Mom Founder Uses Texting To Transform Kid’s Healthcare

When it comes to their kid’s health, parents often opt for ” better safe than sorry ” and take their ailing child to the ER or urgent care. That can be costly and time-consuming. What if there was a faster, less expensive way to consult a pediatrician? Even before Covid-19, some doctors texted to diagnose and treat patients.

Acceptance of telehealth surged during the pandemic, and the share of Medicare visits using telemedicine leaped 63-fold . As a mom of two young boys who is passionate about telemedicine, Ellen DaSilva knew that texting a pediatrician might have avoided an expensive trip to the ER when her son fell off a bed. In December of 2021, DaSilva left Hims & Hers, where she headed strategic partnerships, to work on Summer Health.

It’s a text service that provides answers from board-certified pediatricians in 15 minutes. Any time and anywhere in the U. S.

During the height of Covid-19, when DaSilva was pregnant with her second son, her 18-month-old son fell off the bed. DaSilva’s husband took Spencer to the ER out of caution. It was before pregnant people were approved to get vaccinated.

They found out he was fine five hours and a $2,500 bill later. It became evident to DaSilva that parents needed a tool with which they could quickly—and inexpensively—consult with an expert. It’s not just parents and children who benefit from Summer Health.

Pediatricians do, too. The pandemic has taken a toll on the medical community, including pediatricians. McKinsey found that 61% of kids’ doctors are burnt out from prolonged emotional, physical, and mental stress.

Burnt-out physicians are seven times more likely to make treatment errors. One in five physicians plans to leave the field in the next 1-2 years; anecdotally, the ratio is worse among pediatricians. Making healthcare more accessible helps end-users and doctors alike.

“I decided to test the concept to see if anybody would send a text to a doctor for advice,” said DaSilva. “Parents have lots of questions for providers that they can’t get answered. And so I created a low-code version [a minimum viable product or MVP].

” A pediatrician friend of hers agreed to respond to the questions. In the winter of 2022, DaSilva posted on Instagram, “If you have a pediatric question, text this number. ” Within a week, about 200 people signed up.

“That was the moment I realized we’re on to something that is solving a big pain point,” she said. Very early on, DaSilva recruited Dr. Ali Alhassani to be head of clinical.

He is a Harvard-medical trained pediatrician. He worked at a health insurer and in the ER at Boston Children’s Hospital. “He has an amazing network of providers who are extremely interested in offering care on Summer Health,” said DaSilva.

“Interest from pediatricians has been so great that we’ve started a waitlist now. ” Summer Health’s team spent a lot of time cataloging and documenting pediatricians’ specialties and which states they are licensed, so a child with a rash in Kansas is matched with a state-licensed pediatrician with dermatology experience. “We’ve surveyed at least 250 pediatricians,” said DaSilva.

Doctors expressed some concern about nurse-on-call services because they tend to send children to urgent care or the emergency room. They are expensive, time-consuming, and don’t always have the right specialty. “Pediatricians love our platform because other pediatricians are treating their patients.

” The startup is a two-sided marketplace serving end-users (children and their parents) and pediatricians. Parents fill out an intake form that is sent to the physicians. “We’ve gotten feedback from customers that they want information on which provider they saw, what the diagnosis was, what the care or follow-up should be,” said DaSilva.

Everything is archived for easy access. Electronic medical records are stored, so even if parents get different pediatricians, the doctors are brought up to speed quickly and seamlessly. In states where it is legal, Summer Health physicians can write prescriptions, send for lab results, and read lab results.

There is a reminder system for the provider to follow up with parents within a specific time. “We are doing a beta test now where our customers can sign up and get treated by a provider within 15 minutes in all 50 states,” said DaSilva. As an active angel investor, DaSilva had relationships with angel investors and venture capitalists.

She raised $7. 5 million in seed funding in a round co-led by Alfred Lin at Sequoia Capital and Deena Shakir at Lux Capital. As a scout for Sequoia, DaSilva knew Lin at Sequoia well.

“It was one of the most competitive seed rounds I’ve ever experienced,” said Shakir. “Ellen is very well respected and well networked. There were quite a few folks who wanted to lead the round and others who wanted to get in.

Frankly, there just wasn’t enough room for all of them. ” The two were introduced by another Lux partner, Brandon Reeves, who had gone to Harvard Business School with DaSilva. They discussed potential partnership opportunities for Hims & Hers and startups DaSilva invested in and was scouting for Sequoia.

The two bonded over their interest in digital health for women and families. Shakir also has a strong thesis around moms as founders and has written about the lessons children can teach us. “You know the adage, if you want something done, give it to a busy mom,” she said.

Moms have an uncanny ability to be productive by being ruthless about prioritizing. “I feel very lucky and fortunate that I have the blessing from my investors,” said DaSilva. “I’ve been very deliberate on my cap table,” said DaSilva.

The VCs need to not just talk the talk about diversity, but walk the walk, too. Both Sequoia and Lux Capital are values aligned with the startup. It is also true of Metrodora Ventures, Chelsea Clinton’s fund, and she is an active advisor to the startup.

“Nonetheless, seeing how challenging it is to be both a parent and a CEO and a woman,” said DaSilva. She observed how men were applauded when they ducked out to do something for their kids, and women, not so much. She wants women to know they can care for their children and raise money.

You can run a mission-driven business and deliver an excellent ROI. A challenge for DaSilva is figuring out how the startup will provide Summer Health access to the parents of the 41% of children born into the Medicaid system. How are you leveraging your life skills to build your business?.