SimplyWell, a Dallas-based workplace wellness program and one of D CEO’s Healthcare Awards Finalists, has been acquired by Virgin Pulse, the world’s largest digital health and well-being company.
With the acquisition, Virgin Pulse expands its access to condition management across 22 ailments, including heart disease, diabetes, and obesity. The company hopes to expand its coaching capabilities and better serve all employees, from the healthiest to the highest risk who need the costliest support and interventions. Virgin Pulse has members in more than 190 countries and 3,300 organizations.
Virgin will incorporate SimplyWell’s analytics and claims reporting capabilities, allowing them a better look into issues the drive up healthcare costs, which they can prevent in order to save employers money. SimplyWell clients will have access to Virgin Pulse’s digital behavior change platform, which helps form healthy habits and guides users toward healthy lifestyle decisions.
As employers look to reduce healthcare costs and encourage employees to lead healthier lifestyles, workplace health apps like SimplyWell and Virgin Pulse have grown in popularity, using challenges, nudges, and information to encourage healthy lifestyles in employees. These interactive digital programs hope to guide, manage, and improve the costliest employees while keeping others healthy before they become expensive.
“We are constantly assessing the market to understand how we can improve and simplify the employee and employer experience. When we see opportunities to solve key challenges, whether through product innovation, partnership or acquisition, we act,” said David Osborne, CEO of Virgin Pulse via release.
Virgin Pulse’s platform will be available to SimplyWell clients immediately, and most of SimplyWell’s management coaching, analytics and reporting will be up in running for Virgin Pulse’s clients in quarter three of 2019. SimplyWell will be rebranded as Virgin Pulse by the end of the year and will be headquartered in Providence, R.I. but will maintain a Dallas office.
