Each month we’ll spotlight one of the many great leaders from the 20-member health systems that make up Truveta and help advance our vision of saving lives with data. We’ll share their perspectives on the future of medicine, the changing role of technology in healthcare, and the critical importance of real-time, de-identified data to accelerate research, advance health equity and save lives.
This month we’re featuring Dipa Mehta, system vice president and corporate development leader at Advocate Aurora Enterprises, an Advocate Aurora Health subsidiary that partners with consumer health and wellness companies to advance whole person health. Dipa previously was a managing director at Sandbox Industries, the investment management services firm for the Blue Venture Fund.
We asked Dipa which digital health care trends she’s focused on, how health systems will collaborate in the future, and what a better consumer experience looks like in health care. Here’s what we learned …
You were instrumental in helping to bring Truveta to life. What were the fundamental issues you felt Truveta could solve?
As one of the largest not-for-profit health systems in the nation—serving roughly 3 million patients annually across Illinois and Wisconsin—Advocate Aurora Health has access to rich clinical data. But we knew we could uncover more actionable insights if we worked together with other health systems.
Truveta presented an opportunity to pool de-identified data with other providers and to better connect with researchers and market opportunities. We wanted to help unlock real-world information about medical conditions, treatments and other insights that aim to improve patient care.
Advocate Aurora’s investment in Truveta is just one example of how it’s broadening its business portfolio to advance whole person health. By bolstering innovative health and wellness solutions that go beyond traditional clinical care, our goal is to help people live well at every stage of life.
How is Advocate Aurora Enterprises, along with its portfolio companies, working to help improve the consumer experience in health care?
Our whole person health strategy is about addressing people’s broader health needs by offering services that are complementary to traditional clinical care. In support of that strategy, as well as the industry-wide shift from episodic care to a more holistic approach, Advocate Aurora Enterprises focuses on expanding health and wellness capabilities in three key areas: aging independently, family development and support, and personal wellness.
We’re exploring how best to integrate consumer-generated data with clinical findings to provide more personalized health and wellness experiences. There’s a key opportunity there to transform the delivery of care for patients and consumers.
Why did Advocate Aurora Enterprises invest in Xealth?
Our focus is supporting consumers and their families, but we can’t forget about the provider experience. Xealth is a key enabler of the Advocate Aurora Enterprises portfolio, connecting providers with an array of solutions to help patients reach their health and wellness goals.
Tightly integrated with electronic health records, Xealth aims to help care teams find the right tools and better monitor patient use. For example, a clinician might determine that a patient managing diabetes would benefit from medical nutrition therapy. In the future, that could mean seamlessly prescribing access to Foodsmart, a personalized tele-nutrition and food-care solution that Advocate Aurora Enterprises invested in last year.
What digital health care trends are you exploring further?
People are accessing health care and wellness services in new ways, and consumer expectations are evolving. As a result, we have to make it even easier for people to get the services they need.
For example, in the midst of a pandemic and as the population ages, the need for high-quality, in-home care has never been greater. Advocate Aurora Enterprises last year acquired Senior Helpers, a national leader of in-home personal care services for seniors. This partnership advances our mission to help people live safely and comfortably in their own homes.
Will there be opportunities to collaborate with other health systems in the future?
Absolutely. Truveta is one example of what we can achieve when we work together. Xealth, which we invested in alongside 14 other health systems, is another.
With health systems across the country navigating broad industry challenges—from declining reimbursement rates to increased competition—there’s pressure to evolve and find new ways of doing business. For health systems like Advocate Aurora, that means being open to collaborations with other providers and payers in the interest of helping people live well.