ACCOMPLISHED COLLECTION OF EARLY STAGE HEALTHCARE COMPANIES INVITED TO WORK IN ARKANSAS WITH NINE HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — August 7, 2019 — HealthTech Arkansas, along with nine healthcare providers — Arkansas Heart Hospital, Arkansas Children’s Hospital, Arkansas Urology, Baptist Health, CHI St. Vincent, Conway Regional, Mercy, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS), and Washington Regional Medical Center — announced the six startup companies selected for the 2019 HealthTech Arkansas healthcare accelerator.
The announcement was held at the Arkansas Heart Hospital with a welcome from Dr. Bruce Murphy, followed by a message from Governor Asa Hutchinson and short presentations from each of the six companies in the cohort. Both Dr. Murphy and Governor Hutchinson focused on the importance of working together to bring innovative technologies to Arkansas.
The six companies were selected from hundreds of applicants across 18 different countries and are headquartered in innovation capitals like San Francisco, New York, Boston, San Diego, and Seattle. The strength of this cohort is evident in the fact that these companies already have 177 full-time employees and have raised over $90 million of external capital after forming the companies, a substantial increase over the companies selected for last year’s inaugural program.
“We are excited to reveal the new cohort and introduce them to Arkansas and the powerful teams available to them at all of our healthcare provider partners around the state,” said Jeff Stinson, director of HealthTech Arkansas. Stinson is also the executive director of the Fund for Arkansas' Future, which is the state's largest angel investment fund.
“The guaranteed pilot projects from nine hospitals from around the state is what truly sets our accelerator program apart from others in the country. This is what allowed Arkansas to attract such high-quality companies to the program,” said Stinson. At the kick-off reception, Stinson noted that he travels around the country to recruit companies and other accelerator leaders are in awe of the collaboration among the nine providers to support HealthTech Arkansas. “As a smaller state, it is easier for us to make connections and bring people together,” noted Stinson.
The six companies are:
Bardy Dx, Seattle, WA
A revolutionary device for diagnosing heart arrhythmia, the Carnation Ambulatory Monitor (CAM™) is a lightweight, extended-wear ECG patch monitor that delivers unparalleled comfort, convenience, and clarity.
Droice Labs, New York City, NY
Droice Labs is an AI company specializing in understanding real-world clinical data to help physicians provide better care to their patients. Droice Labs uses novel Natural Language Understanding (NLU) methods while working with some of the largest hospital systems, health insurance companies, life sciences companies, and government bodies across the United States and Europe.
Health Note, San Francisco, CA
Health Note is an AI platform helping to improve patient encounters by gathering pre-visit information and creating a doctor's note. Health Note saves physician and staff time by confirming information instead of exploring and documenting.
Medumo, Boston, MA
Medumo is an enterprise software application that helps hospitals deliver instructions to patients in a more intelligent way. This application takes existing instructions, breaks them up into more digestible pieces, and automatically delivers them to patients at critical moments via various modalities with links to interactive web pages.
OMNY Health, San Francisco, CA
OMNY has developed a data marketplace where healthcare providers can upload their non-PHI supply chain and billing data via APIs in real-time. Manufacturers subscribe to the marketplace and pay for the real-time data that they consume, this generating additional revenue streams for providers that supply the data.
toSense, San Diego, CA
toSense has developed CoVa™ 2, a low-cost, easy-to-use monitoring system featuring three primary components: Necklace (a body-worn sensor), Gateway, and Web-based System. The Necklace measures vital signs, complex hemodynamic parameters, and time-dependent physiological waveforms. It sends this information to several different Gateways, which receive and forward it to a Web-based System for clinical review.
The cohort will participate in a program that provides them the opportunity to pilot solutions specifically identified by Arkansas Heart Hospital, Arkansas Children’s, Arkansas Urology, Baptist Health, CHI St. Vincent, Conway Regional, Mercy, the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS), and Washington Regional Medical Center as areas of opportunity within their organizations, from heart health and cardiac care to medical devices and software platforms. Each company will receive seed investment as well as complete and total access to clinicians and administrators while executing their pilot projects.
HealthTech Arkansas is a second-year accelerator program focused exclusively on provider engagement with early stage companies. This year, with more provider partners and increased investment for participating companies, HealthTech Arkansas is increasingly focused on bringing the most innovative healthcare technologies to Arkansas. The Arkansas Economic Development Commission awarded a grant to HealthTech Arkansas through a program designed to increase acceleration activities in targeted industries in the state.
