April was a busy month for us. We graduated our second 1501 Health cohort, welcomed eight startups to our growing incubator program, and our alumni founders continue to make headlines.
Below, Tegan Bukowski of WellSet shares her personal founder story, and makes a strong case for why holistic health services should be included in workplace benefits. And, we celebrate Cassie Choi of Pair Team making Rock Health's Top 50 in Digital Health list.
Dive in ahead!
The Brief:
To celebrate the start of many new chapters for 1501 Health, we gathered on April 11 to graduate our second cohort and officially welcome our third cohort.
At the second-annual event, attendees had the opportunity to hear from the graduating cohort companies and enjoy networking time with the featured companies, as well as with CareFirst Blue Cross BlueShield, Healthworx and LifeBridge Health leadership and healthcare ecosystem players.
Meet the companies here.
The Brief:
A common thread between our 1501 Health cohort founders is that they often build their companies based on meaningful personal experiences. Just like Tegan Bukowski, founder of our first cohort graduate company, WellSet, a digital holistic health studio.
In MindBodyGreen, she recently shared her story about her battle with a chronic condition, and how it led her to try alternative mindfulness techniques. As she started to see improvement, she felt compelled to make more wellness services accessible to all who might be suffering like she was.
In her words:
"I strongly believe—whether you have a simple cold or a more serious condition—your mind-body connection is essential to healing. So even if you're recovering from a very physical ailment, taking care of your mental and emotional well-being throughout the journey is just as crucial."
Read the full piece here.
The Brief:
A big congratulations to Cassie Choi, co-founder and COO of Pair Team, who was named as a Frontline Hero in Rock Health's Top 50 in Digital Health 2023 List.
Check out her winner's bio here:
"Cassie Choi is a registered nurse and the co-founder and Chief Operating Officer of Pair Team. Cassie's clinical experience ranges from community health to emergency and critical care across the country where she saw the gaps in our healthcare system, especially for vulnerable communities.
She jumped into innovation as an early employee at Forward where she built out tech-enabled primary care networks. She brings those learnings of high-touch care delivery to Medicaid's highest-risk individuals with Pair Team's community-based and virtual care teams which provide clinical, mental health, & social services. Cassie serves on the White House's Clinical Innovators Round Table for Health Equity."
See our LinkedIn post celebrating Cassie here.
The Brief:
Later this month, Tegan also contributed a piece to HR Daily Advisors to explain why holistic health services should be integrated into current workplace benefits.
See her perspective here:
"Anxiety is at an all time high, more than 75% of the workforce reports experiencing burnout in their current job, and 81% of employees are looking to their employer to give them more robust mental and emotional health tools. A new generation of Millennial and Gen Z workers who place a large emphasis on holistic mental and emotional health are starting to have a louder voice in the workforce.
With an evolving workforce that wants to feel supported mentally and emotionally, leaders should consider providing their workforce access to an array of mental and emotional health tools that support mind-body-emotional care."
Read the full piece here.
About 1501 Health
1501 Health is a unique partnership between Healthworx and LifeBridge Health, representing expertise in both health insurance and financing (payers) and healthcare delivery and services (providers). The investment and incubation program empowers entrepreneurs to get their innovative solutions to market and expand their impact in healthcare quality, access and affordability. To learn more about 1501Health, visit www.1501Health.com.
About Healthworx
Healthworx operates at the intersection of healthcare and innovation by creating, co-creating and investing in companies that are improving healthcare quality, accessibility, affordability and equity. As the innovation and investment arm of CareFirst, Healthworx envisions a healthier future for all people by changing the way health works. To learn more about Healthworx, visit https://www.healthworx.com.
About LifeBridge Health
LifeBridge Health is one of the largest, most comprehensive providers of health services in Maryland. LifeBridge Health includes Sinai Hospital of Baltimore, Northwest Hospital, Carroll Hospital, Levindale Hebrew Geriatric Center and Hospital, Grace Medical Center and related affiliates. For more information, visit www.lifebridgehealth.org.