Sharecare, an online health and wellness engagement platform, today announced at the JP Morgan Healthcare Conference a strategic collaboration with HCA to accelerate innovation through the creation of new patient engagement solutions. HCA also made a financial investment in Sharecare during 2014, and the companies are exploring opportunities to create a joint innovation lab. Financial terms of the investment were not disclosed.
Sharecare and HCA first began working together in December 2013, for the launch of Sharecare’s consumer-facing mobile health app, AskMD. HCA is the exclusive health system sponsor for the award-winning app and piloted Sharecare’s patient acquisition capabilities across several key markets, which will be expanded to a system-wide offering in 2015. Sharecare also created and launched a custom workplace wellness platform to support a pilot in one of HCA’s Divisions.
“We recognize the importance of meaningful digital relationships with our patients,” said Sam Hazen, HCA’s President of Operations. “Sharecare is a leading innovator with a proven record of quickly building and commercializing digital and mobile solutions that help people manage their health. We see HCA’s collaboration with Sharecare as another strong asset in our quest to promote quality healthcare services and a more satisfying experience for our patients.”
“Few hospital systems can match HCA’s commitment to excellence in care delivery, and we are excited about working together to develop innovative technologies to help their physicians and patients stay connected from the exam room to the living room,” said Jeff Arnold, Chairman and CEO of Sharecare. “All aspects of our partnership with HCA will greatly advance our complementary visions to empower every individual with access to care that is comprehensive, personalized and preventive at anytime, anywhere.”
In connection with the investment, A. Bruce Moore, Jr., HCA’s President of Service Line and Operations Integration, has joined Sharecare’s board of directors.
Nearly 40 million people have shared more than 5 billion data points about their health status and habits with Sharecare, which uses that information to create a comprehensive health profile allowing users to access all of their health resources in one place and dynamically connect to the knowledge, evidence-based programs and health professionals they need.
