Health First Joins National Coalition To Build First-of-its-Kind Strategic ‘Digital Health Ecosystem’

Health First part of dynamic group, will serve as first-of-its-kind strategic ecosystem

Health First’s Chief Strategy Officer Drew Rector: “This partnership will enable the collegial sharing of consumer-oriented digital tools and capabilities that will allow us all to create stronger, healthier communities.”

BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA – Health First announced this week it has joined San Francisco-based venture capital firm General Catalyst and a coalition of 15 national healthcare organizations as part of an endeavor to help build a ‘digital health ecosystem.’

Health First is part of a dynamic group that will serve as a first-of-its-kind strategic ecosystem, working with various technology and health companies to deliver solutions that build accessible, affordable and effective care models for diverse communities, including approximately 10% of the current U.S. population.

General Catalyst will serve as a think tank for Health First and the partner healthcare organizations, providing access to companies within its expansive digital health portfolio. As each organization works directly with General Catalyst, the 15 systems will create an ecosystem and learn from each other.

“In order to make health assurance a reality, we are partnering with innovative and intentional health systems that share our desire to drive digital transformation and impactful change,” said Daryl Tol, General Catalyst’s head of health assurance ecosystem.

“These partnerships open the door for radical collaboration: health systems have the opportunity to work with startups, scale existing products, and even collaborate on new technologies. In turn, health technology companies can innovate, design and test products on the ground. The responsibility to improve care for 10% of the population is not lost on us, and all parties are eager to tackle the challenges that lie ahead, tap each other’s strengths, and improve our health systems.”

“Health First is excited to partner with General Catalyst, along with some of the most recognizable names in healthcare across the United States. Our most important mission and focus is on continually improving the wellness of the customers we serve, and this partnership will enable the collegial sharing of consumer-oriented digital tools and capabilities that will allow us all to create stronger, healthier communities,” said Drew Rector, Health First EVP and Chief Strategy Officer.

General Catalyst announced its first strategic partnership with HCA Healthcare in August 2021, and continues to further its mission through its Health Assurance strategy.

In addition to the five founding partners (Nashville-based HCA, Jefferson Health-Philadelphia, Salt Lake City-based Intermountain Health, WellSpan Health in York, Pennsylvania, and London-based Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust)

Health First joins nine additional healthcare partners, including:

■ Banner Health
■ Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
■ Hackensack Meridian Health
■ MetroHealth
■ OhioHealth
■ The Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC)
■ UC Davis Health
■ UCI Health
■ Universal Health Services (UHS)

This group covers a wide array of communities, needs and specialties, ranging from rural and urban communities, academic and public systems, children’s and adult patient focuses, large and small patient populations, and more.

The collaboration will also enable General Catalyst, the health systems and health assurance partners to understand the range of health needs for each individual community and then apply those learnings to other health systems throughout the U.S. The health systems will also have opportunities to collaborate together, share lessons and work to solve both their own and the industry’s biggest challenges.

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