Interwell Health Marks Growth, Improved Patient Health In Its First Year

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Aug. 24, 2023 – Interwell Health, a kidney care management company that partners with physicians on its mission to reimagine healthcare, is celebrating one year of creating better futures for individuals living with chronic kidney disease (CKD).

Through strategic partnerships and initiatives with providers and payers, Interwell Health has advanced the shift toward value-based kidney care by expanding on its track record of effective, end-to-end care. It is extending that work by unveiling its corporate social responsibility (CSR) platform.

“Kidney disease is challenging due to its complex nature and high treatment costs, which is often compounded because symptoms only reveal the disease in its more advanced stages,” said Robert Sepucha, chief executive officer for Interwell Health. “But in just our first year as a unified company, we are partnering with the nation’s largest network of nephrologists to deliver better health outcomes for patients and significant reductions in the total cost of care for payer partners – all at scale. These results are proof that our more collaborative, full-spectrum approach is the future for kidney care, and value-based care more broadly—something we’re also making personal through our newly finished CSR plan.”

Driving Growth and Results

In its first year, Interwell Health added almost 100 nephrologists to its network, growing to 1,700 physicians supporting kidney disease patients in small to large practices across the country. The company now covers 125,000 lives, an increase of 25 percent from its inception, and manages more than $7 billion in total medical costs.

Interwell’s comprehensive care network, combined with its predictive analytics, achieves remarkable results for patient health, including an optimal start rate that is 154 percent above the national average, a home dialysis start rate that is 87 percent above the national average, and almost 20 percent fewer all-cause hospitalizations. These clinical outcomes drive significant financial savings for payer partners.

Making Kidney Care Personal

Interwell Health is launching a new CSR platform that will extend the company’s day-to-day work through advocacy and volunteerism. In addition to delivering better health outcomes for patients and cost reductions for payer partners, the company recognizes its responsibility to make a positive impact on the communities in which it operates. Interwell will prioritize early detection and prevention of kidney disease and strive to create an inclusive and diverse culture while leveraging its strengths to Imagine a Better Future for everyone.

This new CSR platform will focus heavily on addressing earlier detection, social determinants of health, and health equity. Interwell also encourages employees to give back to their community, offering a new annual paid day off for volunteering, and providing extensive paid time off for organ donation.

As part of its one-year anniversary, Interwell Health also launched a new section of its website to celebrate and share stories about the patients, employees, and physicians that are at the center of its mission to help people live healthier lives.

Implementing a Clinical Model for Success

The company's holistic approach focuses on early detection and prevention, effectively slowing disease progression and curbing the need for costly interventions. Interwell Health is the only value-based kidney care provider with access to all pieces of the continuum of care, enabling more informed care to be delivered faster:

• In the Home: Support from dietitians, nurses, social workers, pharmacists, peer mentors, and care coordinators whenever it is needed along the care journey. Care teams engage patients in the home through multimodal technologies including telephonic, chat, and virtual. The company also uses predictive analytics to stratify risk of CKD progression, as well as to detect and prevent imminent hospitalizations.
• At the Doctor: Access to Interwell Health’s network of 1,700 aligned nephrology providers with embedded renal care coordinators, an exclusive kidney disease education platform, and patient engagement tools. Most practices also use Interwell Health’s Acumen Epic Connect, the leading electronic health record used by nephrologists and optimized for value-based kidney care.
• In the Center: Alignment across more than 2,600 dialysis centers across the country, including access to hundreds of transitional care units that empower and educate patients newly diagnosed with end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) on all their treatment options. This ensures tight coordination of patient care between dialysis providers, Interwell’s care management team, and physicians.

Dr. George Hart, chief medical officer of Interwell Health, emphasized, "Our commitment to value-based kidney care has yielded transformative results across the spectrum, touching the lives of patients and their families. It’s allowing nephrologists to take care of their patients the way they’ve always wanted to, which has a lasting impact on the healthcare system as a whole."

Celebrating a Year of Achievements

Interwell Health's inaugural year has been marked by many significant accomplishments:

• September 2022 – Added Acumen Physician Solutions, the provider of Epic Connect, the most-adopted electronic health record for nephrologists optimized for value-based care.
• October 2022 - Announced a value-based agreement with UPMC Health Plan to coordinate care for members with CKD and ESKD.
• November 2022 – Won the UCSF Health Hub Digital Health Award in the consumer prevention category.
• January 2023 – Significantly expanded its work in the government’s value-based care model, Kidney Care Choices, making Interwell Health the largest participant.
• February 2023 – Partnered with Providence Health Plan to care for the payer’s entire late-stage and end-stage kidney disease patient population.
• March 2023 – Collaborated with Oak Street Health on a one-of-a-kind joint venture to offer primary care to end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) patients directly in dialysis centers.
• June 2023 – Named first chief product and technology officer focused on new and existing care delivery systems to better support patients living with CKD.
• August 2023 – Celebrated over 20 new practices to the network—reaching 1,700 nephrologists located in urban, suburban, and rural areas across the country.

Interwell Health was formed in August 2022 when Fresenius Health Partners, Cricket Health, and InterWell Health united their expertise, passion, and scale under a single independent entity.

"Our journey toward reimagining kidney care and creating a better future for all kidney patients is far from over," remarked Sepucha. "That’s why, as Interwell Health continues to grow, so will our efforts to raise awareness about this silent disease, advocate for early detection, and support this vulnerable patient population."

To learn more about Interwell Health, please visit interwellhealth.com or find us on LinkedIn.