A startup company that’s aiming to simplify patients’ ordering of supplies, after they leave a nursing home, is going national.
Parachute Health recently announced that it has raised some $5.5 million in seed funds, which will allow the New York-based company to expand across the country. Its mission is to simplify the ordering of devices — such as oxygen tanks, hospital beds or walkers — which Parachute embarked upon after its founder’s father had a hard time ordering a walker following a hospital discharge.
“Imagine ordering shoes using a fax machine instead of the internet. You wouldn’t know if your order was received and even if it was, your shoes could arrive a week or even a month late,” founder and CEO David Gelbard said in a press release. “Now imagine if it wasn’t shoes, but the oxygen tank that you needed to breathe. Despite decades of advancement across industries, healthcare still relies on the fax machine. With Parachute, we are improving the experience for patients and caregivers alike.”
Much of the $50 billion spent annually on durable medical equipment was expended through slow fax machines and paper transaction records, the company notes. Parachute, meanwhile, is linked directly with the electronic medical record system, to cut paper and ensure compliance with insurance requirements, according to the announcement.
Parachute started out in NYC last year and has already expanded to more than 20 states, it says, fueled by demand from skilled-nursing facilities and other providers.
