It’s something you take for granted in Charm City. When you live in a region with the Baltimore area’s caliber of premier health care institutions and resources, you’re no stranger to the many innovative technologies and programs developed year after year. Here is a look at just some of the latest developments at area hospitals.
Looking for health care solutions for the future, Healthworx, the innovation arm of LifeBridge Health and CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield, last year launched 1501 Health, an incubator for health care startups. (The 1501 Health name comes from the address of CareFirst’s Baltimore headquarters at 1501 S. Clinton St., where 1501 Health provides collaborative space for participants.)
In 2021, the incubator selected five companies from a pool of more than 120 applicants that demonstrated the most potential and promise for improving health outcomes and patient experiences.
The first group of seven startups recently graduated and included two Maryland-based and three California-based companies. During the first year at 1501 Health, these companies expanded their products, customers and funding, and are now prepared to seek other investors and partners.
The first graduating class of health care innovators included BabyLiveAdvice, which enables providers to provide tech-forward, collaborative remote education, monitoring and support to expectant mothers and new parents; Even Health of Annapolis, which created Cabana, the first digital counseling platform offering anonymous group support for health care workers and facilitated by licensed professionals accessible from desktop, smartphone or virtual reality devices; Columbia-based Live Chair Health, which recruits hair professionals and employs digital tools to initiate and facilitate client discussions about chronic health issues that disproportionately affect minority communities; Pair Team, which created an electronic solution for Medicaid to coordinate patient care and automate care operations; and WellSet, which uses a centralized platform to connect the holistic wellness industry so users can find and book individual and group sessions with specialists including acupuncture, health coaching, holistic therapy, ayurveda and more.
During its first year, the program was mostly virtual and provided participants with investment and mentorship. As 1501 Health continues to evolve, the program will offer co-working and collaborative spaces and a medical simulation lab.
The second-year cohort of health care innovators includes Candoo Tech, which helps older adults stay safe, independent and connected by educating them on utilizing digital tools designed for daily use; Flowly, an iPhone app that helps users manage pain and anxiety through virtual reality experiences as an alternative to medication; Frame Fertility, which serves as a prospective parent’s personalized fertility guide, offering an assessment to identify barriers to fertility, followed by personalized coaching and care navigation; Health in Her HUE, which empowers women of color along their health care journeys by reducing racial disparities in the way care is delivered; Lantern, which guides users through death and loss at all stages, including end-of-life pre-planning; Ryse Health, based in both Arlington, Va., and Baltimore, an endocrinology practice using tech-enabled solutions and community-based support to help patients manage Type 2 diabetes; and Xploro, which delivers a digital engagement platform design d for children with pre-existing conditions and illnesses that uses 3D models and gamification to increase health literacy for children.
Applications are open through 10/25 for the next cohort of healthcare entrepreneurs that will be accepted into the program. For information, visit 1501health.com/
A former longtime Baltimore resident, Carol Sorgen is a freelance writer based in Portland, Oregon.
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