3 min read May 2023 — Invest: spoke with Bob Gold, CEO of digital therapeutics company GoMo Health, to discuss how technology is driving connection and empowerment for people in search of the right health services. “We apply behavioral science and human factors engineering and combine them with technology and creativity to activate healthy change within patient populations,” he said.
What have been your key takeaways over the past year?
We were focused on expanding and growing the business and forming new partnerships to amplify and enhance our existing programs. The state of the healthcare industry post-pandemic has opened up so many opportunities to transform healthcare delivery. We are very focused on delivering person-centered, remote care programs to underserved and vulnerable populations worldwide. A few highlights of new programs we launched in 2022, specifically in New Jersey, are Colgate, New Jersey Integrated Care for Kids (NJInCK) and mental health programs at Stockton University and Belleville High School.
We formed a deep market partnership with Colgate whose global technology center is in Piscataway, NJ to launch programs that improve oral health and dental care for people in underserved and vulnerable communities. The first program launching is called Colgate Connect Personal Concierge that engages with caregiver members of the Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) health plan who are using the hum by Colgate toothbrush. The program educates, empowers and activates good oral care habits in a fun and engaging way for children.We are also collaborating on a very exciting project with Hackensack Meridian Health, called New Jersey Integrated Care for Kids (NJInCK). The program is funded by Medicare and Medicaid as a grant for children on Medicaid/NJ Family Care (residing in Monmouth and Ocean counties), who have compromising social determinants of health, as well as behavioral, social and physical challenges. New Jersey was one of seven states awarded the grant for this integrated program, and we are the engagement partner to create community awareness of the program and provide resources and pathways to enroll. We also launched a mental health focused program for adolescents with our partner 360 Smarter Care at Stockton University and Belleville high-school. With the growing number of mental health problems and issues plaguing teens, this is a groundbreaking program that is starting in New Jersey and will expand across the country.
What sets the firm apart from your competitors?
GoMo Health engages people to deliver health-at-home. At our core, we connect behavioral science, technology and creativity to activate healthy change and develop and foster better self-care. We partner with healthcare systems, providers, health plans, employers and life science companies to bring patient-centered digital therapeutic programs to life across the state of NJ and worldwide. Our concierge programs engage and empower people, providing actionable tips and tools to nurture them in their home environment. Our programs are personalized for each patient based on individual lifestyle and needs and delivered via easy to access SMS messaging.
Our programs have been proven to impact behaviors of patients with chronic and complex conditions worldwide, resulting in significant improvement in health outcomes and adherence, and decreased costs of care. Specifically, our programs have positively impacted millions of underserved, vulnerable people of all backgrounds in rural and urban communities that experience gaps in care and healthcare inequities.
What have been the biggest shifts in demand from clients?
One major shift is that it has become more acceptable to talk about mental illness in the United States, so we have been working with our clients to provide integrated mental health programs, content and resources that focus on the emotional and mental issues a person might experience every day – whether independently or in conjunction with management of a chronic physical illness. If you have a chronic condition, a lot of times it becomes a mental burden. You can’t just address physiology without addressing psychology.
One great example of this right here in New Jersey is our programs with the Mental Health Association in New Jersey. We currently have several programs running with them that support underserved individuals with mental health and substance use disorders through advocacy, education, training and services. In a recent survey, 95% of program participants said they are extremely satisfied with the program and ability to receive immediate emotional support, resources and information. It is amazing to see the impact the program has directly in the community where we are based.
To enhance our offering and accommodate this shift in demand, we are excited to be launching a new program in 2023 called Your Mind Matters™. The program, specifically curated for employers, is a psychological support program, uniquely designed to address employees’ individual behavioral and emotional needs. Research has shown that employees’ performance is directly impacted by their mental health and that of their families, making it hard to perform the requirements of their role if they are experiencing increased stress and anxiety. Using simple interactive surveys and assessments, multimedia content from the extensive GoMo Health library is custom curated to address the initial challenges expressed by each participant, adjusting as the program progresses and additional feedback is collected, offering personalized guidance throughout their mental health journey.
What are some of the technological advancements that are influencing your work?
Technology by itself provides so much information all at once that it can be tough on the brain to digest. This, in turn, causes stress and overwhelm. Our proprietary, evidence-based science of engagement, BehavioralRx® delivers personalized information in bite-sized chunks to allow recipients to absorb the information and act on their terms. This approach goes beyond advances in technology, it simplifies the timing, volume and format in which content is delivered to make it easier to comprehend and digest and ultimately act on. It’s what we call behavioral technology.
Advancements in remote patient monitoring that allow for patient health monitoring outside of
traditional clinical settings have also enabled us to connect medical devices to the GoMo Health hub via Bluetooth, securely capturing and storing data in the cloud for tracking and reporting. One example of this is a program we just launched with Amerigroup Georgia called Mom’s Heart Matters. It Is an interactive digital therapeutic designed to reduce the rate of hypertension-related mortality among postpartum women that includes a connected blood pressure monitoring device. The program aims to advance health equity by creating a safety net for high-risk moms that integrates innovation while addressing social determinants of health.
What is your outlook for GoMo Health over the next two years?
We are always focused on growth and expansion with the goal of serving several millions of people, transforming healthcare delivery worldwide as we continue to expand our offerings and service areas. One major area that continues to be a focus is accelerating diversity, equity and inclusion within healthcare delivery. At GoMo Health, we believe that improving health outcomes for our most vulnerable populations improves health for all, and we continue to tailor our programs to address inequities and gaps in care.
In terms of the New Jersey market specifically, we are an anomaly in that we’re more of a Silicon Valley technology company located in the heart of New Jersey, Nestled between two major healthcare hubs in New York and Philadelphia, we are in a prime position to continue innovating and expanding both locally and worldwide.
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