As the daily death toll in the United States continues to climb and hospitals nationwide near or exceed capacity, all eyes are on Pfizer and Moderna as questions loom surrounding vaccine distribution plans for the spring. San Francisco-based healthtech platform Elation Health has a plan to help.
“We are currently working hand-in-hand with our network of practices to determine how best to help them manage a swift and streamlined vaccine distribution process for their patients. Each state has a unique roll-out plan, and primary care is a big part of those programs,” Kyna Fong, CEO of Elation Health, said in an email to Built In.
Elation’s platform intends to help its providers identify patients who qualify for high-priority cohorts. The platform will also be used to help those same providers track doses, according to Fong.
“Not only are these local practices a critical part of the logistical chain, especially outside of urban centers and in underserved communities, their trusted relationships with patients will be crucial in helping people feel confident and safe in receiving these life-saving immunizations,” Fong continued.
The healthtech company announced Thursday that it raised $40 million in a Series C to support these efforts and to further the startup’s mission of improving the healthcare industry for independent primary care physicians and their patients. The round was led by Generation Investment Management.
In the year ahead, the company will continue to invest in its core platform and “significantly” expand the size of its team, according to Fong. The company also plans to develop additional solutions for billing and payment collection, patient population management and more.
“Healthcare is changing rapidly. COVID-19 has accelerated significant shifts in how care is delivered, and we know a ‘new normal’ is ahead,” Fong said in a statement. “Primary care in particular is being asked to evolve — toward being proactive, longitudinal, team-based.”
In 2010, Fong and her brother joined forces to help their father transition his solo primary care practice from paper charts to a digital system. They ultimately left their careers in academia and consulting behind to create technology that would make their father’s life much easier. The two of them co-founded Elation Health in 2014.
Elation’s electronic health record (EHR) system guides physician-led organizations and primary care providers through the full patient engagement lifecycle. The system provides physicians with a space to schedule virtual or in-person appointments, view health records, automatically share care plans and more.
Primary care providers can also leverage Elation’s API to build their own applications for patients and care team members. Beyond that, the company offers providers revenue cycle services and access to interoperability partners.
“I know it’s still not easy. In my dad’s practice today, he needs to creatively manage his supply of PPE; he needs to safely bring his medical assistant back into the clinic and he needs help preparing to be part of one of the world’s largest vaccination efforts next year,” Fong said in a statement. “We can’t help with everything, but we are going to be building technology for his practice and yours that will make 2021 a lot easier than 2020.”
Elation Health works with 14,000 independent clinicians to care for nearly seven million patients across the country, according to the company.
Existing investors Threshold Ventures and Kapor Capital participated in the round.
