Boost for firm aiming to close women’s heart health care gap

Virtual care firm Systole Health has raised US$2m to advance it mission to address  “underdiagnosed and undertreated” cases of women’s heart conditions.

Its platform enables women at risk of heart disease to meet virtually with doctors and health coaches to receive personalised coaching and medical care; and access to a “supportive community”.

While each session is an hour, the average doctor-patient visit lasts 18 minutes and is primarily focused on medication management, Systole says. This, it believes, is compounded by physician shortages and accessibility challenges as patient volumes continue to increase. The extra time and broader focus areas in a Systole session could be pivotal in improving outcomes from heart health risks and conditions.

Systole Health is available directly to consumers and will become available through partnering health systems as the programme  expands.

Its plans have been bolstered by a US$2m pre-seed fundraising round, with Tom X. Lee, founder of primary care giant One Medical, among its backers.

An estimated 90 per cent of women have at least one heart disease risk factor and 45 per cenr already carrying diagnoses of cardiovascular disease (CVD), according to data cited by Systole. Despite these alarming statistics, women are underdiagnosed and undertreated for heart disease risk factors, it says.

“Our mission is to bend the curve of heart disease in women by introducing a new care model that prioritises outcomes and connection,” says Dr. Simin Lee, CEO and founder of Systole Health.

“As a cardiologist, I have witnessed firsthand the struggles women face in managing their heart health. Our solution is built for women by women, addressing the unique challenges we experience and expanding access to the kind of care we want for our mothers, aunts, sisters, and daughters.”

Lauren McConnell, COO and founder of Systole Health, adds: “We know there’s a lot of women looking for help with their heart health, without the option to get into their existing providers as much as they need to. I’m excited to build a supportive, community-driven space for those women, extending their lives and by extension – improving the health of their families.”

Systole Health plans to use its new funding to expand across the US and build its early clinical team. The company is also focused on forming strategic partnerships with healthcare providers and payers to further integrate its services into the broader healthcare ecosystem. Currently, the programme is being piloted and serving patients in Massachusetts and Florida.