Pipeline: Equip Expands to New States; Regional Psychiatric Care Provider Adds Telepsychiatry Services

Equip now available in Oregon and Washington

The San Diego-based Equip, a virtual eating disorder treatment platform, has expanded its services to patients in Washington state and Oregon. The company is in network with PacificSource and Optum in these two states, with plans soon to accept other insurers.

Equip cited the low rates of people seeking eating disorder treatment in Washington and Oregon as a major reason for expanding services into the state.

“Washington and Oregon are suffering from the same crisis in eating disorder care as the rest of the nation since the emergence of COVID-19,” Kristina Saffran, the co-founder and CEO of Equip, said in a press release. “In Washington and Oregon alone, … nearly a million people with eating disorders never get treatment. Equip’s mission is to change this equation.”

Founded in 2019, Equip works to make services accessible to patients with busy schedules, particularly those with family obligations. Users are set up with a five-person care team that consists of a peer and family mentor, a therapist, a dietician and a physician, such as a psychiatrist, primary care doctor or pediatrician.

The company raised $13 million in a February Series A round led by Optum Ventures, with additional participation from .406 Ventures and F-Prime Capital. The company has raised $17 million from investors to date. 

Thrive Wellness opens new eating disorder treatment clinic

Thrive Wellness, an eating disorder treatment provider for adults and adolescents, has opened a clinic in Sacramento, Calif.

Thrive offers a 20-day intensive outpatient program (IOP) for adults and a family IOP (FIOP) program for adolescents and their families. The FIOP program consists of two days of intensive treatment and education, followed by 12 months of individual therapy, family therapy, psychoeducation and clinical support.

Thrive Sacramento’s multidisciplinary treatment team is made up of therapists, psychiatrists, primary care providers, nutritionists and mindful movement specialists. The new center follows the recent opening of two other clinics by the provider in its homebase of Reno, Nevada and Waco, Texas.

Thrive accepts many major health insurance plans and also does single case agreement payments.

Alternative medicine clinic opens in the Southeast

Innerbloom Healing Arts, a psychedelic medicine and psychotherapy clinic, has opened in Charleston, South Carolina.

The clinic offers ketamine assisted psychotherapy and has plans to potentially prescribe psilocybin and MDMA medications. Psilocybin and MDMA are currently in late stage clinical trials conducted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Additionally, a small but growing number of municipalities nationwide have either introduced or passed legislation around the decriminalization and research of psychedelics.

“We are really excited about the psychedelic renaissance that is happening right now”, Juan Pablo Galindo, a board certified psychiatrist and operator of Innerbloom, told the Johnson City Press. “Psychedelics have the wonderful ability to bring us back into contact with each other, and show us that we all have the incredible ability to heal from within.”

Florida psychiatric care provider rolls out telehealth at multiple locations

Florida City, Florida-based Harmony United Psychiatric Care (HUPC) is now offering telepsychiatry appointments at nine of its locations throughout the Sunshine State.

Telehealth services offered by HUPC include psychiatric evaluations, medication management, psychotherapy and counseling, as well as neuropsychological testing. Treatment is available for adults, adolescents, and children ages 5 and older, with appointments typically scheduled within seven days. Telehealth services for urgent situations are available 24/7.

“I believe we can live as emotionally healthy people in a healthy society. We believe in each person’s potential for personal growth,” Adil A. Mohammed, the medical director and CEO for HUPC, said in a press release.

HUPC accepts most major insurance plans.