Chicago cityscape
United Way of Metro Chicago has joined forces with health tech startup NowPow, a Chicago-based startup offering a platform that connects people to resources for chronic health and social conditions, according to a news release.
More specifically, the social services organization will use NowPow’s platform to power its Neighborhood Network Initiative, a region-wide approach to address community challenges. Currently, there are 10 Neighborhood Networks in Chicago and the surrounding suburbs.
This month, United Way is implementing a pilot of the NowPow tool in the Austin neighborhood of Chicago.
Through the pilot, Neighborhood Network partners — entities focused on housing, food, early childhood learning and workforce developing — can coordinate referrals and track outcomes. Additionally, they can pinpoint any gaps in service.
The ultimate goal is to help Chicagoans find the health services and social services they need.
“Our Neighborhood Network partners are already providing fantastic services,” United Way of Metro Chicago president and CEO Sean Garrett said in a statement. “The challenge is ensuring that people know how to access all the resources they need. With NowPow, we’ll be able to increase access to much-needed services for the residents of Chicago, building stronger neighborhoods and a stronger region.”
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.
According to a Crain’s Chicago Business article, United Way is not revealing the cost of the pilot.
NowPow was founded in 2015 by Dr. Stacy Lindau, who serves as chief innovation officer, and Rachel Kohler, who serves as CEO. Its name is a play on the phrase “knowledge is power,” and its aforementioned platform includes a community resource directory, social determinants of health screenings, resource matching algorithms and closed loop referrals.
The Chicago startup’s technology is used at organizations like Allina Health and Rush University Medical Center.
Late last year, the startup was named one of four North America-based finalists in Accenture’s HealthTech Innovation Challenge. The other three finalists were Ayasdi, which has an application development framework that allows clients to create intelligent applications; b.well Connected Health, which offers a platform for consumer engagement, holistic health management and cost containment; and Newtopia, a precision health company focused on changing patients’ habits to prevent chronic disease.
Photo: espiegle, Getty Images
