UpStream Healthcare, a rapidly growing Greensboro company, has expanded its reach into South Carolina.
The value-based care company is partnering with the Medical University of South Carolina to advance the health of Medicare patients within MUSC Health’s network. Over 300 primary care physicians caring for more 30,000 seniors are expected to participate in this partnership.
“This transformative approach to senior care will put the patient at the center of the delivery system by leveraging the strength and reciprocal skill sets of both UpStream and MUSC Health to accelerate access to quality care,” Doddamani said.
Founded in 2017, UpStream embeds nurses and pharmacists in doctors’ offices, allowing primary care physicians to maximize the care they provide. Value-based care emphasizes outcomes and incentivizes doctors to provide high quality care rather than more care; UpStream assumes the financial risk that comes with the value-based care model.
The company was named one of Triad Inno’s inaugural Inno Fire awardees this year and CEO Sanjay Doddamani was named a TBJ Power Player.
As of July, the company employed just under 300 people, partnered with 280 primary care physicians, engaged with 30,000 patients directly and oversaw the care of 100,000 seniors. It received a $45 million Series A investment last November and is already looking for its next fundraise according to Doddamani.
Doddamani told TBJ that he expects to partner with more than 1,200 primary care physicians in 2023 and employ 1,000 early in the year. He also said that UpStream – which has partnerships across North Carolina, including with Cone Health – will soon be expanding in South Carolina, Virginia and New York as the company looks to grow nationally.
Together, UpStream and MUSC Health aim to improve results for Medicare patients by providing a team committed to care coordination. The partnership also hopes to increase health equity for underserved patients through preventative care and the management of chronic diseases.
“UpStream will enhance our physicians’ capabilities to provide better care for our patients, especially vulnerable seniors in underserved communities who will benefit from this level of coordination,” said Dr. Patrick Cawley, CEO of MUSC Health. “And, importantly, our collective success is closely tied to producing good patient outcomes and reducing avoidable hospital readmissions, which is a win-win for patients, providers and health systems.”
MUSC Health is South Carolina’s only comprehensive health system, educating more than 3,000 students and more than 650 residents and fellows and employing almost 25,000 people.
It provides care at 14 hospitals with approximately 2,500 beds, with five additional hospital locations in development. MUSC Health was ranked the top hospital in the state by U.S. News and World Report for the eighth consecutive year in 2022.
