Provider of In-home Digital System of Care Appoints President and Chief of Operations, Vice President of Product and Engineering
(Minneapolis, MN) — HealtheMed, an innovative healthcare solutions company that launched the nation’s first integrated in-home digital system of care for Medicaid waivered participants, recently welcomed two new executives to their leadership team.
Steve Pontius, a founder of Minute Clinic, is HealtheMed’s new President and Chief of Operations. Pontius’ vast leadership experience in the healthcare marketplace will accelerate HealtheMed’s plans to make care more widely available to those who otherwise face barriers to access.
“I am thrilled to join a team that is committed to filling the void and addressing gaps in care for
Minnesota’s most vulnerable population,” says Pontius.
Joining Pontius is Katherine Thorp, HealtheMed’s new Vice President of Product and Engineering. Katherine’s demonstrated success with information technology solutions within the healthcare industry will propel HealtheMed’s service offerings, ensuring that the platform will continue to support its clients with the best tools possible.
“We have reached a point in the growth of our company where bringing on talent the likes of Steve and Katherine is a testament to the impact we’re making,” says HealtheMed CEO and Co-Founder Tom Spencer. “We have demonstrated the ability to incentivize people to lead healthier lives, and focus on preventative care, because this system allows for the recognition of the home as the lowest cost center of care.”
“We’re pleased to welcome Steve Pontius and Katherine Thorp to the HealtheMed team,” said Austin Poole, HealtheMed’s Chairman of the Board and Partner at Panoramic Ventures, HealtheMed’s lead technology venture capital firm. “With their knowledge and experience, Steve and Katherine will make a real difference while also helping to bend the cost curve in one of the most expensive populations in healthcare.”
As an approved provider by the Minnesota Department of Human Services and in conjunction with each county, HealtheMed’s integrated technology and services delivery solution, called Clinic@HomeTM, is available at no cost to all Minnesota Medicaid waivered participants. The in-home system delivers a unique combination of technology that includes AI powering a built-in “hybrid” or assisted telemedicine model, with in-home high-touch nurse guidance. At the foundation is improved medication adherence through a protocol of med dispensing and real-time data of vital signs, collected via connected remote patient monitoring devices. Ongoing training also takes place in the convenience of clients’ home.
“Due to poor clinical, social, and financial social determinants of health, many Medicaid waivered participants are not served well in the traditional medical complex of clinics and hospitals” says Ron Mandelbaum, Executive Vice-President, and Co-Founder of HealtheMed. “Our digital care platform dramatically improves the likelihood that these vulnerable members of our society can remain independent in their homes and become more stable and even thrive, thereby avoiding unnecessary ER visits and facility admissions. This is not only good for the participants, but it also reduces the total cost of care for this population that has historically represented as much as a third of the State’s annual Medicaid spend.”
About HealtheMed
HealtheMed is a Minneapolis-based public benefit corporation dedicated to enriching the lives
of marginalized populations in the state of Minnesota. Its first-of-its kind Clinic@HomeTM care
delivery platform enables Minnesota Medicaid waivered clients to get better access to health
care and support in their own homes. Clinic@HomeTM enables county case managers and care
team members to stay better connected with their clients and effectively deliver more focused
and coordinated support. For more information on HealtheMed, visit www.healthemed.com.
