Walmart and Global and Fortune 500 Companies Join Included Health Innovation Coalition to Address Health Disparities in the Black Community

SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Grand Rounds Health and Doctor On Demand, the leader in integrated virtual care and navigation, today announced a solution designed to help remove barriers to care for the Black community. Developed using insights from an innovation coalition of Global and Fortune 500 companies, the product will be the first dedicated care concierge and healthcare navigation platform focused on improving the healthcare experience and advancing health equity for Black Americans. The Black Community Innovation Coalition is comprised of EHIR members Accenture, Best Buy, Genentech, Medtronic, State Farm, Target, and Walmart.

"Health disparities in the Black community have been a known problem for decades, and the COVID-19 pandemic further exacerbated the inequities around access and advocacy that have been driven by a pattern of structural and interpersonal discrimination. The time is now to deliver solutions that drive meaningful change," said Dr. Ian Tong, Chief Medical Officer of Grand Rounds Health and Doctor On Demand and executive leader of the Coalition. "We are proud to have built the capabilities to help under-resourced populations over the past decade into a solution tailored for Black Americans. The community has long deserved resources that provide agency over care direction, advocacy, and access to improve trust, care experiences, and outcomes."

The Black Community Innovation Coalition will work closely together to inform the product through a combination of targeted market research studies, employee-led focus groups, population health analyses, and product design workshops. The Coalition's early exploration in this area has already identified potential zones of impact including maternal fetal health, cardiometabolic disease, primary care access, behavioral health, and more. These insights will help further tailor the robust care navigation, physician quality, and coordinated care support that Grand Rounds Health and Doctor On Demand deliver to members.

"We're proud to be on the leading edge with Grand Rounds Health, Doctor On Demand, and other employers in developing a resource to help improve access to quality healthcare for the Black and African American community," said Lisa Woods, Walmart Vice President, Physical and Emotional Well-being. "The effort aligns with Walmart's commitment to address disparities in healthcare access, engagement and outcomes. Together, through collaboration and innovation, we will make it easier to find good doctors and make quality healthcare attainable for underserved populations."

Grand Rounds Health and Doctor On Demand is committed to providing advocacy and culturally concordant care through its solutions and provider network. The company has collectively created the market's leading navigation solutions over the past 10 years, developing highly effective engagement strategies that address the needs of under-resourced populations. It has also built a culturally concordant care team that is the most diverse virtual care network in the country; 43% of doctors are BIPOC, more than 60% women, 20% of behavioral health providers are LGBTQ+, and 21% are Black, a number that represents 4x the national average.

The program's focus groups will provide a deeper understanding of the local access and care challenges for national employers than what is available on the market today. The Included Health coalition work will culminate with the full market launch of the product designed for the Black community in early 2022.

About Grand Rounds Health and Doctor On Demand

Grand Rounds Health and Doctor On Demand merged in 2021 to form a first of its kind integrated virtual care company to raise the standard of healthcare. The same year, we acquired Included Health, the leader in healthcare navigation for the LGBTQ+ community and underserved populations. Our personalized, longitudinal clinical care services include virtual primary care, integrated behavioral health, everyday and urgent care, chronic condition management and prevention, specialty care, and 24/7 triage. We get members to the right care, at the right time with ongoing clinical navigation, expert medical opinions, and care coordination.

Partnering with leading employers and health plans, we deliver unparalleled, end-to-end care. Our combined nationwide practice of dedicated clinicians and innovative data science and technology platforms provide better care experiences, better member satisfaction, and better outcomes and cost savings for our nearly 100 million covered lives across commercial, Medicare, and Medicaid.

Headquartered in San Francisco, the combined company has been recognized several times in the past year—including Best Workplaces by Inc. magazine, Best Workplaces in Healthcare and Biopharma™ by Great Place to Work and Fortune, Best Overall Digital Health Company by MedTech Breakthrough Awards, and Best Employer Wellness Company by UCSF Digital Health Awards. Learn more at www.grandrounds.com and www.doctorondemand.com.

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