SAN FRANCISCO (May 6, 2021)—Better Health, a next-generation medical supplier that provides end-to-end care for patients with chronic conditions, announced that they have been joined by Dr. Rosemary Ku as vice president of medical affairs. In her new role, Ku will oversee the build-out of a comprehensive care program, the first step of which is launching an innovative peer coaching service to accelerate the company’s efforts to improve health outcomes, quality of life and customer experience for their members.
Studies have shown that peer support is an effective intervention to improve mental and physical health for a wide range of conditions. There is a large gap in the current health care system, whereby patients are often left to their own devices once they’re discharged from the hospital, particularly when it comes to those recovering from life-changing procedures such as ostomy surgery. Thus, coaching programs built around the shared experiences of ostomates present a unique opportunity to improve their ability to successfully manage their condition and thrive at post-surgery.
Recognizing the benefits that peer coaching programs can provide ostomates and patients with chronic urological conditions—the company’s core customer base—Better Health brought on Ku, a practicing physician with dual board certifications in internal medicine and preventative medicine, to support the company in providing personalized care for patients with long-term chronic conditions.
“Rosemary’s passion for reimagining traditional models of care to better meet patients’ needs closely aligns with our mission to bring a more holistic care model to the at-home medical supply industry,” said Better Health Co-founder and CEO, Naama Stauber Breckler. “Rosemary brings years of clinical experience as chief medical officer in leading digital health companies. Her work around the impact and ROI of peer support on health outcomes makes her the perfect leader to develop our peer coaching program and explore new, innovative programs to support our members in managing their health at home.”
Ku brings over a decade of health care experience in clinical care, health care payer innovation, and technology development for chronic disease management systems to the Better Health team. She has conducted extensive research into the clinical application and impact of peer support programs on patient health and well-being. As VP of Medical Affairs, she’ll be responsible for the launch, clinical validation, and continued development of the company’s care programs starting with the peer coaching program, which offers one-on-one support and practical advice to improve health and quality of life.
“I’m thrilled to join Better Health and support the team in building innovative and clinically valid healthcare solutions that support patients with chronic health conditions in reaching the pinnacle of true health,” said Ku. “I look forward to pulling from my experience and research to create a successful program that can be leveraged in other areas of health care.”
Ku is currently chief medical officer (CMO) at UnitedAg and previously served as CMO at Lark Health and Restore Health. She holds an MD from Columbia University’s College of Physicians, an MBA from Columbia Business School, a master’s in public health in health policy and management from the University of California, Berkeley, and completed her residency at Kaiser Permanente in San Francisco.
For further information, visit joinbetter.com.
