MSU Health Care Announces Partnership with Higi to Address Health Access Challenges Across the State

The academic medical center will leverage Higi’s network and technology to empower Michigan residents to get the care they need, with a focus on early intervention and preventive care delivery  

Chicago, IL and East Lansing, MI – April 13, 2021 – Higi and MSU Health Care today announced their collaboration to create greater health equity in Michigan by helping residents learn about their health and connect to community health services and ongoing care, available through MSU Health Care. Higi is a consumer health engagement company partnering with leading healthcare organizations to provide access to care via a connected network of Smart Health Stations and complementary digital tools. MSU Health Care is a leading education, research and health care institution working to improve the health of communities across Michigan.

The partnership is representative of a broader MSU Health Care-led strategy to improve healthcare access state-wide and builds on existing initiatives to outreach underserved and in-need communities, now including over 250, free-to-use Higi Smart Health Stations. Life expectancy across the state of Michigan is a full year less than the national average, according to data provided by the state,[1] and in 2019, Michigan ranked only 32nd in overall health. Contributors include higher rates of smoking and heart disease deaths than the national average,[2] both of which connote chronic disease, which Higi helps identify and address. The relationship with Higi also includes a minority investment stake in the company, highlighting MSU Health Care’s strong commitment to long term community benefit.

“Higi’s network provides us with a clear picture of health indicators across our state, highlighting the very real challenge we are working so hard to solve,” says Seth Ciabotti, CEO at MSU Health Care. “Higi’s network, which facilitated over 1 million tests in our state in 2019, gives us a new opportunity to reach out to the community, reintroduce them to the MSU Health Care brand and get them a little more comfortable with the ways in which we can help them achieve better health – starting by establishing a strong primary care relationship where we can address chronic condition risks and get them on a path to a healthier lifestyle.”

In Michigan, 65% of blood pressure tests on Higi Stations indicate hypertension, and nearly 40% of diabetes risk tests indicate high risk. These numbers highlight a national trend underscored by rising healthcare costs and declining outcomes across the US. MSU Health Care is committed to changing this story in their state.

“This partnership will be transformative in terms of how consumers in Michigan access and engage with their health,” said Higi CEO, Jeff Bennett. “MSU Health Care saw the numbers and recognized they had a responsibility to act. Their commitment to the community, paired with the access Higi enables, will help more people get the care they need, when and how they need it.”

Higi Stations enable consumers to measure, track and act on their health, including measuring and tracking blood pressure, pulse, weight, BMI, risk for the development of type 2 diabetes and risk for heart attack and stroke. Stations also provide education and digital health content, enabling consumers to connect to the care that matters to them, now including MSU Health Care. Higi Smart Health Stations can be found in leading pharmacy, supercenter chain and grocery stores across the state, including Rite Aid. 

In the coming months, MSU will launch branding, education and digital health navigation and engagement programs across Higi’s network in Michigan, enabling consumers to easily connect with care resources provided by MSU Health Care.

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About Higi

Higi is a consumer health engagement company making it easier for all people to measure, track and act on their health data by bridging physical and digital touch points of the healthcare ecosystem. In service of health systems, health plans, retailers and consumer healthcare brands, Higi’s omni-channel platform meets consumers in their communities, at home and on the go. Our partners connect with the consumers they care for through our nationwide network of 10,000 FDA-cleared, free-to-use self-screening Smart Health Stations, home health devices, digital and mobile tools. The Higi platform addresses the needs of healthcare consumers across the care continuum through education designed to improve health literacy, disease specific assessments to inform risk stratification and drive digital navigation, and connected care offerings to avoid unscheduled care and improve outcomes. With the ability to move this data into healthcare’s workflows, Higi delivers digital health engagement at scale, creating actionable connections to the healthcare organizations that provide care and support. To date, more than 61 million people have used a Higi Station to conduct over 372 million biometric tests. 

About MSU Health Care

MSU Health Care is the fully-integrated academic medical center of Michigan State University, representing more than 600 faculty and affiliate providers. Our commitment to safe, high-quality patient care is realized through our comprehensive services for people of any age, education of the next generation of health care providers and medical research. MSU Health Care provides nearly 400,000 inpatient and outpatient visits annually. MSU Health Care providers can be found in more than 100 locations, in nearly every county of the State of Michigan delivering primary and specialty care, pharmacy, laboratory, imaging and physical therapy services in our owned or affiliate locations. Our providers treat patients at McLaren Greater Lansing, Sparrow and Spectrum hospitals as well as more than a dozen additional large health care systems throughout the state.​ Our position to create partnerships with like-minded organizations to transform health care has led to an imaging service agreement throughout the state, surgical center partnership, and a collaboration with Google on IVR and Chat technologies.

[1] http://www.mdch.state.mi.us/pha/osr/deaths/lifeUSMI.asp

[2] https://www.bridgemi.com/special-report/michigan-has-great-access-health-care-health-outcomes-are-another-story

Contact

Ariana Bennett | media@higi.com | (312) 504-0024

Melissa Jegla | jeglamel@msu.edu | (517) 599-4795