Startup Snapshot: Herself Health
Health disparities by gender and age can have serious consequences. A new startup known as Herself Health aims to tackle those disparities head-on.
The company specifically caters to women over 65, and it opened its first clinic early January in St. Paul.
“Today, women are misdiagnosed at higher rates than men, take longer to diagnose, and often express frustration at not feeling heard, often being asked to ‘prove’ their symptoms to physicians,” says CEO Kristen Helton, who previously worked as general manager of Amazon Care. “We saw that there were no value-based health care offerings that target women 65 or older. Most other value-based primary care organizations serve both men and women, without a focus on designing a care model for women.”
Herself Health’s physicians start with an extensive interview and health evaluation of patients. From there, doctors create a unique health plan, which includes a focus on common areas of concern such as osteoporosis, weight management, and emotional well-being.
Herself also offers urgent care services at its St. Paul clinic. By the end of 2023, the startup aims to open two more clinics in the Twin Cities, along with additional telehealth options, Helton says.
Herself Health is incorporated as a Minnesota company, but its leadership team is fully remote; CEO Helton works from Seattle.
HQ: Remote
Founded: 2022
Founders: Kristen Helton and investment firm Juxtapose
Raised-to-date: $7 million
