Tia, a women’s health-focused concierge company, will partner with Los Angeles-based health system Cedars-Sinai, the organizations said Thursday morning.
Health systems are increasingly partnering with tech-enabled startups like Tia to increase access to care for women. The partnership with Cedars-Sinai follows similar deals Tia has made with San Francisco-based UCSF Health and CommonSpirit Health in Arizona.
Tia has one existing clinic in Silver Lake, California and opened its second Los Angeles-area location this week in Santa Monica. The company is working with Cedars-Sinai to open new clinics this year in Pasadena, Studio City and Culver City.
Dr. Sarah Kilpatrick, chair of the department of obstetrics and gynecology at Cedars-Sinai, said Tia approached the system about five years ago. While there were internal discussions to build a similar service, Kilpatrick said the health system is working with Tia because its care delivery model was mature and established in other markets.
“We're busy with all these other things. Here's a company that was coming to us that wants to come to LA and partner with us,” Kilpatrick said. “They are providing a model that we don't have.”
The providers declined to share specific details about the financials of the arrangement other than that Cedars-Sinai would co-fund Tia’s Los Angeles expansion.
Even with plans to open in-person clinics, Tia co-founder Carolyn Witte said it will continue to emphasize virtual care.
“Around 70% of Tia’s services are delivered virtually, so it is very much a virtual forward, asset light model,” Witte said. “But we believe it's essential to provide hands on body care too.”
Cedars-Sinai and Tia leaders will share clinical protocols and coordinate patient care as part of the arrangement. There are future plans to integrate clinical notes and medical records between the two organizations.
Tia, which received a $100 million venture capital funding round in September 2021, is part of the emerging women’s health startup scene. Health systems are increasingly working with these startups to improve access and care for women. Other recent digital health-health system partnerships on women’s health have included Diana Health and HCA Healthcare; Maven Clinic and Cleveland Clinic; and Oula and Mount Sinai in New York.
