Tag: Better Health

SAN FRANCISCO - Social determinants like loneliness and isolation can be as lethal as smoking a pack of cigarettes per day, says Dr. Robert Mirsky, who recently joined Better Health’s board of advisors.  HME News spoke to Dr. Mirsky, former chief medical officer of Aetna Medicare, about his personal experience with social determinants and how Better Health’s peer support program can help.  HME News: How did you get interested in social determinants?  Dr. Robert...

SAN FRANCISCO – Robert Mirsky, MD, MMM, FAAFP, has joined Better Health’s board of advisors. Mirsky has extensive health plan experience across Medicare, Medicaid and commercial lines of business, most recently as chief medical officer and vice president of medical operations for Aetna Medicare. “An important part of improving the quality of life and overall health outcomes for underserved populations is addressing both their medical and psychosocial needs,” said Dr. Mirsky....

SAN FRANCISCO – Better Health, an online provider of ostomy and urological supplies that has grown 30% month-over-month since its launch in 2020, is entering a new growth phase, says CEO Naama Stauber Breckler.  “We want to keep helping people live their best lives at home with our model of peer education and medical support,” she said. “Our goal for the next year is to do more research and gain more validity of the value (of our model) for growing our partnerships...

NORTHFIELD, Ill. – Medline opened five newly constructed distribution centers in 2021, with two more scheduled to be completed in 2022, as part of its $1.5 billion Healthcare Resilience Initiative.  The newest LEED-certified distribution center, set to open in the first quarter of 2022, is in Richmond Hill, Ga., less than 30 miles from the Port of Savannah. It will provide an additional 1.2 million square feet of space to stockpile supplies for customer distribution centers throughout...

SAN FRANCISCO – Better Health has appointed Alisha Mecier as vice president, strategic partnerships. She will develop partner relationships with national and regional payers, while expanding partnerships with health systems and provider groups. “Better Health is at the tip of the spear creating a comprehensive care model that empowers consumers to purchase their medical supplies with dignity and transparency,” said Mecier. “It delivers tremendous value for patients, providers...

SAN FRANCISCO – Better Health, an online supplier of urological and ostomy supplies, has released a white paper on the positive impacts of its Peer Coaching Program.  Among the findings in the paper: Humana members reported a 67% decrease in stress levels after just one coaching session.  “We’ve found that peer support and coaching is a proven, cost-effective strategy to improve outcomes for ostomy care and chronic care management,” said Naama Stauber Breckler,...

PETERBOROUGH, N.H. – SoClean Inc. has filed a lawsuit against Philips, alleging the company has sought to blame it for problems related to its recall of certain respiratory devices.  The lawsuit, filed in the United States District Court for Massachusetts, alleges Philips has misled the public and engaged in acts of deliberate misdirection, placing blame on SoClean to divert attention away from obvious design flaws, including a poor choice of sound abatement foam, which led to its recent...

SAN FRANCISCO – Better Health, an online supplier of urological and ostomy supplies, announced today a $10 million Series A funding that it will use to expand its services. “We’re excited to continue supporting our members in managing their health at home and to expand our services and offering to meet their growing needs,” said Naama Stauber Breckler, CEO and co-founder of Better Health. “When it comes to medical supplies, receiving the right support makes all the...

WASHINGTON – With reimbursement declining from a variety of payers, stakeholders are banding together to advocate for better pricing and access to innovative ostomy products.  “They are lowering reimbursement – and some already have pretty low reimbursement to begin with – to the point where only certain products are able to be provided,” said Laura Williard, vice president of payer relations for AAHomecare. “(For example), there are managed care organizations...

SAN FRANCISCO – When it comes to questions about medical devices or supplies, nine times out of 10, the doctor is not the best person to answer them, says Naama Stauber Breckler. That’s why Better Health, which recently launched with the close of a $3.5 million seed round, offers one-on-one coaching, peer support and education, including interactive webinars covering various topics from ostomy leaks to diet and exercise, and even swimming. “They don't know the difference...