Healthcare is a growing industry for the state, comprising 16-percent of all Arkansas jobs with a 61-percent higher wage than the mean wage. In an effort to support this important economic contributor, HealthTech Arkansas and its partners will also be working with Arkansas-based healthcare companies in parallel with the six cohort companies.
From left to right: Dr. Matt Banet with toSense, Dr. Mitesh Rao with OMNY Health, Ken Nelson with Bardy Dx, Dr. Mayur Saxena with Droice Labs, Governor Asa Hutchinson, Director of HealthTech Arkansas Jeff Stinson, Dr. Adeel Yang with Medumo, and Dr. Josh Reischer with Health Note.
ABOUT ARKANSAS HEART HOSPITAL
Arkansas Heart Hospital is a nationally recognized and award-winning hospital dedicated to the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular disease and related diseases; also focusing on bariatrics, endocrinology and peripheral artery disease. Awarded a Five-Star Rating by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), based on seven criteria. Arkansas Heart is one of two Arkansas hospitals and one of 293 to receive this rating. Arkansas Heart offers advanced technology teamed with Arkansas’ leading cardiologists and cardiovascular surgeons. The hospital operates 30 clinics statewide, nine catheterization labs, three heart-operating suites and a 24-hour Heart Emergency Center. Arkansas Heart Hospital is a training center for physicians from all over the world.
ABOUT ARKANSAS CHILDREN’S
Arkansas Children's, Inc. is the only healthcare system in the state solely dedicated to caring for Arkansas' 710,000 children, giving the organization a unique ability to shape the landscape of pediatric care in Arkansas and transform the health of children throughout the region. The private, non-profit organization includes two pediatric hospitals, a pediatric research institute and USDA nutrition center, a philanthropic foundation, a nursery alliance, statewide clinics, and many education and outreach programs. Arkansas Children’s Hospital (ACH) is a 336-bed, Magnet-recognized facility in Little Rock operating the state’s only Level I pediatric trauma center; the state's only burn center; the state's only Level IV neonatal intensive care unit; the state's only pediatric intensive care unit; the state’s only pediatric surgery program with Level 1 verification from the American College of Surgeons; and the state's only nationally recognized pediatric transport program. Additionally, ACH is nationally ranked by U.S. News & World Report in four pediatric subspecialties (2018-19): Cardiology & Heart Surgery, Nephrology, Neurology & Neurosurgery, Orthopedics and Pulmonology. Arkansas Children’s Northwest (ACNW), the first and only pediatric hospital in the Northwest Arkansas region, opened in Springdale in early 2018. ACNW operates a 24-bed inpatient unit; a surgical unit with five operating rooms; outpatient clinics offering over 20 subspecialties; diagnostic services; imaging capabilities; occupational therapy services; and Northwest Arkansas' only pediatric emergency department, equipped with 30 exam rooms. Generous philanthropic and volunteer engagement has sustained Arkansas Children's since it began as an orphanage in 1912, and today ensures the system can fundamentally transform the health of children in Arkansas and beyond. To learn more, visit archildrens.org.
ABOUT ARKANSAS UROLOGY
Arkansas Urology provides the latest innovations in medical technology and surgical techniques to patients through its eight Centers of Excellence in urological specialties. The physicians and professional staff comprise one of the most experienced and respected urological practices in the region. Arkansas Urology treats approximately 90,000 patients a year at eleven facilities in Little Rock, North Little Rock, Benton, Clinton, Conway, El Dorado, Heber Springs, Pine Bluff, Stuttgart, Russellville and Bentonville along with its dedicated Arkansas Prostate Cancer Center and Centerview Surgery Center. Arkansas Urology is made up of 18 Physicians, 11 Advanced Practice Providers, and more than 250 clinical and business staff employees.
ABOUT BAPTIST HEALTH
Baptist Health is an Arkansas-based, locally owned and managed, not-for-profit, and faith-based health care organization. Baptist Health is also Arkansas’ most comprehensive health care organization with more than 200 access points and approximately 11,000 employees operating 11 hospitals. For more information about Baptist Health, visit baptist-health.com or call Baptist Health HealthLine at 1-888-BAPTIST.
