This afternoon Greater Good Health emerged out of stealth mode with its nurse practitioner network focused on primary care. The Manhattan Beach, California-based startup is focused on digitally connecting nurse practitioners, and on offering providers training courses in value-based care, technology tools and clinical resources. 

The company pitches itself as a network centered on the nurse practitioner that can provide more holistic care to patients. 

“Our goal is to redefine holistic whole-person primary care, starting with the people healthcare relies on the most – nurse practitioners,” Founder and CEO Sylvia Hastanan said in a statement.

“Nurse practitioners are uniquely positioned to drive success in value-based care, improving equity and access to healthcare. What is missing today is a system that supports their practice.

"We have created a platform that helps them achieve fulfillment in their careers, advocate for their well-being, and enable them to connect on a personal level and avoid burnout.”

Nurse practitioners will be able to use the app or platform to become part of a professional network, match with a mentor and access educational materials. Greater Good’s community and networking tool, called Gigi, is able to help nurse practitioners organize their schedule, set monthly goals and provide point-of-care tools.

Nurse practitioners can also tap into its wellness features, intended to prevent burnout. 

The service is launching in California today, however it is looking to build out across the U.S. The company boasts of working with 13,000 patients under management across its clients.

WHY IT MATTERS 

The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) reports that by 2033 there will be a primary care physician shortage of between 21,400 and 55,200. This reality has kick-started the conversation around nurse practitioners expanding their scope of care. 

In fact, 23 states and the District of Columbia have adopted Full Practice Authority (FPA) legislation, allowing nurse practitioners to “evaluate patients, diagnose, order and interpret diagnostic tests and initiate and manage treatments” under the authority of the state board of nursing, according to the American Association of Nurse Practitioners.

Expanding nurse practitioners’ scope of care has often been a controversial issue in the medical community. The American Medical Association has publicly fought against legislation that would expand nurse practitioners and other non-physician professionals' breadth of practice. 

However, Greater Good is pitching its tool as a way to help tackle the doctor shortage. 

“The pandemic put a major strain on our health system, further fueling the physician shortage that existed prior to 2019. By providing value-based care training, coaching, wellness resources, efficiency tools and access to peers across the country, we will empower nurse practitioners as they advance their careers and curb the ongoing physician shortage,” Hastanan said.

"It also became obvious to me during the pandemic that the disparities and gaps in healthcare access will continue to widen if we don’t act."

THE LARGER TREND 

Primary care is a hot topic in digital health. In particular, there are a number of hybrid virtual and brick-and-mortar primary care providers. One Medical, which provides multimodal primary care, went public in early 2020. It recently snapped up Medicare-focused primary care provider Iora Health for $1.4 billion. 

Crossover Health, Forward, ChenMed and Carbon Health are other major players in the tech-backed primary care space.