OSF Ventures Invests in Specialized Therapy Company; Plans Pilot for Children with Autism

PEORIA, Ill., Nov. 12, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- OSF Ventures has joined an early round of funding for Madison, Wisconsin-based DotCom Therapy, a therapist-founded company specializing in skilled, face-to-face, online therapy services. Speech language pathologist Rachel Robinson founded the company in 2015 as a solution to widespread therapy shortages for children across the country.

"We really saw value in a company that is filling the need for mandated special education services required for 14% of all public school children across the country," said Stan Lynall, vice president for OSF Venture Investments. "In many cases, video visits supplement what the schools are able to provide through their own, school-based therapists." Lynall added, "We are excited to partner with DotCom Therapy as they expand their service offerings to health care systems."

DotCom Therapy provides services to more than 250 schools across the U.S. It offers mental health counseling, speech therapy, occupational therapy, and behavioral health services. OSF Ventures joins New Capital Partners in the Series A funding to grow DCT's customer base and scale their services into health care systems such as Peoria-Illinois-based OSF HealthCare which will launch a pilot using Dotcom Therapy for children who are on the autism spectrum.

Cheryl Crowe, vice president for Behavioral Health at OSF HealthCare says DotCom Therapy will provide support for children who have been diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), a neurological and developmental disorder that begins in early childhood.

The pilot will be coordinated through OSF Saint Francis Medical Center and Children's Hospital of Illinois in Peoria. "A DotCom Board Certified Behavior Analyst will provide services to advance behavioral modification, social and emotional control, and parent education," according to Crowe. "We will also utilize a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who has experience working with individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder. They will be working with both the children and their families on coping and other important life skills."

With so many children learning at home, Crowe says now is an ideal time to implement a web-based therapy strategy.

"This will enable us to provide children with a comfortable setting with people they trust, plus research shows children with ASD are fascinated by computers and benefit from tech-based intervention." She continued, "Video visits will also allow therapists to educate parents and trouble-shoot situations in real-time to address communication deficits secondary to autism in a functional, flexible way."

"We're excited to have OSF as a partner who shares our company values of trust, support, and respect," said DotCom Therapy's Rachel Robinson. "The financial support and advisory role OSF Ventures offers is critically important to our success. Additionally, the Peoria-based pilot will show us how our DotCom therapists can work alongside other health care providers to coordinate comprehensive support to patients and their families."

The OSF pilot will also support the Autism Collective, a collaboration of Easter Seals Central Illinois and OSF Children's Hospital of Illinois. The Collective has a goal of connecting families with the most appropriate services to meet their needs and to ensure a coordinated, cohesive, and customized plan of care.

OSF Ventures specializes in venture optimization, partnering financially and operationally in companies that improve patient outcomes and reduce costs to health care systems. OSF Ventures is a division of OSF HealthCare. More at osfventures.org.

OSF HealthCare is an integrated health system owned and operated by The Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis, headquartered in Peoria, Illinois. OSF HealthCare employs more than 23,600 Mission Partners in 147 locations, including 14 hospitals –10 acute care, 4 critical access – with 2,097 licensed beds, and 2 colleges of nursing throughout Illinois and Michigan. The OSF HealthCare physician network employs more than 1,500 primary care, specialist and advanced practice providers. OSF HealthCare, through OSF Home Care Services, operates an extensive network of home health and hospice services. It also owns Pointcore, Inc., comprised of health care-related businesses and OSF HealthCare Foundation, the philanthropic arm for the organization. More at osfhealthcare.org

DotCom Therapy (DCT) is the country's leading therapist-founded teletherapy company, offering the highest quality therapy services for children and families via a face-to-face online platform, Zesh, for speech therapy, occupational therapy, and behavior and mental health therapy. With over five years of experience in the teletherapy industry, DCT matches children with the right therapist(s) based on individual need, not location. Collaborating seamlessly with care teams and families, DCT teletherapists provide consistent, affordable therapy services backed by unparalleled support, compassion, and expertise.  

CONTACT: Colleen Reynolds | Media Relations Coordinator, OSF HealthCare | (309) 825-7255

SOURCE OSF Ventures