For Burnsville startup, finding the right board members key to launching product
Chief Executive Lisa Lavin is the only officer listed on the website of Anser Innovation, a startup company based in Burnsville, although a half-dozen additional members of its board are listed right with her.
It's not rare for a young company to recruit a board, in part because board members do not need to be paid in cash. What is not that common, though, is to have directors of the stature of former UnitedHealth Group executive Jeannine Rivet, a well-known figure in her industry.
As to why Rivet might want to join a tiny company just launching a product to help seniors take their medications, the most interesting take comes from Lavin: "Good leadership is compounding."
It's an interesting idea well worth considering — and for big companies, too. It means candidates find good leaders involved already, making it easier for someone like Rivet to decide to come aboard. Her involvement, in turn, can attract others.
Read the full article from the Star Tribune here.
Five new health and caregiving technologies November 2019
LeadingAge in San Diego and more. Entrepreneurs clearly see the opportunity for providing tech-enabled services to help care for older adults. Large events like Leading Age, Argentum, and sub-events within CES and HIMSS all point to the business potential that draws startups as well as new offerings from existing players – in what may become an increasingly crowded market. Here five recent announcements, two from the Startup Garage at Leading Age in San Diego -- adding three others from recent press releases. All information is drawn from the websites of the companies themselves.
Ōmcare (LeadingAge) "Ōmcare is far more than a pill sorting system with self-reported validation. With three issued patents and more pending, Ōmcare’s in-home remote dispensing and integrated care monitoring will drive a new way to measure adherence and set a new standard for care coordination that is simple, safe and easy to use. Ōmcare links remote dispensing with video confirmation such that every dispensing event is directly observed and confirmed. Caregivers know immediately if a dose is missed or incorrectly administered. Other smart pill dispensers and mobile compliance apps depend on self-reporting rather than direct observation. Ōmcare’s approach will change how the industry measures medication adherence." Learn more at Ōmcare.
Read the full article from Aging In Place Technology Watch here.
Ōmcare partners with Ecumen & Thrifty White Pharmacy
BURNSVILLE, Minn. (November 13, 2019)—Ōmcare, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Anser Innovation, announced today that it will partner with Ecumen, a leading provider of housing and care resources for older adults, and Thrifty White Pharmacy, a Midwest-based pharmacy chain of retail, long-term care and telepharmacy locations, to evaluate the ability of the Ōmcare Telemed System to improve medication adherence, reduce costs and assist caregivers.
According to Lisa Lavin, founder and CEO of Ōmcare, the pilot will launch in early 2020 at select Ecumen assisted living communities in Minnesota. As part of the pilot, residents who currently receive door-delivered medication assistance will instead receive medication assistance from their caregivers via the Ōmcare Telemed System. The two-way, interactive Ōmcare video and medication dispensing system will be preloaded with pouched multi-dose medications from Thrifty White Pharmacy, per each individual’s prescription drug regimen.
The Ōmcare Telemed System gives caregivers of all types—physicians, pharmacists, care providers, or family members—the ability to see and speak to those who need assistance with medication adherence and to confirm it's the right pill, right time, right person. The easy-to-use Ōmcare system is designed to facilitate remote monitoring via visual confirmation of a patient’s actions, which supports telehealth and virtual care services and gives family members greater peace of mind.
Read the full article from HomeCare here.
Ōmcare partners with Ecumen and Thrifty White Pharmacy
NEWS RELEASE
(For immediate release)
Ōmcare partners with Ecumen and Thrifty White Pharmacy to launch pilot program using Ōmcare® Telemed System to improve medication adherence for older adults
Ōmcare’s web-enabled, audiovisual medication dispensing telemedicine system ensures right medication, right person, right time
BURNSVILLE, MN (October 31, 2019) – Ōmcare, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Anser Innovation, announced today that it will partner with Ecumen, a leading provider of housing and care resources for older adults, and Thrifty White Pharmacy, a Midwest-based pharmacy chain of retail, long-term care, and telepharmacy locations, to evaluate the ability of the Ōmcare® Telemed System to improve medication adherence, reduce costs, and assist caregivers.
