and all parties are eager to tackle the challenges that lie ahead, tap each other’s strengths, and improve our health systems.”

Since 2020, MetroHealth has created several companies that seek to drive new models of care in partnership with trusted healthcare partners.  Lumina Imaging and Diagnostics, launched in 2020. targets a nationwide network of high-value, low-cost imaging services. SprySenior, launched in early 2022, is targeted at new models of care for those over 60 years of age.  Ovatient, announced in October, is a digital-first, in-home model of transformed care in partnership with the Medical University of South Carolina. 

About The MetroHealth System

Founded in 1837, MetroHealth is leading the way to a healthier you and a healthier community through service, teaching, discovery, and teamwork. Cuyahoga County’s public, safety-net hospital system, MetroHealth meets people where they are, providing care through five hospitals, four emergency departments and more than 20 health centers. Each day, our nearly 9,000 employees focus on providing our community with equitable healthcare — through patient-focused research, access to care, and support services — that seeks to eradicate health disparities rooted in systematic barriers. For more information, visit metrohealth.org.