ABOUT CHI ST. VINCENT
CHI St. Vincent is a regional health network serving Arkansas since 1888 with a history of many firsts. Headquartered in Little Rock, our network includes primary care, specialty clinics, urgent care, hospitals, home health, rehabilitation and surgery centers across the state. It is also part of CommonSpirit Health, a nonprofit, Catholic health system dedicated to advancing health for all people. CommonSpirit Health is committed to creating healthier communities, delivering exceptional patient care, and ensuring every person has access to quality health care. Learn more at chistvincent.com.
ABOUT CONWAY REGIONAL
Conway Regional Health System provides complete health care services to a seven county service area of North Central Arkansas including Cleburne, Conway, Faulkner, Perry, Pope, Van Buren, and Yell Counties. Centered on a 150-bed, acute care medical center, the health system provides patients with a variety of services including heart health, orthopedic care, neuro-spine surgery, vascular surgery, gastroenterology services, women’s health, surgery, and rehabilitation. In addition, Conway Regional operates an expansive Physician Enterprise, including 10 Primary Care Clinics and seven specialty clinics.
With over 200 Physicians providing services at Conway Regional, the organization partners with the Medical Staff in an Accountable Clinical Management Model (ACM). This one of a kind partnership creates a model of shared governance to promote meaningful engagement of physician leaders with hospital administrative leadership--all in an effort to improve patient experience and enhance care.
Conway Regional maintains an employee engagement score in the top 20% of hospitals throughout the country and a Medical Staff engagement score in the top 5%, as compared to hospitals of similar size and scope. Conway Regional was the first hospital in Arkansas to partner with Arkansas Children’s Hospital in the Nursery Alliance, allowing more babies to receive care closer to home. Conway Regional is the only Hospital in Arkansas named to Modern Healthcare’s National Best Places to Work in 2018, and then received the honor again in 2019. Conway Regional has been named an Arkansas Best Place to Work in 2017, 2018, and 2019.
ABOUT MERCY
Mercy, named one of the top five large U.S. health systems in 2018, 2017 and 2016 by IBM Watson Health, serves millions annually. Mercy includes more than 40 acute care, managed and specialty (heart, children’s, orthopedic and rehab) hospitals, 800 physician practices and outpatient facilities, 44,000 co-workers and 2,100 Mercy Clinic physicians in Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma. Mercy also has clinics, outpatient services and outreach ministries in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. In addition, Mercy's IT division, Mercy Technology Services, supply chain organization, ROi, and Mercy Virtual commercially serve providers and patients in more than 20 states coast to coast.
ABOUT UAMS
UAMS is the state’s only health sciences university, with colleges of Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Health Professions and Public Health; a graduate school; hospital; a main campus in Little Rock; a Northwest Arkansas regional campus in Fayetteville; a statewide network of regional campuses; and seven institutes: the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, Jackson T. Stephens Spine & Neurosciences Institute, Harvey & Bernice Jones Eye Institute, Psychiatric Research Institute, Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging, Translational Research Institute and Institute for Digital Health & Innovation. It is the only adult Level 1 trauma center in the state. UAMS has 2,727 students, 870 medical residents and five dental residents. It is the state’s largest public employer with more than 10,000 employees, including 1,200 physicians who provide care to patients at UAMS, its regional campuses, Arkansas Children’s Hospital, the VA Medical Center and Baptist Health. Visit www.uams.edu or www.uamshealth.com. Find us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube or Instagram.
ABOUT WASHINGTON REGIONAL
Washington Regional is the only not-for-profit, community-owned and locally governed healthcare system in Northwest Arkansas. Its comprehensive healthcare network employs over 3,000 people and consists of a 425-bed medical center and more than 40 clinic
locations. Washington Regional is committed to improving the health of people in communities it serves through compassionate, high-quality care, prevention, and wellness education. Visit wregional.com for more information.
ABOUT AEDC
Created in 1955 to make Arkansas more competitive in the post-World War II era, the Arkansas Economic Development Commission (AEDC) seeks to create economic opportunity by attracting higher-paying jobs, expanding and diversifying local economies in the state, increasing incomes and investment, and generating positive growth throughout The Natural State. Arkansas is a pro-business environment operating leaner, faster and more focused through a streamlined state government designed to act on corporate interests quickly and decisively.
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