TULSA, Okla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Pear Suite, a digital health company working to empower community health workers (CHWs) and better address the social determinants of health (SDOH), today announced its expansion into the heartland states by establishing a new office in Tulsa, Oklahoma. This growth will allow Pear Suite to better serve clients who are focused on providing high quality healthcare, starting with LIFE Senior Services, an organization specializing in home and community-based services for over 80,000 seniors in Oklahoma.
Pear Suite’s growth in the heartland states comes at a time when more emphasis is being placed on addressing health disparities and promoting health equity. In Oklahoma and neighboring states, access to high-quality healthcare can be limited, particularly in rural communities. With its new presence in the region, Pear Suite will partner with local community-based organizations, health plans, and healthcare providers to enable social care navigation through tech-enabled CHWs. As a result, the platform can be leveraged to provide underserved populations with better access to necessary care, regardless of location.
Tulsa-based Atento Capital bolstered Pear Suite’s expansion in the region with strategic investment. The venture capital firm is focused on fostering a community of digital health startups, supporting recruitment and business development efforts, and building regional connections to serve their region.
“Pear Suite is doing something unique in healthcare and has shown that they can execute a scalable business model in other challenging regions,” said Michael Basch, founder, CEO and general partner at Atento Capital. “We are proud to partner with Colby and the entire team to help further their efforts throughout Oklahoma, and surrounding states, to reach communities most in need.”
Pear Suite Joins Forces with LIFE Senior Services in Tulsa
LIFE Senior Services, a local senior services provider, will be utilizing Pear Suite’s social care navigation platform to elevate its program offerings and boost staff productivity.
“Partnering with Pear Suite will allow us to better serve Tulsa seniors,” said Eileen Bradshaw, president and CEO at LIFE Senior Services. “Our mission is to promote and preserve independence for seniors, and becoming a more tech-enabled organization will help us provide more comprehensive care citywide.”
LIFE Senior Services will begin by integrating Pear Suite’s platform into its SeniorLine, Medicare and Tax Assistance Programs, and Case Management Services to better connect seniors to local resources and help them remain independent, healthy and engaged longer. The platform will eventually be rolled out in all health promotion and home-based care functions of the organization.
Pear Suite’s Expansion to Continue Throughout the Heartland
Through strategic local partners, including Tulsa Innovation Labs, Intertribal Health Innovation Institute, Heartland Forward, and the George Kaiser Family Foundation, Pear Suite will continue to support underserved and hard-to-reach communities across the region. Since launching operations in Tulsa, Pear Suite has gone live with organizations in Texas, Arkansas, Kentucky, and Indiana, with expansion into Kansas and Louisiana expected by the end of the year.
“Pear Suite is on a mission to elevate and empower users to address social drivers of health and promote health equity in underserved communities,” said Colby Takeda, CEO and co-founder of Pear Suite. “I can’t think of a better place to have such meaningful impact, at scale, than in the heartland.”
For more information about the organizations, please visit LIFEseniorservices.org and pearsuite.com.
About LIFE Senior Services
LIFE Senior Services is a non-profit organization that strives to keep seniors independent and engaged as long as is possible. LIFE serves seniors and family caregivers through a wide range of programs including Senior Centers, Adult Day Health Services, Case Management, Caregiver Support, SeniorLine Information, Volunteer Opportunities, Medicare Assistance Program (MAP) and the Tax Assistance Program (TAP). LIFE publishes the monthly Vintage Newsmagazine and the annual Vintage Guide to Housing & Services and is a proud partner of the Tulsa Area United Way. LIFE has two affiliate organizations, LIFE PACE and Vintage Housing (affordable independent living).
About Atento Capital
Atento Capital is a Tulsa-based venture capital firm focused on unlocking unsung potential in early-stage founders through providing access to venture capital, human capital and expanded professional networks. Atento Capital has created pathways to upward mobility and helped dozens of companies and entrepreneurs thrive in Tulsa’s tech ecosystem by democratizing access to venture capital for traditionally underinvested groups of people.
About Pear Suite
Pear Suite is a digital health company that empowers community health workers to address the social determinants of health (SDOH). Through Pear Suite’s social care navigation platform, health plans, providers, and community-based organizations can boost member engagement, improve health outcomes, and reduce the cost of care in a person-centered, culturally, and linguistically centered way. Pear Suite has supported dozens of organizations and impacted more than 25,000 lives by driving improvements that are often overlooked in the healthcare landscape. The company’s unique ability to combine software with tech-enabled services is significantly impactful for older adults, ethnic minority groups, and other medically-underserved groups. For more information, please visit pearsuite.com or follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.
