Amazon has scooped up a Chicago digital health startup as the e-commerce giant dives further into the healthcare industry.
Amazon acquired Health Navigator, a Chicago startup led by David Thompson, a physician at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. Health Navigator provides tools to digital health companies, such as online symptom checkers, health bots and telehealth applications.
According to CNBC, Amazon will offer Health Navigator to employees as part of its Amazon Care clinics. Amazon Care operates as a virtual medical clinic for Amazon employees, and the company is piloting the service to its Seattle employees.
Health Navigator is the second health startup Amazon has acquired. Last year Amazon bought pharmacy delivery startup PillPack for more than $750 million.
Health Navigator is also the first Chicago startup Amazon has acquired---at least publicly.
Thompson, who also serves as a part-time faculty member at Northwestern Memorial's Emergency Department, founded Health Navigator in 2013. The company works with health services like telemedicine providers to bring them natural language processing tools to improve patient care. Its digital diagnostic system helps companies provide accurate and efficient symptom checking, as well as improved workflow for telemedicine providers.
Health Navigator's clients include Microsoft, Rush Health System and telehealth provider MDLIVE.
Amazon announced in September that it plans to add 400 tech jobs in Chicago, roughly doubling its local corporate office headcount. The company also announced that it will expand its downtown Chicago office by more than 70,000 square feet.
