MedCitizens, Startups

StartUPDATES: The latest healthcare startup news from MedCitizens

Read news about MedCitizen startup Bright.md, Frontier Medicines and a new jobs section for MedCity News.

Vector illustration - Startup

StartUPDATES is a member feature of MedCitizens, a community of MedCity News startups. Submit here and join. 

Bright.md announced that Winona Health has expanded its care population with Winona Health SmartExam, an online service providing high-quality, efficient healthcare via smartphones, tablets or computers, now available to residents throughout Minnesota and Wisconsin. Winona Health is offering enhanced services thought Bright.md’s SmartExam, a direct-to-patient, non-video, virtual care platform. It allows individuals with colds, flu, allergies, rashes, urinary tract infections, yeast infections, pink eye, sore throat, ear aches and many other common medical conditions to receive a diagnosis, treatment plan and prescription, if necessary, without an appointment, video interaction or an in-person visit. This offering makes the same great care patients would receive from their doctors available in a more convenient and affordable fashion for people who want it now.

“We are committed to improving access to high-quality care that is also convenient and affordable,” said Winona Health President and CEO Rachelle H. Schulz, Ed.D. “We understand that between busy schedules and high-deductible insurance, convenience and affordability are increasingly important to people.”

Using their smartphone, tablet or computer, Minnesota and Wisconsin residents now can take advantage of automated healthcare and receive care from anywhere— whether they are at their desk, at a soccer match or at home under a blanket on their couch. Access to more convenient care means they can feel better faster, whether it requires a prescription or medical advice to speed recovery and provide peace of mind. A Winona Health SmartExam virtual visit costs $39, and treatment plans are provided in less than an hour. If no diagnosis is made, there is no charge for the SmartExam. Through partner healthcare systems such as Winona Health, Bright.md’s SmartExam is now available to more than 10 million Americans.


Biotech startup Frontier Medicines kicked off its business with a $67 million Series A round led by Deerfield Management, Droia Oncology Ventures and MPM Capital. DCVC Bio and RA Capital Management also took part in the funding round. The company describes itself as a preclinical stage business that develops drugs for debilitating diseases, starting with cancers. Click here to read more.


MedCity News is excited to announce the roll out of a careers section. Employers can now submit open positions to a Featured Jobs section on the MedCity News website. These jobs will be posted in the section and will remain on the website for a month. We have made the process as easy as possible. For $295, you supply a brief description of the company, the main responsibilities and requirements of the position, and how to apply. Content should not exceed 500 words and you can include a company logo.

Why use MedCity to support your recruitment efforts? Our 10 year-old publication has 40,000 newsletter subscribers spanning providers, payers, biopharma, medical device and health tech companies. We recently rolled out a weekly biopharma newsletter. Additionally, we attract 425,000 unique visitors each month and have a social media following of more than 38,000.

Best of all, members of the MedCitizen startup network receive 50 percent off job posts for the rest of 2019.

If you are interested in posting your open position, please contact Winnie Liu at [email protected] today.

Illustration: Getty Images