Press Release
United States of Care and 7wireVentures Announce Samaritan as the Recipient of the 2023 Thomas J. Main Ignite Award
Samaritan is a support platform that helps people access the financial capital & social support necessary to find a stable home.
Washington, D.C. — United States of Care (USofCare) and 7wireVentures are thrilled to announce Samaritan as the winner of the 2023 Thomas J. Main Ignite Award. This award, which honors the legacy of the late Thomas J. Main, former Partner at 7wireVentures and founder of the Oliver Wyman Health Innovation Center, recognizes an early-stage, innovative startup contributing to a more affordable and cost-efficient health care system and delivering improved health outcomes for the consumers they serve.
Samaritan is a support platform that empowers people to meet needs and take action on a path to a stable home. Health and human services such as CommonSpirit, Elevance Health, and Molina Healthcare are deploying Samaritan to engage last-mile populations into the financial and social support needed to meet critical social determinants of health (SDOH) needs.
Samaritan enters communities with frontline partners to reach targeted individuals with a Samaritan Membership. Members get a smart wallet, then share goals, action steps, and needs. From here, Members earn bonuses for taking action steps and receive financial and social support to meet needs along the way. Funds are redeemed alongside a caregiver and no apps, bank access, or legal documentation are required from participants. Use of Samaritan has been shown to help individuals rapidly improve access to care, critical utilities, and housing — significantly reducing total cost of claims (by 24% in one 9-month pre-post analysis of 100 patients in LA).
“We’re so proud to recognize Samaritan for the incredible work they do helping people experiencing homelessness gain the social and financial support needed to find a stable home,” said United States of Care CEO and Co-Founder Natalie Davis. “At USofCare, we know that building a health care system that works for all of us means addressing the social determinants of health — by providing people with the tools and help they need to reach their housing and health goals, Samaritan is at the forefront of helping improve outcomes for people without a home.”
“Thomas J. Main dedicated his career to redefining health care and shifting the focus to prevention, early interventions, and social determinants of health,” said 7wireVentures Partner, Robert Garber. “This year’s recipient, Samaritan, has demonstrated its commitment to Tom’s vision by mobilizing the power of community to help provide unsheltered Americans with a trusted support network. We are proud of the work they are doing and pleased to honor them with this award.”“Our background is in human services, and we’re so grateful for the way the healthcare community has wrapped its arms around us to help us learn and grow,” said Jonathan Kumar, Samaritan’s founder. “We’re honored by this recognition from USofCare and 7wireVentures, and see it as still the beginning as we work to help over 100,000 people on or near the street access the financial and social capital needed to reach their income, housing, and health goals.”
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About United States of Care
United States of Care is a nonpartisan organization committed to ensuring that everyone has access to quality, affordable health care.
About 7wireVentures
7wireVentures is a preeminent venture capital firm dedicated to building and investing in early-stage digital health companies supporting an Informed Connected Health Consumer.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Kevin Perez-Allen
(714) 499-4481