New York and Milwaukee – Tuesday, June 23, 2015 – Aurora Health Care, one of the nation's leading not-for-profit health care systems, today announced that it is taking a lead investor role in StartUp Health, a global health innovation company with more than 100 digital health portfolio companies, to help accelerate the review and adoption of innovations aimed at transforming the delivery of care. The collaboration will bring together Aurora's integrated health care system of world-class hospitals, clinics, home care, pharmacies and physicians with StartUp Health's broad network of healthcare entrepreneurs and their extensive portfolio of innovations.
"The Aurora and StartUp Health collaboration is significant because together we can quickly identify the next generation of solutions for the people we serve," said Nick Turkal, MD, Aurora's chief executive officer. "We're living in an age where every aspect of our lives is being reinvented by technology; the opportunity now is to streamline how the most effective innovations can be applied to improve the health and wellness of our patients. With StartUp Health we can do this more quickly and efficiently."
As a key investor in StartUp Health, Aurora will be afforded early access to proposed innovations and will be able to work side-by-side with entrepreneurs to implement solutions in Aurora's provider and patient communities. The new collaboration will also provide Aurora with first-look opportunities to invest in, pilot and implement innovations from StartUp Health companies around the globe.
"At Aurora, our purpose is to help people live well. Our new investment in StartUp Health will help us to continue to fulfill that purpose by delivering the very best patient care in an efficient, cost-effective manner," said Rick Klein, executive vice president of Aurora's enterprise business group. "We are excited to work with StartUp Health as they help us identify the next generation of solutions for our patients."
Steven Krein, co-founder and CEO of StartUp Health said, "We have a synced vision with Aurora – we're in the most exciting time in history in healthcare and together we have the ability to leap forward in our approach to discovering, cultivating and delivering the best health and wellness solutions. Aurora's spirit is the same as so many entrepreneurs passionately working on transforming healthcare."
"This is a meaningful collaboration with Aurora that we believe will not only transform the pace of how innovation makes its way to patients and doctors, but we hope will serve as a roadmap for other leaders throughout the industry," said Unity Stoakes, co-founder and president of StartUp Health. "Virtually every aspect of healthcare is being re-imagined and there's no better way to speed up the cycles of innovation than to collaborate to provide entrepreneurs and innovators with ongoing support, expertise and resources to grow their business. Aurora is the perfect entity to do this with."
Aurora Health Care will immediately begin reviewing innovations proposed through the StartUp Health platform for possible adoption. Health and wellness technology startups from around the world may apply to StartUp Health at startuphealth.com/apply. Applications are reviewed every 30 days.
About Aurora Health Care:
Aurora Health Care is a not-for-profit Wisconsin-area health care provider and a national leader in efforts to improve health care quality. Aurora offers services at sites in more than 90 communities throughout eastern Wisconsin and northern Illinois. Aurora is Wisconsin's most comprehensive health care provider and the state's largest private employer. Aurora serves more than 1.2 million patients every year via a comprehensive network of facilities, services and providers, including 15 hospitals, 159 clinics, 70 pharmacies and 30,000 amazing caregivers. As evidenced by more than 400 active clinical trials, Aurora is dedicated to delivering innovations to provide the best possible care today, and to define the best care for tomorrow. Get helpful health and wellness information via the Aurora MyHealth blog, our Facebook page, our Twitter account and our Pinterest account.
About StartUp Health
StartUp Health is a global health innovation company. The StartUp Health Platform, including its Academy, Network and Innovation Fund, is empowering a global network of entrepreneurs and innovators to transform healthcare. StartUp Health has the world's largest portfolio of digital health companies from 10 countries and 50 cities. StartUp Health was founded in 2011 by Steven Krein and Unity Stoakes and is chaired by former Time Warner CEO, Jerry Levin. StartUp Health's notable strategic partners and investors include AARP, AON, Aurora Health Care, California Healthcare Foundation, Steve Case, Cleveland Clinic, Conifer Health Solutions, Mark Cuban, Esther Dyson, Roger Ehrenberg, Brad Feld, GE Ventures, Kaiser Permanente Ventures, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, SeventySix Capital and Stericycle. Learn more at startuphealth.com.
Contacts:
Michelle Peters
Sloane PR
mpeters@sloanepr.com
212-446-1889
Tami Kou
Aurora Health Care
tami.kou@aurora.org
414.299.1860