By JESS DaMASSA, WTF HEALTH
Virgin Pulse has been a giant identify in office wellness for a very long time – working with well being plans and employers (together with 25% of the Fortune 500) to supply care navigation, well-being providers, well being teaching and entry to digital well being level options for years. But, it raised some eyebrows on the finish of final yr when it introduced its acquisition of data-driven wellness firm, Welltok. So, what occurs when one of many greatest names in employee wellbeing instantly has entry to a dataset of 250M healthcare customers? Virgin Pulse’s CEO Chris Michalak stops by to speak concerning the worth of that knowledge, which he believes is not going to solely turbo-charge Virgin Pulse’s engagement charges, but additionally present new methods for the enterprise to function a “full-on navigation functionality” for employers, plans, and well being methods.
As Chris places it, Virgin Pulse has all the time been an “engagement firm” however the addition of Welltok’s knowledge turns it into an “activation firm.” As Virgin Pulse continues to accomplice up with digital well being level options, convey digital therapeutics into the fold, and build-out main care relationships as a lead stream, the platform Chris describes begins to sound increasingly like a navigation enterprise that competes with the likes of Accolade or Included Well being. Will Virgin Pulse one-day dip into main care themselves and add their very own digital care suppliers? Will they construct their very own digital therapeutics with knowledge derived from that wealthy Welltok database? We get into the ‘what’s subsequent’ for the enterprise because it integrates its newest acquisition and seeks to win extra C-suite consideration from employers in search of to higher handle their workers’ entry to healthcare advantages.