According to Lisa Lavin, founder and CEO of Ōmcare, the pilot will launch in early 2020 at select Ecumen assisted living communities in Minnesota. As part of the pilot, residents who currently receive door-delivered medication assistance will instead receive medication assistance from their caregivers via the Ōmcare Telemed System. The two-way, interactive Ōmcare video and medication dispensing system will be preloaded with pouched multi-dose medications from Thrifty White Pharmacy, per each individual’s prescription drug regimen.
The Ōmcare Telemed System gives caregivers of all types – physicians, pharmacists, care providers or family members – the ability to see and speak to those who need assistance with medication adherence and to confirm right pill, right time, right person. The easy-to-use Ōmcare system is designed to facilitate remote monitoring via visual confirmation of a patient’s actions, which supports telehealth and virtual care services and gives family members greater peace of mind.
“Ecumen and Thrifty White are ideal partners for this pilot because they share our passion for innovation and they have the infrastructure and expertise to test and validate the ability of the Ōmcare system to deliver on our promise of right pill, right time, right person,” said Lisa Lavin, founder and CEO of Ōmcare. “By combining remote care via video technology with the convenience of multi-dose packaging, we hope to demonstrate that this approach can save money while improving patient outcomes and the caregiving experience.”
Multi-dose packaging for pharmaceuticals is expected to grow at a rate of 5.9% between now and 2023. This growth is due in large part to the connection between the use of multi-dose packaging and improved medication adherence, which ultimately influences clinical outcomes and health care costs.
"We've been actively working to identify the best innovations in technology to support the independence and individual needs of those we serve," said Brett Anderson, vice president of health and clinical services, Ecumen. "Specific to medication administration, multi-dose packaging is both efficient and secure. We're excited to move towards a pilot in partnership with Thrifty White Pharmacy and Ōmcare to test this interactive technology."
Like Ōmcare and Ecumen, Thrifty White Pharmacy is also well-known for its innovation and commitment to integrating telemedicine capabilities into pharmacy delivery. In 2003, the company opened its first telepharmacy site. This concept allows a trained, certified and experienced pharmacy technician to fill and dispense prescription medications that have been verified by a pharmacist over an audio-video link. The success of this solution allowed Thrifty White Pharmacy to provide pharmacy services into communities that otherwise would have no prescription services.
“Our partnership with Ōmcare and Ecumen will allow us to help patients maintain independence as long as possible, while supporting the concept of aging in place in a way that has never been done,” said Tim Weippert, chief operating officer, Thrifty White. “Because medication adherence is one of the primary needs of our aging population, technology like the Ōmcare system can promote healthy outcomes and quality of life for patients and caregivers.”
To learn more about the pilot or the commercial availability of the Ōmcare Telemed System, visit. www.omcare.com.
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For more information:
Barbara Tabor, APR
(651) 450-1342
About Ōmcare
Ōmcare is a health technology company focused on extending the reach of caregivers, increasing medication adherence, and improving treatment outcomes by harnessing the power of remote care and two-way video technology. By partnering with pharmacies, payers, providers, and family caregivers, Ōmcare strives to help people live healthier, more vibrant, independent lives. Learn more at www.omcare.com. Follow on Twitter (@Omcare_Health) and on LinkedIn.
About Ecumen
Founded in 1862 and based in Shoreview, MN, Ecumen is one of the nation's largest nonprofit providers of older adult care, operating nearly 100 properties and services in more than 40 communities in 8 states - Minnesota, North Dakota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Idaho, Ohio, Indiana and Tennessee. In addition to providing a breadth of senior housing options and care resources, Ecumen provides consulting services in management, marketing and development, and has developed innovative cooperative living communities that support age-friendly living. The company's national reputation for innovative programming and its commitment to person-centered care that focuses on individual needs helps people to live in the ways that matter most to them.
