Women’s Health Startup Tia Makes an Impact Treating ‘Medical Orphans’

San Francisco-based Tia launched in 2017 with a vision of reimagining health care with women at the center and helping them to make better decisions about their health. Now, in its first “Women’s Primary Care ‘Plus’ Outcomes Report,” the company shares data about the impact the company is having on its members.

Tia defines primary care “plus” as a relationship-based care model that integrates primary care alongside gynecology, mental health and wellness care.

Each member has access to a care team that includes medical providers, a clinical support team and a care coordinator. Tia believes its personalized model of care makes members feel heard and drives high engagement and satisfaction. Members average five or more visits a year and the provider has a net promoter score of 85, the report states.

“We work meticulously to ensure our entire care team not only follows the most stringent, evidence-based clinical protocols, but also can personalize a woman’s care for her own lived experience … . We build trust with women and make sure they’re getting all the care they should,” said Jessica Horwitz, Tia’s chief clinical officer, in a statement.

The report’s findings illustrate Horwitz’s point.

• Nearly two-thirds of Tia patients had completed a comprehensive physical examination, compared with a national benchmark of 14%, according to a review of national data in JAMA Internal Medicine.
• 94% are up to date on cervical cancer screening recommendations and 72% of Tia patients with diabetes have their condition under control, compared with a national benchmark of 55%, according to MIPS historical quality benchmark data.
• 91% have been screened for depression, as compared to data included in a study from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality that indicated a 49% rate nationally.

Company leaders believe these numbers confirm that their initial premise of becoming the Google or WebMD for women seeking answers to their health care needs was on target.

Tia now offers telehealth and brick-and-mortar clinics with convenient hours, serving tens of thousands of women from ages 18 to 80 with the goal of helping them receive better health care by becoming their own patient advocates. In 2022, Tia delivered more than 100,000 health care services to its members, company co-founder and CEO Carolyn Witte, noted in a recent interview.

Treating ‘Medical Orphans’

Tia operates in four markets: New York, Los Angeles, Phoenix and San Francisco. It engages a diverse population of women whom it describes as being left behind or “medical orphans” who didn’t have an established relationship with a primary care physician (70%) or an OB-GYN (86%) before joining Tia.

More than 60% of Tia members have a chronic condition, 44% identify as Black, LatinX, Asian or mixed race and 29% have a history of abuse or sexual trauma.

Engaging this diverse population with Tia caregivers’ attention to detail and a personalized approach to patients will lead to better outcomes, Horwitz recently told Fierce Healthcare. The company will use data from its initial report as a baseline to measure the company’s impact longitudinally.