BandHealth, formerly SelfiHealth, has rebranded to offer a platform connecting individuals with health mentors through advanced algorithms. Founder Zach Gotlib, a heart surgery survivor, aims to revolutionize patient-caregiver connections and shift the focus from individual to collective health.
NEW YORK, Feb. 22, 2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- BandHealth, an innovative mobile app that is reshaping the peer health support landscape in the digital age, is dedicated to leveraging technology to provide meaningful connections for individuals grappling with health concerns. Today, the company is thrilled to unveil its strategic rebrand from SelfiHealth to BandHealth, aligning seamlessly with its progressive initiatives.
Revolutionizing health support, BandHealth employs advanced algorithms to match individuals with similar health challenges, connecting them with trained health mentors who understand both their health concerns and personal backgrounds to deliver profound results. Offering one-on-one and group support, live programming such as events, curated content, in-app messaging, video chat capabilities and access to educational resources, BandHealth has become a transformative digital force. The platform also customizes its services for digital health companies, enhancing member engagement, satisfaction and retention.
The app is crucial in addressing pressing social and health issues, backed by compelling statistics*: 51% of 18–22 year-olds seek online connections for health concerns, 140 million Americans suffer from chronic conditions, and a projected 230 million by 2030. Loneliness, deemed an epidemic, carries health risks equivalent to smoking 15 cigarettes daily, increasing premature death risks by 26% and 29%. Additionally, social isolation contributes to a $6.7 billion excess in Medicare spending, while stress-related absenteeism linked to loneliness costs US employers $154 billion annually.
Founder and open-heart surgery survivor, Zach Gotlib, explains the rationale behind the rebrand, stating, "SelfiHealth captured a moment of self-reflection on health. We aspire for people to discover their 'band' members and foster a community, shifting the focus from the individual to the collective." Gotlib, who intimately understands the solitary journey of patients, recognizes the profound impact of meaningful support and the challenges in finding it. BandHealth introduces a rewards system incentivizing positive behavior and engagement, where members earn redeemable points for health and wellness services and goods.
Zach shares his personal journey, saying, "Being born with a congenital heart defect and having open heart surgery were a blessing in disguise, giving me a great appreciation for life. But, like most patients, I always felt a little different. I want to make sure that people don't feel different just because they have a chronic health challenge. I want them to feel like they have a band of people that truly understand - their band - because we all know how powerful human connection is."
BandHealth is composed of industry leading healthcare, tech, and security experts, who each bring a unique lens to SelfiHealth:
- Susannah Fox - Former Chief Technology Officer, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
- Dr. Sonal Bhatia - Chief Medical Officer, Rare Disease, Pfizer
- Dr. Hansa Bhargava - Chief Clinical Strategy and Integration, Healio
- Michael Tyler - Chief Information Security Officer, Huntington Hospital (Cedars-Sinai)
- Madison Workman - Chief Operating Officer, Broward Health North
- Corey Manicone - Co-Founder and CEO, Zuul
"The next big thing in health is patient-led innovation and discovery," says BandHealth Advisor, Susannah Fox. "The benefits of such a connection seem intuitively obvious and have been confirmed in academic studies. Yet, as I've seen in my work both in the private sector and as a former chief technology officer in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, peer-to-peer health networks are largely being ignored by businesses and even most clinicians. These are satisfied customers for a product that nobody is selling – yet."
BandHealth, beyond its focus on health conditions, aspires to revolutionize patient-caregiver connections, marking just the beginning of transformative change in this space. With a vision for a healthier future, the app is reshaping how individuals unite and provide mutual support, surpassing the limitations imposed by health conditions. This innovation promises ongoing evolution, hinting at a future where BandHealth continues to lead in fostering meaningful connections that redefine the landscape of healthcare support.
About BandHealth
BandHealth engages patients by providing meaningful support. BandHealth's mobile app matches people with similar health challenges and trained health mentors, based on health concern and who they are as people. The app provides one-on-one and group support, live programming and curated content, allowing people to message and video chat in-app, access educational resources, and attend daily events. BandHealth customizes its offering for digital health companies to engage, satisfy and retain their members. For more information please visit band.health.
Media Contact
Heather Fisher Gotlib, BandHealth, 1 6463976446, [email protected], https://www.band.health/
SOURCE BandHealth
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