Upperline Health, a medical group based in Nashville, is attractive specifically because of its specialty value-based care, Crestline Investors Managing Director Marc Strauss said in an Upperline Health news release issued June 7.
"Despite 70% of healthcare providers being specialists, there has been little focus on value-based care arrangements with these physicians," Strauss said in the news release. “We were drawn to Upperline Health because they offer a sustainable approach to treating patients with chronic illnesses. By meeting patients where they are, whether it’s in a doctor’s office, over the phone, or in the patient’s home, they bring more efficient, more effective healthcare to those who need it most.”
Strauss' comments were included in Upperline Health's announcement that it had raised more than $58 million in new capital, with Crestline Investors leading the latest round. Silversmith Capital Partners and Adam Boehler also participated in the investment round that closed in May and in which Upperline Health was represented by Silicon Valley Bank Securities.
The capital raised will fund further growth in Upperline Plus's Accountable Care Organization REACH program.
"We're serving the highest-risk patient population with a variety of chronic conditions, extremely high mortality rate, and a spend that is 3-5x the average patient," Upperline Health CEO David Thorpe said in the news release. "We know these patients oftentimes fall between the cracks, but they don’t have to if we can better identify how and where to engage them. It’s why we started Upperline Health, to create a more effective approach to engaging patients in need of an extra layer of support."
Upperline Health specialists typically see patients four-to-six times and they maintain long-standing relationships with patients who suffer from chronic illnesses, Thorpe said.
"Our mission is to take that relationship and expand those frequent visits to treat the whole patient, not just a stand-alone complication," he said. "Patients don't have to change their behavior to receive complementary health services, which can help mitigate complications that would traditionally land them in the ER."
Crestline Investors is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas.
