A Marriage Of High Tech And High Touch!

For this week, I thought I would provide some insight and background on the recent changes at Healthways.

On July 27, 2016, Healthways sold its Total Population Health Services and Emerging Markets business to Sharecare, founded in 2010 by internet entrepreneur, Jeff Arnold and Dr. Mehmet Oz, renowned cardiac surgeon and TV personality.

In his recent blog post, CEO and Chairman of Sharecare, Jeff Arnold stated:

Jeff Arnold, CEO and Chairman of Sharecare

“By combining their (Healthways) expertise with ours in digital engagement and innovation, we have the perfect marriage of high tech and high touch. This is an opportunity to work with Healthways incredible roster of customers, and integrate new technology to help them have an even more positive impact on the health and wellness of their populations.”

Both organizations share the same goal within the Total Population Health Services and Emerging Markets business –to provide focused health resources that not only meet a patient’s unique needs but increase personal engagement in the goal of living their healthiest life.

I believe that the merging of Sharecare’s digital engagement expertise with Healthways longstanding population health capabilities offers both employers and health plans one of our industry’s most comprehensive, innovative and clinically-rich health and wellness platforms. It will both lower costs and improve health outcomes for clients nationwide.

With both organizations solely focused on the consumer and their healthcare outcomes, this is a marriage made in heaven.

This marriage of technology and human connectivity stands to enact transformational change to the health and wellness ecosystem.

There have been several industries in the past 10 years that have been disrupted by companies like Facebook, Snapchat, Uber, or Amazon. The desire of Sharecare is to disrupt how we interact and connect with our unique, personal health and wellness experience. We, as consumers, will have access to all our well-being data in one place: our smartphone – using innovative digital products that have been proven to increase health and wellness engagement – thereby helping us to live our healthiest lives. 

The goal is to “meet the consumer where they stand” – on your time when you are ready. Remember – health is measured by more than just physical well-being; it is impacted by your experiences within the five key essential elements of well-being:  purpose, social, financial, community, and physical.  

I am excited and thrilled to begin this journey as one company and see how we as a team will transform the face of healthcare.  Be well today, take time for yourself, and find one person you do not know and give them a smile or hug.