About Thrifty White
Headquartered in Plymouth, MN, Thrifty White is a regional chain of 100 pharmacies and 82 associated Independent Retailers operating in the upper Midwest, with locations in Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, Montana, and Wisconsin. Thrifty White is one of the nation’s one hundred largest Employee Stock Ownership companies with 100% employee ownership. This unique ownership structure allows Thrifty White to focus on the long-term strength and growth of the company. Thrifty White was named the 2016 national “Pharmacy Innovator of the Year” by Drug Store News for the company’s efforts to continually move the practice of pharmacy forward. The company is one of the nation’s leaders in developing a Medication Synchronization program which allows patients to have all of their maintenance prescriptions filled on one day each month. This service dramatically improves medication adherence and lowers overall medical costs.
Ōmcare to preview new Telemed System at Leading Age Expo
Burnsville, MN (October 9, 2019) – Ōmcare announced today that it will provide previews of its soon-to-be-released Ōmcare Telemed System at the upcoming Leading Age Annual Meeting + Expo, October 27-30 in San Diego. Ōmcare will offer a first look into its web-enabled, audiovisual, medication-dispensing telemedicine system designed for caregivers in the Leading Age Start-Up Garage at booth A3435, a section of the exhibit dedicated to promising early and late-stage start-ups.
The secure, interactive Ōmcare Telemed System gives caregivers of all types – from physicians, pharmacists, and home care providers or family members – the ability to see and speak to elderly or disabled dependents and to visually confirm compliance with medication treatment plans from anywhere. Once pre-loaded with pouched, multi-dose medications based on an individual patient’s prescription schedule, the Ōmcare system dispenses medications as scheduled and facilitates remote visual confirmation of a patient’s actions. In essence, Ōmcare is a conduit for telehealth and virtual care services and ultimately provides family members greater peace of mind.
According to Lisa Lavin, the two-way video capabilities of the Ōmcare system can be used by individual caregivers or senior living facilities to ensure proper medication adherence which can significantly impact quality of life and clinical outcomes.
“Sticking to a medication plan can be difficult if our health and mental capacity is compromised. This aspect of caregiving is not only stressful, but it can have significant negative side effects if not done properly,” said Lisa Lavin, founder and CEO of Ōmcare. “The Ōmcare Telemed System fosters care from anywhere and creates a connection between patients, family caregivers, and medical care teams and promises visual confirmation of medication adherence. This level of care and collaboration has been shown to improve outcomes and reduce costs for patients, while creating a more positive experience for all.”
According to Lavin, the company will begin piloting the Ōmcare Telemed System with pharmacy and assisted living partners starting in first quarter 2020 and anticipates direct-to-consumer sales to begin next year, as well.
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For more information:
Barbara Tabor, APR / (651) 230-9192 / barbara@taborpr.com
About Ōmcare
Ōmcare is a health technology company focused on extending the reach of caregivers, increasing medication adherence, and improving treatment outcomes by harnessing the power of remote care and two-way video technology. By partnering with pharmacies, payers, providers, and family caregivers, Ōmcare strives to help people live healthier, more vibrant, independent lives. Learn more at www.omcare.com. Follow on Twitter (@Omcare_Health) and on LinkedIn.
Jeannine Rivet named to Anser Innovation Board of Directors in preparation for Ōmcare launch
BURNSVILLE, MN (SEPTEMBER 19, 2019) – Anser Innovation and Ōmcare announced today that Jeannine Rivet has joined its Board of Directors. Rivet is a recognized leader in health care, serving top executive roles at UnitedHealth Group and currently serving as an active board member, corporate advisor, mentor, and coach.
Ōmcare, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Anser Innovation, is a Minnesota-based health technology company that aims to extend the reach of caregivers and improve medication adherence and outcomes through its Ōmcare Telemed System, which gives caregivers of all types – from physicians and pharmacists to home care providers or family members – the ability to see and speak to elderly or disabled dependents and confirm compliance with medication treatment plans from anywhere. The easy-to-use Ōmcare system is designed to facilitate remote monitoring and interaction via visual confirmation of a patient’s actions, which supports telehealth and virtual care services, and gives family members greater peace of mind.
