Curavi Health, CarePointe and U.S. Health Systems announced this past week that they have merged to form Arkos Health, a new company designed to bring analytics-driven telemedicine to vulnerable senior populations nationwide.

WHY IT MATTERS
Pittsburgh-based Curavi, which develops telehealth technology tailored for post-acute and long-term care settings, was launched in 2016 as a spin-off from UPMC (which will continue to be an investor in Arkos Health) and has built itself up with acquisitions since then.

Las Vegas-based CarePointe and Tempe, Arizona-based USHS, founded in 2015 and 2018, respectively, bring data-driven care-coordination tools to the table, which help value-based organizations lower costs and boost quality.

"By combining Curavi's telemedicine technology, CarePointe's unified software solution and analytics and USHS's population health-management capabilities, Arkos Health will be able to serve both payers and providers by facilitating high-quality in-home and virtual care for their members and patients who need it," said Curavi President and CEO Alissa Meade in a statement.

THE LARGER TREND
Curavi notes that it has performed some 60,000 remote consults since it was founded, enabling a 94% treat-in-place rate and helping reduce the risks of harmful transfers between nursing homes and LTPAC settings to hospital emergency departments.

The company was conceived and created by Pittsburgh geriatrician Dr. Steven Handler, who noticed patients moved unnecessarily to EDs because nurses in their care facilities could not get the right medical advice when they needed it.

Such transfers, said Handler in 2016, "are highly disruptive to older adults and sometimes harmful to their health."

ON THE RECORD
"Curavi, CarePointe and USHS have all demonstrated an ability to improve clinical outcomes while reducing costs, and together we will continue to elevate our clients' experiences by providing differentiated care," said Dr. Amish Purohit, CEO of USHS, in a statement. "With Arkos Health, providers and payers can effectively deliver quality care to frail seniors through a customized mobile and virtual platform using performance-based business models.

"At a time when our shared mission to care for the frail elderly is more important than ever, uniting these organizations allows for an integrated health care experience that better meets the needs of our seniors," added Meade.

Twitter: @MikeMiliardHITN
Email the writer: mike.miliard@himssmedia.com
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