Pacify, a digital health company serving new families nationwide, tapped as digital health partner to provide on-demand 24/7 care for new mothers.
Today, Advantia Health announced that it has acquired Pacify, a health technology company that provides on-demand 24/7 access to nationwide networks of maternal and pediatric specialists. The acquisition combines Advantia’s physical practices with Pacify’s virtual capabilities — a major step toward providing the most coordinated, convenient, and highest quality care for women and families. Advantia expects that its consumers will have access to on-demand, remote services through the mobile application before the end of the year. Both Advantia and Pacify are headquartered in the Washington, D.C. metro area and represent a burgeoning sector for health-technology companies that are working to redefine the health care experience, and drive superior outcomes by aligning incentives.
In integrating Pacify’s services, Advantia strengthens its commitment to putting women at the center of healthcare by offering exceptional care for patients on-site, at home, and on the go. “When it’s 2 a.m., you’re a new mom, and your baby has a fever or you aren’t sure if she’s getting enough to eat, you want instantaneous access to quality care. Pacify provides that,” said Dr. Lisa Shah, Advantia’s Chief Medical Officer. “And health plans know that those moments present a real opportunity to improve outcomes and reduce costs.”
Pacify’s acquisition reinforces Advantia’s focus on quality care model innovation, and using technology to deliver empathetic, convenient, and coordinated care. “Pacify will make us stronger in each one of these pursuits,” said Advantia Founder and CEO, Sean Glass. “In addition to the talented Pacify team and their flexible technology platform, we’re excited about the unique delivery channels that Pacify brings to the table. Pacify’s established relationships with health plans, employers, and government entities will enable Advantia to deliver care beyond physician offices as we continue to expand across the country.”
Founded in 2014 by Ben Lundin and George Brandes, Pacify enables high-quality, low-cost healthcare services with a novel call routing technology and dispersed expert networks. The Pacify mobile platform uses physician extenders, such as International Board Certified Lactation Consultants (IBCLCs) and registered nurses (RNs), in ways that complement in-person visits with OB-GYNs, pediatricians, and other physicians. “We empower new families to access the right care at the right time for them. The care model of the future is blended – in-person and virtual – and we’re excited to deliver that with Advantia,” said Ben Lundin, Co-Founder and CEO of Pacify.
The combined entity will also bring a unique value proposition to insurance companies and employers: “We’re putting women at the center of their care, which means moving away from traditional fee-for-service structures and toward a future of aligned incentives,” said Advantia Founder and CEO, Sean Glass. “Pacify makes the entire experience better for women, but they’ve also proven that they can decrease costs and improve quality. We’ve evaluated several potential partners in the space; none rivaled Pacify’s demonstrated commitment to quality and value.”
Here are some recent results from Pacify’s 24/7 perinatal support services:
- Realized greater than 3:1 ROI in savings per birth (based on an independent claims analysis).
- Decreased ER visits by 26%, suggesting more informed site of care decisions.
- Contributed to a 10% increase in reported rates of exclusive breastfeeding among women in a statewide WIC program.
In addition to national health plans and Fortune 500 companies, Pacify has partnered with Medela, the global leader in breastfeeding products, supporting more than a million customers each year. Pacify’s partnership with Medela offers moms an instant video connection to a professional lactation consultant through their MyMedela(R) app. “Through our partnership with Pacify, Medela is able to deliver both products and services that strengthen our support of breastfeeding moms,” said Melissa Gonzales, Executive Vice President of the Americas for Medela LLC. “We are excited about this acquisition, and our continued partnership with Pacify to ensure moms have the support they need wherever they are.”
“Pacify supports a large number of families through public programs like Medicaid and WIC, so it was important to us that Advantia share our commitment to delivering care to the underserved,” said George Brandes, Co-Founder and COO of Pacify. “Joining Advantia will enable us to grow our work supporting families that wouldn’t otherwise have access to these services.”
About Pacify
Pacify’s mission is to provide affordable, high-quality healthcare services to new and expecting parents, relieving their anxieties and keeping them and their children healthier. Pacify’s mobile platform enables on-demand support from nationwide networks of maternal and pediatric experts. A Pacify membership includes unlimited telehealth consultations, available 24/7 – no appointments, no waiting. Pacify’s Public Health Programs were established to build sustainable partnerships with nonprofit and government organizations that address stark disparities in access to maternal and child health services. Pacify also provides services to Managed Care Organizations and employers seeking to create exceptional maternity experiences, improve health outcomes, and drive down costs. Pacify has a 4.8/5 star rating across thousands of calls.