Low-income and historically underserved communities face persistent barriers to accessing quality healthcare. To address these challenges, innovative approaches are essential to maximize the impact of health system investments. The California Health Care Foundation (CHCF) partnered with MDisrupt, resulting in impactful advancements in health technology innovation that empowered startups to overcome scaling challenges and deliver meaningful solutions. This report highlights how MDisrupt’s expert network enabled CHCF portfolio companies to accelerate their progress, navigate a complex healthcare landscape, and achieve scalable improvements in healthcare access and delivery for Medi-Cal beneficiaries. Key insights, outcomes, and actionable recommendations provide a blueprint for successful public-private partnerships.
CHCF supported several startups at various stages of market readiness and identified the need for specialized expertise for its portfolio companies in areas such as health insurance regulation, digital health, and AI. Without this expertise, companies struggled to scale their solutions, partly due to limited access to affordable, qualified health experts to provide impactful guidance at a fraction of the cost of hiring full-time employees
CHCF supported several startups at various stages of market readiness and identified the need for specialized expertise for its portfolio companies in areas such as health insurance regulation, digital health, and AI. Without this expertise, companies struggled to scale their solutions, partly due to limited access to affordable, qualified health experts to provide impactful guidance at a fraction of the cost of hiring full-time employees
Startups defined their challenges and goals for the expert engagement. MDisrupt used a structured, interview-based process to connect the startups with carefully matched subject matter experts who provided tailored guidance and support. MDisrupt experts validated clinical outcomes, refined product- market fit and navigated complex Medi-Cal processes such as billing and reimbursement. Experts were available on-demand for regular check-ins to keep projects on track and adaptive. By leveraging fractional experts, companies accelerated the development and delivery of healthcare innovations with greater effectiveness and efficiency.
The CHCF-MDisrupt collaboration highlights several key lessons and best practices that can serve as a blueprint for future public-private partnerships driving health technology innovation.
| Key Lesson | Best Practice |
| Leverage Health Experts | MDisrupt- Transformative Partnerships.pdf Collaborate with MDisrupt to access healthcare experts, ensuring tailored guidance for regulatory, technical, and market challenges at a fraction of the cost of full-time hires. This approach accelerates progress and ensures investments are more likely to succeed by focusing resources on scaling. |
| Set Clear Goals and Ensure Accountability | MDisrupt- Transformative Partnerships.pdf With guidance of MDisrupt experts, establish clear project priorities and utilize project management tools such as KPIs and milestones to track progress and satisfaction. Use tools like Stoplight Scorecards to maintain transparency and keep all stakeholders aligned. |
| Maintain Flexibility and Adaptability | MDisrupt- Transformative Partnerships.pdf Develop project scopes and a change management plan that allows for adjustments to resource allocation and meets evolving needs. This ensures ongoing relevance and impact of expert engagement. Focus on the most pressing needs to maximize outcomes and effective use of resources. |
| Collect Feedback to Drive Improvement | MDisrupt- Transformative Partnerships.pdf Conduct regular surveys and analyze satisfaction metrics to identify what is working and where adjustments are needed, enabling refinement of the scope of work. |
The CHCF-MDisrupt partnership demonstrates how foundations can de-risk their investments and drive private sector healthcare innovation while controlling costs and achieving outcomes. Integrating MDisrupt’s experts into its investment strategy enabled CHCF’s portfolio companies to expand care at scale for Medi-Cal beneficiaries.This approach provides a roadmap for foundations hesitant about Program-Related Investments (PRIs), offering better insights into resource allocation, high-impact collaborations, and actionable lessons for future initiatives.
Foundations seeking to amplify their impact can benefit from partnering with MDisrupt to strengthen their portfolio companies and drive meaningful improvements in healthcare delivery.
IMPACT CASE STUDY
Latinos/x face major barriers to mental health care, with only 35% of those with mental illness receiving treatment. Sanarai is reducing barriers to mental health resources and care by addressing stigma and expanding insurance coverage for culturally relevant support for Spanish-speaking people. While their direct-to-consumer offering reduces costs for counseling, Sanarai faced significant challenges in scaling their B2B services and forming the industry partnerships necessary to expand their reach and impact.
To overcome these obstacles, Sanarai engaged MDisrupt to find an expert experienced in mental health sales and equipped with a robust industry network. This expert worked closely with Sanarai’s team to refine their B2B strategy, prioritizing high-potential partnerships and navigating complex healthcare regulations. By leveraging the expert’s insights and connections, Sanarai was able to identify high-value opportunities, culminating in their successful integration with Medi-Cal. This achievement created a strong foundation for future scalability and growth.
With MDisrupt’s expert support, Sanarai:
The expert’s contributions directly accelerated Sanarai’s ability to navigate the complexities of the healthcare sector and strategically position itself for broader impact.
“MDisrupt’s process allowed us to find the perfect expert who not only understood our challenges but actively guided us through critical decisions.”
– Luis Suarez, Sanarai Founder
