Ecosystem
Building
Due to systemic racism and economic stigma, women and other birthing people of color face barriers to reproductive and maternal healthcare, which often result in disparate reproductive and maternal health outcomes. Investment in the multibillion dollar healthcare market is one way to advance health and wellbeing, however, investments in healthcare innovation are not often deployed to address racial, ethnic or gender disparities. Our ecosystem building work seeks to:
- incorporate a racial and gender equity lens into reproductive and maternal health investments,
- support early and growth stage companies with the integration of equity informed best practices,
- advance reproductive justice principles in the broader marketplace,
- elevate community voice through equitable partnerships, and
- foster a culture of impact measurement and management in the ecosystem.
Such an approach can spur innovation and address disparities in reproductive and maternal health outcomes.
The 2021 Impact Report details how RH Capital, a Rhia Ventures Fund, assesses the impact of its funds and portfolio companies on advancing reproductive and maternal health equity.
Addressing Racial Health Gaps through Private Investment
New Markets Support Company (NMSC) and Rhia Ventures co-hosted a program to discuss the findings of NMSC’s white paper, “Narrowing the Black-White Health Gap: Opportunities for Private Investment to Drive Progress in the United States.” The program explored how the private sector can better address the racial health gap through investment, including examples of scalable evidence-based solutions and innovative solutions that can disrupt traditional approaches to health care. A companion guide is available.
Webinar
Narrowing the Black-White Health Gap: Opportunities for Private Investment to Drive Progress in the United States
Driving Growth by Engaging Strategic Partners
Engaging strategic partners for funding and additional resources can be a critical step for early-stage reproductive health companies. It is a sensitive process that requires time and intention.
Rhia Ventures and RH Capital, a Rhia Ventures fund, offered a virtual Masterclass for founders and innovators to provide an overview of partnership structures including joint ventures, licensing and development agreements, contract research, equity investments, and acquisition. Cirqle Biomedical’s licensing and development deal with Organon was highlighted as a case study. The program covered considerations for selecting appropriate partnership structures, expectations for negotiation process and timing, and best practices for strategic partner engagement. A highlight guide is available.
Masterclass
Engaging Strategic Partners in Reproductive Health
Speakers: Rhia Ventures Chief Health Officer Dr. Crystal Pirtle Tyler, RH Capital Managing Director Stasia Obremskey, Cirqle Biomedical CEO Frederik Petursson Madsen, and Venice Pharma Consultancy Senior Business Development Expert Dr. Ulrich S. Koch
Equipping Companies To Scale In The Medicaid Market
Early and growth stage companies struggle to navigate state and federal requirements for Medicaid coverage, oftentimes disengaging entirely rather than taking advantage of this large, high-impact market. Rhia Ventures, HealthTech4Medicaid (HT4M), and Manatt Health are equipping early and growth stage companies with the ability to expand their participation in the Medicaid market to advance reproductive and maternal health equity for the millions of women and other birthing people of color covered by Medicaid today. As part of this work, we provided a six session learning collaborative to reproductive and maternal health innovators with interest in entering or expanding their footprint in the Medicaid market. A Medicaid Learning Collaborative highlight guide is available to complement the video series.
Session 1
Introductions and Medicaid Overview
This session will provide an overview of the Medicaid program, including its evolution over time, eligibility requirements and covered services.
Session 2
Medicaid Covered Benefits
This session will support participant understanding of how their services fit into the rubric of the Medicaid program.
Session 3
Entrepreneurship Journey in Medicaid
This session will share lessons learned from health technology entrepreneurs in the Medicaid market.
Session 4
Medicaid Financing
This session will help participants understand how their offerings fit into the rubric of the Medicaid program.
Session 5
Advancing Health Equity in Medicaid
This session will sharpen participant understanding of health equity.
Session 6
Buyers Market
This session will provide a panel discussion of the health technologies that provided the greatest health impact over the past decade and a look at what to expect over the next decade.