According to Lisa Lavin, founder and CEO of Ōmcare, the company recently earned its third patent from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (U.S. Patent No. 10,347,377) for the company’s web-enabled, audiovisual, medication-dispensing telemedicine system for the home.
“Our society is aging, and the number of seniors who need health care assistance is rapidly outpacing the population of potential caregivers. At the same time, the cost of non-adherence to medication plans exceeds $300 billion,” said Lavin. “Jeannine has a unique perspective as both a former clinician and managed care executive that is essential to helping us change this dynamic and achieve our mission of enabling care from anywhere.”
Rivet served as executive vice president of UnitedHealth Group, working with and on behalf of all business segments in areas focused on strategic relationships, clinician advancement, culture, and social responsibility. Previous roles at UnitedHealth Group include CEO of UnitedHealthcare, CEO of Ingenix, and CEO of Optum. Rivet currently serves on the Board of Directors for ABIOMED, Inc. and Solutran.
Rivet received a Master’s in Public Health from Boston University. She also holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Boston College and practiced as a Registered Nurse for several years prior to entering the managed care industry. She has been recognized by the American Association of Health Plans, Boston University School of Public Health, Fortune magazine, Girl Scouts of Minnesota and Wisconsin River Valleys, Minneapolis St. Paul Business Journal, Minnesota’s City Business, Minnesota Women’s Health Leadership TRUST, Twin Cities Business magazine, Women Business Leaders in Healthcare, Linkage, and the American Association of Colleges of Nursing. She also is a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing.
“I am excited to join the Anser Innovation Board of Directors and to be engaged for the launch of Ōmcare,” said Rivet. “Extending the reach of caregivers while maintaining quality and reducing cost is critical for our healthcare system today, and technology like the Ōmcare system will support this aim.”
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For more information:
Barbara Tabor, APR / (651) 450-1342 / barbara@taborpr.com
About Ōmcare
Ōmcare is a health technology company aspiring to extend the reach of the caregiver, increase medication adherence, and to improve treatment outcomes by harnessing the power of remote care. We aim to achieve this through our proprietary interactive technologies - promising right pill, right time, right person. By partnering with pharmacies, payers, providers, and family caregivers, our vision is to help people live healthier, more vibrant, independent lives.
Ōmcare secures 3rd patent for remote audiovisual medication dispenser
BURNSVILLE, MN (July 31, 2019) — Ōmcare, LLC announced today that the United States Patent and Trademark Office has issued Ōmcare’s third patent (U.S. Patent No. 10,347,377) for the company’s web-enabled, audiovisual, medication-dispensing telemedicine system for the home.
The Ōmcare Telemed System gives caregivers of all types – from physicians, pharmacists, and home care providers or family members – the ability to see and speak to elderly or disabled dependents and to confirm compliance with medication treatment plans from anywhere. The easy-to-use Ōmcare system is designed to facilitate remote monitoring via visual confirmation of a patient’s actions, which supports telehealth and virtual care services and gives family members greater peace of mind.
The addition of this patent will allow Ōmcare to bring products to market that meet the growing demand for remote monitoring technology that supports the long-term goals of improving patient outcomes, medication adherence, and quality of life.
“Our mission is to give caregivers of all types – from physicians, pharmacists, home care providers, and families – the ability to see, speak to, and confirm that patients and loved ones are following their care plans,” said Lisa Lavin, founder and CEO of Ōmcare. “Ōmcare extends the reach of caregivers into the home and promises real medication adherence.”
Lavin, a serial entrepreneur and technology innovator, created Ōmcare after realizing the potential for marrying advances in two-way, remote communications technology with the growing need and consumer demand for in-home care and aging in place. This is the fourth patent for Lavin, who holds three related patents for audiovisual and dispensary capabilities.
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For more information: Barbara Tabor, APR / (651) 230-9192 / barbara@taborpr.com
About Ōmcare Ōmcare is a health technology company focused on extending the reach of caregivers, increasing medication adherence, and improving treatment outcomes by harnessing the power of remote care and two-way video technology. By partnering with pharmacies, payers, providers, and family caregivers, Ōmcare strives to help people live healthier, more vibrant, independent lives. Learn more at www.omcare.com. Follow on Twitter (@Omcare_Health) and on LinkedIn.
