Zipnosis, a startup that provides virtual care platforms, has raised $17 million in its Series A financing round to speed product development.

Zipnosis describes its offering as a platform that empowers health systems to launch proprietary branded virtual care service lines staffed with their own clinicians. The goal is to maximize the clinician's time and ensure clinically appropriate patient outcomes.

As such, Zipnosis guides health systems through clinical, marketing, compliance and operations workflows, the company said. The white-labeled software integrates with a health system's electronic medical record and patient portal, and allows health systems to serve both existing and new patients.

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The asynchronous platform mimics an in-person interaction between clinician and patient, company executives said, thus gathering the necessary information for diagnosis and providing clinicians with treatment options.

Zipnosis currently works with 17 health systems including Fairview Health Services, University of Alabama-Birmingham, Group Health and John Muir Health.

"Our platform is designed to enable health systems to expand access to immediate care using their own clinicians," Jon Pearce, co-founder and CEO of Zipnosis, said in a statement. "With Zipnosis, health systems have an opportunity to care for more patients under their own brand name and without adding staff. Patients are happier to be 'seen' sooner without having to step foot outside their home or go to a waiting room."

[See also: Telehealth program slashes lengths of stay, boosts outcomes.]

Safeguard Scientifics led the funding, with participation from Ascension Ventures, a subsidiary of Ascension, the nation's largest nonprofit and Catholic health system. Existing investors that also provided funding include Fairview Health Services, Hyde Park Venture Partners, Arthur Ventures, Waterline Ventures and Omphalos Ventures.

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