UPMC Enterprises, the venture capital arm of Pittsburgh-based UPMC, has sold its inpatient teleconsult technology to eVisit, a virtual care platform. Initially developed during the COVID-19 pandemic, this platform played a crucial role in supporting health systems like New York City-based NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital during the viral surge in New York City.
The evolution of UPMC's telehealth platform
"At the height of the first wave, particularly in New York City, we used the technology to provide voluntary tele-ICU assistance to NewYork-Presbyterian," Brent Burns, executive vice president of digital solutions at UPMC Enterprises told Becker's. "This partnership turned out to be crucial, and our platform became a vital support system for both our physicians and NewYork-Presbyterian."
The success of this initial deployment led to the expansion of the platform across various service lines, including tele-stroke, tele-neurology, tele-psychiatry and tele-toxicology.
Strategic partnership with eVisit
Mr. Burns said the organization was considering whether to build a company around the platform or to find a partner with an established sales and marketing team.
The ultimate decision was made on June 25 for eVisit to acquire the inpatient teleconsult technology as the partnership would allow UPMC to combine the best of both technologies and roll them out to a broader market, Mr. Burns said.
"We look for partners who can continue to evolve the platform, addressing customer needs on both the provider and plan sides," he said. "We [UPMC] will provide additional clinical services and technology support to integrate the current eVisit platform seamlessly."
Mr. Burns also shared exciting news about the partnership's initial success.
"Texas Health Resources went live as a joint customer a few weeks ago," he said. "We're thrilled to see how this partnership will develop."
Kathi Cox, ambulatory and virtual channel COO of Arlington-based Texas Health Resources told Becker's that it is incredibly important that its patients have quicker access to quality care, and be closer to home for that care when possible.
"We are excited to be one of the first healthcare systems to implement e-Visit's telestroke solution to allow ED doctors and hospitalists to virtually consult with a neurologist as soon as it is clinically indicated," she said.
UPMC's role post-acquisition
Post-acquisition, UPMC will remain actively involved with eVisit.
"We will be shareholders in eVisit and will continue to work on ensuring the best customer experience for UPMC. There will be additional clinical pathways and service lines developed, supported by our tech services and engineering efforts," he said. "I'm excited to see eVisit take what we've built for their other customers and bring eVisit deeper into UPMC. We're looking forward to evolving their product roadmap and supporting them in building clinical pathways and tech-enabled services."