Summer Health, the first national text-based pediatric care platform designed to offer parents access to pediatricians, prescriptions and referrals within 15 minutes, launched Specialty Care offerings inclusive of nutrition, sleep, and lactation. As parents continue to struggle with accessing timely, quality care due to the mounting pediatrician shortage, Summer Health is committed to providing trusted, ongoing medical support for everyday parenting needs. With over 80% of non-urgent care visits being related to sleep and feeding concerns, Summer Health solves a fragmented healthcare system and ensures the smoothest journey for parents who are in need of medical advice beyond the primary pediatrician’s office.
Founder, Ellen DaSilva, started her career in tech at Twitter and then most recently helped build a telemedicine company, HIMS & HERS. That experience gave her a front-row seat to making healthcare accessible, simpler, and better. “As a mother myself, I know that questions about your child’s health can happen around the clock and can be nerve-wracking to navigate. Our Specialty Care launch further empowers parenting with confidence and finally bypasses the weeks-long wait times for specialist referrals or appointments,” said DaSilva. “One of the most common questions we receive is when and how to introduce solid foods. This transition is challenging and emotional. Our pediatricians are able to hold parents’ hands through the process and utilize personalized milestone tracking to check in throughout an extended period of a child’s life.”
Summer Health’s personalized care platform begins supporting parents even before their baby is born. Summer Health is different from other pediatric experiences since it offers a singular destination for immediate, continuous care that simulates having a dedicated team of doctors in parents’ pockets at all times. At $20 a month, the platform provides coverage for all families across the United States and bridges the gap between provider and patient. Parents can send questions, photos, or videos of their children and within 15 minutes, Summer Health will provide expert medical care, a milestone workup, refer to in-person care, and where clinically appropriate,
The Everyday Care portal gives parents to a dedicated team of pediatricians and specialists for ongoing care, with 24/7 access to Summer Health’s full network of providers. With responses guaranteed in 15 minutes or less, a team of pediatricians and specialists in lactation, sleep, and nutrition develop a whole view of a child’s physical wellness. Along with urgent needs, this expansion of Summer Health’s offerings provides a holistic approach to care, empowering parents to establish deeper relationships with their Summer Health care team, who will have a complete understanding of the health of their children and remain available at all hours of the day. Summer Health began by treating some of the most common, urgent ailments, including viral infections, mysterious rashes, upset stomachs, ear infections and pink eye. The company treats its patients fully virtually and includes an online prescribing service in cases where the company’s pediatricians deem it clinically necessary. Summer Health is not intended to replace a primary care pediatrician but instead to provide an additional layer of convenient care from home.
“I joined Summer Health to address this growing shortage of pediatricians nationwide, which is a growing concern for both parents and providers,” said Dr. Ali Alhassani, Head of Clinical at Summer Health. “Message-based health care provides so much potential for remote flexibility and income potential that many pediatricians are looking for, as well as convenience for families.”
The healthcare disruptor will continue to provide and expand on personalized guidance as parents navigate developmental milestones and health concerns associated with children’s growth stages with regular check-ins to provide continuity of care. This Specialty Care launch circumvents the extremely long wait times, complicated insurance processes and nuanced referral networks for specialists. Staying true to its ethos of radically simplifying healthcare, Specialty Care will continue to bring unprecedented convenience and peace of mind to parents.
Read the full article here