Healthcare innovation startups: most successful companies of the last 10 years
Today, the healthcare startup scene is booming. With 2018 projected to be the biggest year for investing for the healthcare industry, the future appears promising as more and more groundbreaking companies emerge into the field with bold strategies for solving problems.
However, the healthcare startup landscape wouldn’t be so prosperous without the prominent startups that emerged from the earlier days and succeeded. As the list of startups continues to grow, here are seven of the most successful healthcare startups of the last 10 years.
AbbVie
Headquartered in North Chicago, this biopharmaceutical company was founded in 2013 by Richard Gonzales. Abbvie, which originated as a spin-off of Abbott Laboratories combines advanced science, expertise, and passion to solve serious health issues, which has had a huge impact on people’s lives all around the world. AbbVie currently has ~29,000 employees in over 175 countries and made $28.2 billion in revenue.
Privia Health
A physician practice management and population health technology company, Privia Health works towards keeping people healthy, preventing disease, and improving care coordination both in and outside of the doctor’s office. The private company incorporates key partnerships with employers, health systems and technology, team based-care, and a unique wellness programs to help them on their mission.
Adaptive Biotechnologies
A pioneer and leader in combining high-throughput sequencing and bioinformatics to profile T-cell and B-cell receptors, Adaptive Biotechnologies definitely belongs on this list due to their influence and work within the healthcare sphere. Their immunosequencing platform drives groundbreaking research in cancer and other immune-mediated diseases, which they hope to use to improve patient care and clinical diagnostics.
WeDoctor
Dubbed the “Amazon of healthcare,” WeDoctor is the one of the world’s leading medical health technology platforms. Based in China and founded in 2010 by Jerry Liao Jieyuan, WeDoctor works towards addressing the problem of China’s underfunded and overstretched hospitals. Currently WeDoctor has more than 150 million registered users in China for their online appointment booking, prescription, and diagnostic services. The privately held company is valued at $5.5 billion.
Moderna Therapeutics
Moderna Therapeutics works towards creating MRNA medicines for a wide range of diseases and conditions. Based in Cambridge, MA, the company uses mRNA medicines which allows them to take advantage of normal biological processes to create a desired therapeutic effect. Because of this, they can treat a broad spectrum of diseases, some of which do not have current therapies. Moderna Therapeutics was valued as high as $5B in 2017 by some analysts.
Reata Pharmaceuticals
Reata Pharmaceuticals is biopharmaceutical company that develops drugs for cancer, inflammation, and neurodegenerative diseases. Reata’s mission is to identify, develop, and commercialize novel therapeutics to address serious and life-threatening diseases with few or no approved therapies by targeting molecular pathways that regulate cellular metabolism and inflammation. Reata’s lead product candidates, bardoxolone methyl and omaveloxolone, are Nrf2 activators, which are a transcription factor for restoring mitochondrial function, reducing oxidative stress, and resolving inflammation.
Vezeeta
Vezeeta.com is the leading digital healthcare booking platform and practice management software in MENA that works towards helping the shift towards automated physician, clinic, and hospital bookings to make healthcare more accessible in the region. With over 200,000 verified reviews, patients are able to search, compare, and book the best doctors for them through Vezeeta.
Ōmcare
Our mission isn’t to capitalize on the booming healthcare market, but to push the industry’s success even further with our technology and forward-thinking philosophy. With the Ōmcare Telemed System, we are looking to tackle the problem of medication non-adherence. Of all prescriptions that are filled, 50% are taken incorrectly by the patient. Furthermore, there are 125,000 deaths each year and over $300 billion lost in healthcare costs annually.
At Ōmcare, we are driven to extend the reach of caregivers while enabling face-to-face care from anywhere. Through our technology and innovation, we are actively working towards decreasing the cost of care and empowering patients of all types. We can do what no one else has done before: deliver real medication adherence. We partner with pharmacies, payers, providers, and family caregivers to help people live a healthy, indiependent, and vibrant life no matter their situation.
