Sixteen health systems have put their weight behind Vale Health, a new online marketplace of vetted wellness offerings for consumers.
The Chicago-based platform launched this week at ViVE 2024 and is backed by names like the Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin health network, Memorial Hermann, Ochsner Health and Novant Health.
It pulls dozens of strategic, clinical, product and technical experts from these organizations to serve on its platform advisory boards, which according to the platform’s website will set guidelines on which products will be included, how to handle consumer privacy, how to drive engagement and other focus areas.
Vale Health is kicking off with a marketplace of brands and products for improving sleep. It plans to add other categories including weight management, mental wellness, skin care, pregnancy and digestive health “in the coming months,” according to a press release.
"Healthcare consumers and health systems have been frustrated by the artificial boundary we have in the healthcare system between staying healthy, improving overall wellness and treating illness," Bill Furlong, CEO of Vale Health, said in a release. "They both want access to trusted approaches and products that can complement their clinical care and allow clinicians to focus on higher-complexity work."
Froedtert & MCW health network is the first of the 16 health systems to go live with the platform. Its version includes educational resources, a quiz that guides users to an ideal product and links back into the health system’s digital ecosystem to schedule visits with its clinicians.
Among the sleep health products listed on the Froedtert & MCW health network’s Vale Health marketplace are weighted blankets, white noise machines, bedding, mouthguards, air quality monitors, relaxation and meditation apps, supplements and smart wearables, including Fitbits, Apple Watches and Oura Rings.
"As a national leader in consumer-centered healthcare, we are always looking for ways to enhance care, improve customer satisfaction and increase the efficiency of our operations,” Mark Lodes, Froedtert & MCW health network’s chief medical officer for population health and medical education, said in a release. “The ability to provide a wellness marketplace through Vale Health fosters our ability to do all three. … Vale's ability to let us offer a self-directed online marketplace of vetted sleep solutions will connect patients with tools to lead healthier and happier lives and help them engage with their clinicians in a more informed and efficient manner."
Vale Health’s “consortium” of health system backers serves more than 25 million people per year. The full list of founding member health organizations, according to the platform’s website and press materials, is: Froedtert & MCW health network, Cone Health, Novant Health, Ochsner Health, Memorial Hermann, St. Luke’s University Health Network, Ballad Health, Lifebridge Health, Memorial Care, Northwestern Medicine, OSF HealthCare, UCHealth, The University of Kansas Health System, Bassett Healthcare Network and Baylor Scott & White Health.