Cleveland Clinic and American Well are launching their very own digital health company to provide telehealth services, the companies announced this week. The new joint venture, named The Clinic, will offer virtual care with highly specialized experts from Cleveland Clinic via American Well’s already established digital platform.
Cleveland Clinic, based in Cleveland, Ohio, is a non-profit academic medical center and landed among the top hospitals for 2019, while American Well is a Boston-based telemedicine company. The two companies have collaborated since 2014 for non-emergency and specialty telehealth care via Cleveland Clinic Express Care Online, a 24-hour service.
Cleveland Clinic has big plans for the telemedicine platform, projecting half of its outpatient visits will be virtual in five years.
“Digital health is one of the fastest growing segments of the healthcare industry. There is an incredible demand for medical care to be delivered in more convenient and integrated ways,” Tom Mihaljevic, MD, CEO and president of Cleveland Clinic, said in a statement. “This new venture marks the first time that a major digital health technology platform has partnered with a globally recognized healthcare provider to deliver digital solutions for complex healthcare problems.”
The Clinic will offer specialties to patients to receive care without having to leave home, receiving insights, opinions, recommendations and assistance for various conditions.
“As the adoption and value of telehealth grows, there is significant potential to further advance the digital distribution of care,” Ido Schoenberg, MD, chairman and CEO of American Well, said in the announcement. “Cleveland Clinic has long been at the forefront of offering virtual visits, and we’re thrilled to partner more closely with them to expand the frontiers for digital care delivery.”
Amy joined TriMed Media as a Senior Writer for HealthExec after covering home care for three years. When not writing about all things healthcare, she fulfills her lifelong dream of becoming a pirate by sailing in regattas and enjoying rum. Fun fact: she sailed 333 miles across Lake Michigan in the Chicago Yacht Club "Race to Mackinac."