Sprinter Heath Expands Geographic Footprint

Last July, Healthcare Innovation interviewed Melissa Welch, M.D., M.P.H., chief medical officer of Sprinter Health, a Menlo Park, Calif.-based startup that focuses on engaging hard-to-reach populations, using a technology-first approach paired with in-person clinical staff.

At the time of our conversation, Sprinter had recently closed a $55 million Series B financing round to bring its total funding to over $125 million. Now the company is expanding its integrated quality and preventive care-focused home visits, labeled Care+ visits. Since first launching in California, Sprinter Health has expanded Care+ visits to nearly 25 states, with more launching this year. In addition to geographic expansion, Sprinter said it also has expanded Care+ visits across lines of business to include Medicare, Medicaid and Marketplace.

In our interview, Welch described how the in-home person and the virtual nurse or specialist work with the patient.

“A lot of providers do telehealth visits and some do in-home visits. We found a hybrid model that we think works well for all ages of populations and needs. We pair “Sprinters” with nurse practitioners, nurses and physicians, when needed, in a hybrid model. Typically the Sprinter has a tablet, and we can have the nurse practitioner, if necessary, connect with the patient visually, just like you are doing an e-visit with your doctor.

Welch added that another unique things about Sprinter is its workforce. "Access to care is a challenge in this country.  We believe that we have found at least one avenue to help circumvent that and make it easier. We use licensed phlebotomists. We train them with medical assistant skills as well as community health outreach and engagement skills. We do not use a 1099 workforce. We use a W-2 workforce. There is a big difference. There's a commitment, there's a shared vision, there's heart when you're part of something bigger than just yourself, right?”

Prior to the visit, Sprinter's platform aggregates multiple clinical data sources — including HIE, claims, lab, and pharmacy records — to build a comprehensive, longitudinal profile for every member. This ensures that every condition identified or discovered during a hybrid care visit is grounded in verifiable clinical evidence, the company said. By integrating data upfront, Sprinter says it can minimize false-positive care gaps to avoid duplicative and unnecessary care and creates an audit-ready foundation for compliant, accurate reporting and better care coordination.

In addition to expanding its footprint across multiple states, Sprinter has added several new executives, including Mitt Coats, M.D., and Steve Dalvin, M.D. Coats previously worked at Virta Health, Verily and CVS Health’s Digital Pharmacy. Dalvin was formerly director of product management at Viz.ai.