To stay up to date on the latest news from us, as well as the release of our Telemed System, subscribe to our email.
Startups that are disrupting Healthcare in 2019 (5 companies to watch)
It’s no secret that the healthcare industry has become a formidable presence in the startup arena, garnering hundreds of millions of dollars in investing this year. In fact, according to a Forbes article, all signs point to 2018 being a record breaking year for healthcare VC investing.
Because of this hyperactive market, there has been an increase in the amount of healthcare startups looking to capitalize on this interest from investors. This means that it’s getting harder to separate the contenders from the pretenders when it comes to these new companies. To help identify the cream of the crop, here is the definitive list of the top five healthcare startups to keep an eye on in 2019.
Virta
Virta is doing great work in helping those with diabetes, and they’ll continue to do more great things in 2019. Virta Health has delivered the first clinically-proven treatment to safely and sustainably reverse type 2 diabetes without the use medications or surgery. In there first year of treatments, 60% of their patients achieved diabetes reversal, 94% of insulin users reduced or eliminated their usage, and 83% of patients remained active in the trial. This is one healthcare startup we’ll for sure keep our eye on in the coming year.
Ōmcare
Ōmcare is an innovative healthy technology company and startup that address medication non-adherence through the use of their Ōmcare Telemed System. The product, which features video chat interface, 3-way calling capabilities, medication dispensing and consumption assistance, and adherence confirmation will be available mid-2019. The Ōmcare Telemed System offers caregivers of all types – physicians, pharmacists. and family – the ability to see, speak to, and confirm appropriate medication from anywhere. Ōmcare also addresses the growing twin problems of social isolation and the shortage of paid and unpaid caregivers in the senior market. The real costs of medication non-adherence and loneliness are more than just dollars and cents, and Ōmcare understands that.
Helix
Helix is a startup that is working towards “democratizing DNA” with their genetic testing marketplace. What makes Helix an exciting company to pay close attention to is their business model. They differentiate themselves from other genomics testing companies like 23andMe by requesting a single one time donation that allows their customers access to their marketplace of testing options. Everyone has a right to know about their ancestral history, and Helix is making it accessible to all.
PEAR Therapeutics
PEAR is actually the first company to receive an FDA clearance for a prescription digital therapeutic that works towards improving clinical outcomes in a disease. PEAR uses software applications that have been clinically-validated with pharmaceutical and treatment paradigms to provide results for their patients, which includes those with diabetes, obesity, Alzheimer’s, asthma, ADHD, depression, anxiety, and more.
Sensely
Sensely is a digital health company that uses an avatar-based, empathy-driven application that helps clinicians and their patients keep track and manage their health. The platform, highlighted by the virtual assistant “Molly,” includes data integration, images and videos, text to speech capabilities, and speech recognition. Sensely provides access to high quality medicine by utilizing artificial intelligence, a trend we’ll likely see continue in the healthcare startup sector.
Why Investing in Healthcare is Smart
More-so than any other industry, healthcare is an essential part of our everyday lives. Not just certain people, but everyone is affected by healthcare technology. Startups in this industry are working diligently to change the world by weaving new technology, drug and genetic advances, analytics and AI into solutions that impact our health, quality of life, and wallet.
While there have been many groundbreaking achievements in healthcare over the years, there is still so much opportunity to produce better, faster, and more efficient diagnoses, treatments, and management. Not only are there large returns to be had for investing in these companies, but you’ll lend a hand in the next big healthcare breakthrough.
Anser Innovation seeks funds to develop medication management device
The company behind PetChatz, a device which connects pet owners to their fur babies while they’re away from home, has a new healthcare product in the pipeline. Anser Innovation is nearly halfway toward a fundraising target to finish developing its latest creation, Ōmcare, according to a recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
Burnsville-based Anser wants to raise $1.7 million more toward a goal of $3 million, the filing indicates. The new product, Ōmcare, is a home eHealth hub and audiovisual medication management system meant to ensure people take the right pills at the right time.
Read the full article from Twin Cities Business here.