Many of us tend to look at health in terms of the absence of disease or sickness. But overall health, both mental and physical, is determined by a combination of wellness factors that include sleep, nutrition, exercise, social connections, and mindfulness. Heuro Health is a wellness management platform that integrates personal health information, habits and routines, wellness data, providers, and insurance information to provide the guidance and tools to improve overall health. The platform takes a holistic approach, providing unlimited access to telehealth options with physicians, a personalized health assessment and scoring system, health coaching, analytics-powered personal guidance, and more. The app is free for members of employer-sponsored healthcare plans, helping employees improve their wellbeing while lowering overall costs for employers.
AlleyWatch caught up with CEO and Founder Jesse Kessler to learn more about building a true healthcare ecosystem that brings continuity in patient care across the spectrum, the company’s strategic expansion plans, and much, much more…
Tell us about the product or service that Heuro Health offers.
Heuro Health is a new technology platform that offers its members the power to navigate their own wellness journeys with Heuro’s guidance—inspiring them to track their own health, medical, and lifestyle information in one secure and user-friendly place. Designed as an app to fold easily into daily routines, Heuro securely aggregates personal health records, insurance plan information, care providers, prescriptions, and wellness data—eliminating the disconnect that we often see between health coaches, nutritionists, and doctors.
In addition to being a one-stop shop for all health & wellness data and synchronization, there are exclusive perks continually enhancing Heuro memberships. Unlimited access to health coaches and doctors, Heuro-exclusive health programs and classes, live streams and podcasts, and health progress tracking with AI-generated health scores are just a few that our members are really excited about.
How is it different?
There are two parts to the Heuro solution that’s different than other wellness platforms on the market.
On one end, it solves the underlying problem of offering true continuity of care. For example, if a consumer is talking to a health coach, unless the individual connects the health coach with his or her doctor, the doctor most likely isn’t able to see certain health insights that could impact proficiency of care. In other words, the right-hand doesn’t necessarily see what the left hand is doing.
By offering Heuro through employer-sponsored plans, all of our health coaches, doctors, and even personal health and wellness apps such as Fitbit, are synced together in one place. Now, whenever this individual makes an appointment in the future, the practitioner has full access to the current state of health and wellness from the data aggregated by the Heuro app—allowing more transparent communication between an individual’s wellness team and leading to more synchronized, holistic care.
Alternatively, the health care system in this country is currently reactive. Instead of encouraging wellness-focused behaviors, the industry banks on treating the already sick instead of preventing it in the first place.
Heuro is shifting this dynamic by empowering individuals to track their own health and wellness data, utilizing AI-generated health scores to show where they can improve their own states of wellness, and where there may be risks. As a result, employers and payors save on health care plans due to a reduction in otherwise preventable costs, and consumers are healthier.
Heuro is shifting this dynamic by empowering individuals to track their own health and wellness data, utilizing AI-generated health scores to show where they can improve their own states of wellness, and where there may be risks. As a result, employers and payors save on health care plans due to a reduction in otherwise preventable costs, and consumers are healthier.
What market does Heuro Health target and how big is it?
The advantages of a healthy and well workforce are vast and ever-growing. Since Heuro is available as an app for iOS and Android mobile devices, we are in a position to target any market across the US.
At the moment, we have a heavy presence in the northeast, with plans of rolling out to employer or payor-sponsored healthcare plans across the United States soon. In the meantime, we’re in a position to target any market seeking to proactively offer health and wellness-focused resources to their employees—while ultimately saving dollars on the backend from minimizing risk to otherwise preventable health concerns.
What is the business model?
Heuro is available to consumers exclusively through employers or payor-sponsored healthcare plans. This top-down approach leverages our partners’ expansive networks and strategically aligns us with stakeholders across the healthcare industry and beyond. This also helps us to minimize risk, and enhance our service offerings while positioning us for rapid growth.
What inspired the start of Heuro Health?
As a serial entrepreneur throughout most of my career, mainly in healthcare, I experienced firsthand what was working in the industry and what wasn’t. Healthcare is very opaque and complex and has many stakeholders, so it’s hard for people who don’t have an overall understanding of the healthcare industry to find solutions.
I have a thorough understanding of the ecosystem and recognize that in order to be successful in this industry, you have to do two things: motivate the consumer and connect the various providers that care for that consumer. Which is why I’m excited to found Heuro—it encourages people to live a healthy and well life while helping make businesses more profitable. It’s a win-win and a step toward a healthier and happier world.
How has COVID-19 impacted the business?
If anything, COVID-19 has proven the vital importance of understanding and improving one’s health. During this time, we’ve been partnering with new healthcare providers, telecommunications companies and more, and have seen a vast increase in users and daily usage.
What are the milestones that you plan to achieve within six months?
In the next six months, we are aiming to roll Heuro out nationally. Our goal is to have each of these members feeling happier, healthier and more in charge of their own health goals than ever before.
What is the one piece of startup advice that you never got?
Be prepared to be a jack-of-all-trades in the beginning of the startup process. Founders’ initial responsibilities span the roles of CEOs, COOs, CFOs, sales associates and assistants, all bundled into one. Until you have the capital to build out a true team, founders wear many, many hats.
My advice would be to learn as much as you can about the various segments of your business. Know that you will make mistakes, but be ready to accept that and move on quickly. Don’t get bogged down trying to make everything perfect; perfect is aspirational and could leave you too focused on the granular aspects of your business. Focus on priorities that will truly move the needle, and keep moving forward.
My advice would be to learn as much as you can about the various segments of your business. Know that you will make mistakes, but be ready to accept that and move on quickly. Don’t get bogged down trying to make everything perfect; perfect is aspirational and could leave you too focused on the granular aspects of your business. Focus on priorities that will truly move the needle, and keep moving forward.
If you could be put in touch with anyone in the New York community who would it be and why?
If I could be put in touch with anyone, it would be Ray Dalio. I’ve read all of his books and find his insights on business, tactical decision making and personal responsibilities fascinating and on-point. He has the ability to take very complex decision-making patterns and boil them down into a straightforward, clear process that anyone can follow and use.
Ray is also an advocate of folding meditation practices into your daily routine, as am I. We both see the positive impact meditation has on people—especially when utilizing as a tool to clarify perspective and insight in business.
His perspectives from both personal and professional practices intrigue me. I’d love to have a deeper conversation with him about his journey and share insights with him in the future.
Why did you launch in New York?
New York has become a major tech hub since I moved to the city in 2009. Startups no longer have to be based in Silicon Valley to be considered in the mix; many of the best and brightest are here. Especially over the past five years, technology companies based in New York have exponentially grown in quantity, giving us an advantage when finding talent to bring onto the team. Our executive team at Heuro are cream of the crop professionals from various NYC-based industries. There are also many key players based in the city—from venture capitalists, to telecommunications companies, some healthcare providers and a lot more—we intentionally planted its roots here knowing we would be best suited for success.
What’s your favorite outdoor dining restaurant in NYC
There are so many in New York, it’s hard to choose one. But Don Angie in West Village has been a long-time favorite of mine.
As we all know, it’s been a hard time for the hospitality industry, so I encourage everyone to support their favorite local establishments and order directly from them to keep them alive.
