Healthtech Veteran Steve Schwartz Joins Freespira Board

KIRKLAND, Wash., March 16, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Freespira, Inc., maker of the first FDA-cleared digital therapeutic to significantly reduce or eliminate symptoms of panic attacks, panic disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in only 28 days, announced that Steve Schwartz has joined the company's Board of Directors. 

Mr. Schwartz brings over 30 years' experience as a senior healthcare technology leader for some of the industry's most successful companies. Most recently, as Senior Vice President of Business and Corporate Development for Livongo, he was part of the core leadership team that achieved the largest digital health IPO in Nasdaq history and, one year later, the company's $18.5 billion merger with Teladoc.

"Freespira reminds me of Livongo in its ability to both improve health and reduce costs by addressing a condition that affects millions of people," said Mr. Schwartz. "By helping the millions of Americans who suffer from panic disorder and PTSD find relief and stay out of the ER, Freespira can demonstrate significant ROI for employers and health plans. I am looking forward to working with Freespira's management team as they continue to grow and build on that proven success."

Freespira CEO Dean Sawyer commented, "Freespira is thrilled to bring such a well-respected and veteran healthcare technology executive to our board of directors. I know Steve will prove to be a strategic asset given his vast experience as a business development leader, and his unique knowledge of the consumer, provider and payor spaces where Freespira operates."

Mr. Schwartz began his career as a sales leader for LabCorp, helping over a decade to build the commercial clinical lab company into a multi-billion-dollar success. For the next 12 years, he led corporate business development for Allscripts, where he was responsible for building a massive partner ecosystem and for managing strategic acquisitions while the electronic health record company grew by more than 10x to over $1.4 billion in revenue.

Next, Mr. Schwartz was vice president of business development and strategy for 23andMe, leading a team that built strategic partnerships with Life Sciences companies, researchers, health systems, retailers, and wellness companies. After 23andMe, he joined Franklin, Tenn.-based Healthways, running the company's emerging business segments while helping to lead the transaction that resulted in the formation of Tivity Health, unlocking over $500 million in stockholder value in just under nine months.

Then in 2017, former Allscripts CEO Glen Tullman recruited Mr. Schwartz to lead business development for his new company, Livongo Health (now Teladoc Health), a digital health leader that makes it easier for people with chronic conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, and behavioral health issues to stay healthier and by doing so reducing the cost burden on employers and health plans. Today, Mr. Schwartz serves on a number of boards and part time as Executive Vice President of Mergers and Acquisitions for Senior Connect Acquisition Corp., a blank check company led by Chairman Richard Burke, the founder and former CEO of UnitedHealth Group.   

The Freespira Board of Directors now includes the following members in addition to Mr. Schwartz and Mr. Sawyer: Executive Chairman Russ Siegelman, a former Kleiner Perkins leader and current Stanford Business School lecturer; Ned Scheetz, Founder and Managing Partner of Aphelion Capital; Jonathan MacQuitty, Venture Partner at Lightspeed Venture Partners; and Debra Reisenthel, founding CEO of Freespira. 

About Freespira, Inc.

Freespira, Inc. is the maker of Freespira, the only FDA-cleared digital therapeutic proven to significantly reduce or eliminate symptoms of panic attacks, panic disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in just 28 days by training users to normalize respiratory irregularities. Health plans, self-insured employers and the Veteran's Administration provide the company's drug-free solutions to improve quality of life, reduce medical expenditures and support the appropriate use of valuable healthcare resources. Find out how at www.freespira.com.

Media Contact:

Todd Stein
Todd Stein Communications
510-417-0612
[email protected] 

SOURCE Freespira Inc.