Wellinsthe company behind a digital platform and connected devices for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, has appointed Stacie Bratcher as CEO, filling the position vacated by Alex Waldron in March.
The Connecticut-based company offers a platform for tracking COPD treatments, symptoms and vital signs, coaching and pulmonary rehabilitation, and connected devices such as nebulizers and pulse oximeters.
Previously, Bratcher was CEO of Jet Health, a provider of skilled home health care, personal care, hospice and companionship services, and CEO of Alana Healthcare, a chronic disease treatment company.
She is also CEO of GripAble, based in London, a digital health company offering a wearable assessment and training device for upper extremity rehabilitation.
“It’s an exciting time for innovation in healthcare, with an increased focus on cardiopulmonary issues and the management of complex chronic conditions. The time has come for virtual solutions to dramatically improve outcomes for patients who need them most, and I am proud to bring my experience to the impressive Wellins team!” Bratcher recounted Mobile Health News in an email.
THE BIGGER TREND
COPD affects one in eight Americans ages 45 and older, and over 16 million Americans have been diagnosed with COPD. according to the NIH’s National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.
Wellins, formerly of Convexity Scientific, scored $25 million in Series C funding in 2021.
Last month, announced the company an agreement with Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield of Delaware to provide COPD care to underserved populations in the state.
Another digital health company fighting COPD is Respiree, a medical technology spin-off from the Singapore Agency for Science, Technology and Research.
Response received FDA 510(k) clearance for its wearable cardiopulmonary sensor device, which directly measures respiration in patients with cardiopulmonary diseases such as COPD and heart failure.
