Strive Health Announces Multi-Year National Collaboration with Oak Street Health

Launch of clinical collaboration across 21 states will provide specialized kidney care for thousands of Medicare-eligible patients in underserved communities

DENVER--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Strive Health, a national leader in value-based kidney care, and Oak Street Health, a network of value-based primary care centers for adults on Medicare, have launched a multi-year national collaboration focused on people with stage 4 chronic kidney disease (CKD) through end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) across the 21 states in which Oak Street Health currently operates. The collaboration reflects both organizations’ common goal to rebuild and transform healthcare through innovative care models focused on quality of care over volume of services.

“We focus on delivering compassionate kidney care and Oak Street Health offers the best clinical care model for older adults, so bringing the organizations together in collaboration is a natural fit,” said Will Stokes, Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer at Strive. “Through this new, multi-year relationship, we’re committing to changing how care is delivered to people who often require more touch points along their kidney care journey.”

Strive, which raised $166 Million in Series C funding from NEA, CVS Health Ventures and others earlier this year, will work with Oak Street Health, which was acquired by CVS Health earlier this year, to deliver a unique approach and specialized population health capabilities for people with late-stage CKD and ESKD. This will equip Oak Street Health’s providers with the resources and tools designed to help people delay the progression of their kidney disease, stay out of the emergency room and experience better quality of life overall.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that kidney disease affects 37 million adults in the United States, including more than 38% of those over 65 years of age. A major challenge is that 90% of patients with kidney disease are unaware of their condition, according to the National Institutes of Health. People with CKD are often not diagnosed until they develop ESKD, when dialysis and kidney transplant are the only options.

Strive’s CareMultiplier™ technology gathers data from hundreds of sources to gain a holistic view of a patient’s experience. That information can help paint a picture about the risk of hospitalization or progression of the disease, enabling higher quality care based on each individual’s needs.

Strive’s care teams, an integral part of their comprehensive kidney care ecosystem, include nurse practitioners, nurse care managers, dietitians, care coordinators and licensed clinical social workers. These team members — called Kidney Heroes™ — transform the patient experience and serve as an extension of the patient’s primary care physician and nephrologist to help manage both kidney disease and comorbid conditions.

“Our clinical care model not only leverages our technology platform and interdisciplinary clinical care teams, but also integrates our nephrology partners who play a crucial role in driving improved outcomes and closing care gaps,” said Amit Kapoor, M.D., Chief Nephrologist at Strive.

Through its partnerships with medical groups, nephrologists, health systems and payors, Strive manages 100,000 complex CKD and ESKD patients across 30 states. The company’s value-based care approach to kidney disease has led to over 20% reduction in the total cost of kidney care, 42% reduction in hospitalizations and 94% overall patient satisfaction with Strive’s staff.

“Strive is the right fit as we look to provide this additional comprehensive care to our late-stage CKD and ESKD patients that we serve at our centers,” said Drew Crenshaw, Chief Population Health Officer at Oak Street Health. “We went through a robust search process and were impressed with Strive’s care model. The strong alignment with their clinical approach, as well as our geographic overlap made it a natural choice.”

ABOUT STRIVE HEALTH

Strive Health is a leader in value-based kidney care and partner of choice for innovative healthcare payors and providers. Using a unique combination of technology-enabled care interventions and seamless integration with local providers, Strive forms an integrated care delivery system that supports the entire patient journey from chronic kidney disease (CKD) to end-stage kidney disease (ESKD). To help patients, Strive partners with commercial and Medicare Advantage payors, Medicare, health systems and physicians through flexible value-based payment arrangements, including risk-based programs. Strive serves 100,000 CKD and ESKD patients across 30 states and partners with over 600 nephrology providers across 10 states. Strive’s case management and population health programs are accredited by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA), and its technology platform, CareMultiplier™, is certified by HITRUST. To learn more, visit StriveHealth.com.