Health IT in Northeast Ohio could get a boost as life science initiative BioEnterprise introduces a new accelerator for emerging health technology companies.
The Health IT Accelerator, announced today by BioEnterprise in partnership with a number of Cleveland healthcare, research, medical payer organizations, will offer mentorship, access to key customers, and business development and fundraising support for area healthcare IT companies with market-ready or in-market products and services.
“The focus is on assisting companies by providing them access to customers and business advice, putting them in a better position to continue to grow their ventures,” BioEnterprise President and CEO Baiju Shah said in a statement.
Leveraging its relationships with institutions like Cleveland Clinic, University Hospitals, Case Western Reserve University, Summa Health System and BioInnovation Institute, BioEnterprise and the H.I.T. Accelerator will give emerging companies access to executives and decision makers who can provide feedback and engage with them for demonstration projects, according to a press release.
“It’s a reflection of the fact that nowhere in the country really has a stronghold on health IT,” said BioEnterprise Vice President Jim Wiseman. “We think Cleveland has a good a shot as anywhere with some of the resources here.”
The city is home to health IT startups like big data company Explorys, healthcare scheduling software firm OnShift and app maker MIM Software.
A Deep-dive Into Specialty Pharma
A specialty drug is a class of prescription medications used to treat complex, chronic or rare medical conditions. Although this classification was originally intended to define the treatment of rare, also termed “orphan” diseases, affecting fewer than 200,000 people in the US, more recently, specialty drugs have emerged as the cornerstone of treatment for chronic and complex diseases such as cancer, autoimmune conditions, diabetes, hepatitis C, and HIV/AIDS.
Cleveland healthcare social media company Within3 is also a technology partner in the project.
Health IT companies in northeast Ohio can apply now on BioEnterprise’s website. Products or services in beta form or development stage are not eligible and applications will be reviewed quarterly.
