Chicago-based healthcare innovator AVIA has planted a flag in Nashville and tapped former Navihealth exec Joel Hasenwinkel to lead its efforts.
At a time when everyone in healthcare claims to be innovating – how many times have you heard the word “disruption” today alone? – the folks at AVIA are some of the smartest folks we’ve met in Chicago, and their approach is, well, pretty damn innovative.
A portfolio company of Abundant Ventures, AVIA leads a network of health systems to solve challenges through digital solutions. And – this is the cool part – they actually help health systems implement those solutions. Brilliant. Part of the appeal is that by banding together, participating systems can accelerate their pace of, yes, you guessed it, transformation.
Hasenwinkel, an erstwhile C-suiter at Welsh Carson-backed Navihealth Inc., which was purchased by Cardinal Health two years ago, will lead the mid-Atlantic and southeastern regions for AVIA. Prior to Navihealth, Hansenwinkel served in a variety of roles at healthcare companies including Healthways and Wellmark.
And for all of you socially minded entrepreneurs out there, here’s the skinny on Abundant Venture Partners. It’s a purpose-based incubator focused on improving the human condition by “creating companies that improve Human Wellness, Human Performance, and Human Engagement.” In other words, it’s ground zero for healthcare. Founder Eric Langshur created it after building the world’s largest healthcare social networking website, CarePages, which he sold to Steve Case, and RiseHealth, which was recently sold to Best Doctors.
