When Traci Sweet and I founded Holon Health, we had a vision for a company that could change lives for the better. We knew there were obvious healthcare gaps to fill for underserved populations including those with substance use disorders (SUD), those involved in the criminal justice system, and even juveniles. And, we knew how to do it.
The Beginning of Holon Health
Before starting Holon Health, I served as the Founding CEO of Averhealth, the industry leader of innovative solutions for substance use disorder monitoring and treatment. After successfully expanding the company to over 30 states with 550,000+ clients, I felt compelled to explore new ways to provide tech-enabled services that addressed gaps at the intersection of criminal justice and healthcare.
I met Dr. Traci Sweet when she came to serve as a consultant to lead Averheatlh clinically in developing a collaborative care program. While working together, we found ourselves asking the question, “Should these collaborative care services stand on their own?”
We knew there were significant issues in the substance use disorder field: relapse, lack of timely access to healthcare, low healthcare literacy, and the need for personalized treatment plans. We also knew that with a touch of creativity and innovation, we could solve for them. That’s why we started Holon Health.
Addressing Gaps in Care Through Evidence-Based Treatments and Technology
We named Holon Health after the Greek word “holos” and -on. Holos, which means “whole” and -on, meaning “part.” Holon–something that is both a whole and a part of a larger whole. We chose this because we aimed to fill physical, mental, and social healthcare gaps, each a whole and a part of larger whole health.
The gaps and complexities in care for clients at the intersection of SUD and criminal justice often led to misused emergency services due to a lack of preventative care, health literacy, and treatment. Knowing this, we hypothesized that this population would benefit from early and preventative interventions, tailored treatment plans, quick access to services, and help navigating insurance and healthcare.
Due to the barriers these individuals face—finances, transportation, etc.—we needed to provide accessible, effective services that addressed multiple aspects of health. The answer, based on our experience, seemed obvious. We needed to leverage the power of technology and positive motivation, two things clients have historically reacted well to.
That’s how Holon Vibe was born.
Holon Vibe: An App that Solves for Access, Motivation, and Engagement
We created Holon Vibe knowing the vast majority of the population we serve owns a smartphone they use daily, if not hourly.
Vibe is a proprietary web-based therapeutic application that promotes engagement through organization, reminders, gamification, and financial rewards.
It’s designed to manage the chronic nature of SUD through:
- Tech-enabled care built to benefit clients and providers.
- Solution-Focused Therapy (SFT) that encourages positive forward-thinking.
- Contingency management that promotes engagement via gamification and rewards.
- Convenient and accessible telehealth options tailored to an underserved population.
After the launch, we immediately observed clients accessing Vibe on a daily basis to complete five to ten minutes of solution-focused therapy (SFT) and to claim a cash reward for doing so. Clients reported the exercises as beneficial in supporting recovery and noted they liked logging in everyday to do reflections and earn cash. We observed a lower amount of positive drug tests and an increased number of days sober for our clients enrolled in Vibe.
Not Just For Clients: Holon Benefits Providers, Criminal Justice Systems, and Health Plans
In addition to helping clients improve their health and wellbeing, Holon also benefits providers, criminal justice systems, and health plans.
Benefits for Providers
Tech-enabled care affords insights that help build rapport and trust between providers and clients. And for our providers, Vibe reduces administrative burdens, allowing for greater care time. For external providers and services, we’re able to augment traditional treatment by promoting client engagement via contingency management and reminders. We share client insights from daily SFT lessons and when needed, we’re able to provide a temporary bridge to support clients waiting to start treatment. We’ve seen these additions help build better relationships between clients and their provider(s).
Benefits for Criminal Justice Systems
Holon connects clients with a suite of resources that address health issues and reduce hurdles like transportation and employment. Since we engage health plans, our cost to clients is typically fully or mostly covered and we’re able to get medically necessary drug tests covered, resulting in direct cost savings. These services lead to a reduction in client barriers, improved compliance, and reduced revocations.
Benefits for Health Plans
By encouraging preventive care and engagement, our clients experience fewer positive drug tests and longer durations of abstinence/sobriety. This, combined with preventive care and health literacy, helps to reduce costs for health plans by reducing emergency room visits and hospital admissions. As an added bonus, Holon’s comprehensive approach to disease management shifts the focus to prevention and wellness, improves HEDIS and Star metrics, and boosts health equity for an underserved population.
A Continual Evolution: Future Growth
As a healthcare tech start-up, we’re no stranger to adapting quickly and making positive changes on the fly. Since our founding, we’ve built a scalable app that we’re improving upon every week. We’ve grown to serve multiple states and thousands of clients. And there’s no plan to stop anytime soon. We know people across the United States need our services and we’re dedicated to bringing our care to the states that need it.
Want to learn more about Holon Health or work with us? Contact us today. Interested in interviewing or speaking with Dr. Sweet or myself? Email choltz@holonhealth.com to discuss.
