A fast-growing Columbus startup known for enabling in-office dental surgeries this year offered in-home Covid-19 vaccinations to demonstrate how it can expand the boundaries of mobile healthcare delivery.
Offor Health Inc., on pace to double revenue this year in its initial business line SmileMD, is working with Medicaid managed care plans to fill healthcare gaps for rural communities and homebound patients, CEO Saket Agrawal said.
"They are looking for novel solutions and opportunities to drive down the cost of care," he said in an interview. "That’s the holy grail of where healthcare wants to go, and our model fits well in that proposition."
A $6 million venture capital round this spring helped build the infrastructure for rapid expansion. Offor nearly doubled to 77 employees so far this year and could hit 90 by year-end. While expanding operations in Ohio, Illinois and Kentucky, it's adding Tennessee this month and Texas early in 2022.
"The foundation we laid down in 2021 is going to allow us to accelerate in 2022," Agrawal said.
Seven-year-old SmileMD brings mobile anesthesiologists, support staff and equipment to dental practices so they can perform outpatient surgery without waiting weeks or months for a slot to open up in a hospital or surgery center.
Parent company Offor added home delivery of vaccines to Medicaid members who couldn't make it to clinics.
"It allowed us to show the power of the platform we have," Agrawal said. "It was definitely more charitable than a business driver. It was an opportunity to partner when there was a need, to show what we’re capable of."
The startup can leverage its growing network of clinicians and its logistics software to reach underserved populations, Agrawal said.
"We’re already statewide; we can get to all geographies with our network," he said.
Offor is piloting two more brands, EliteMD, which brings its OR-on-the road to physician practices instead of dentists, and ThriveMD for senior care.
"There’s all sorts of care delivery models that are of interest," Agrawal said.
"Telehealth a great trend, but it’s not the delivery of care," he said. "We’re looking to solve the transition between telehealth and being able to deliver that care."
The company has competitors, including Colorado-based DispatchHealth, which Ohio State University's Wexner Medical Center brought to Columbus for in-home urgent care.
"You're going to see a lot more of these types of companies come up," Agrawal said. "There's so much need.
"The environment has changed drastically post-Covid: Everyone’s come to the realization that healthcare has got to change," he said. "We’re really excited about what we’re building here."
