*COVID-19: We are committed to helping our community through this crisis. To that end, our incredible portfolio companies have many materials and products to assist in this time of need, and we will be promoting them in this series. We’ll get through this together - read on and stay tuned.
This post was written by guest author Julia Hu, CEO and co-founder of our sister fund Joyance Partners’ portfolio company Lark.
I started Lark in 2011 with the goal to create a digital health solution that can help individuals manage their chronic conditions, such as type 2 diabetes and hypertension, anytime, anywhere, thanks to a platform powered by artificial intelligence. As someone who navigated a chronic condition my entire life, I understood the nuanced journey and recognized the importance of a tailored, personalized solution.
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to escalate, we have learned that those individuals at highest risk include people over the age of 60 and those with underlying conditions, such as diabetes and hypertension. As our team continued to learn more about the virus and who was at-risk, we knew we had to form a plan to join the fight to combat COVID-19.
At Lark, we take pride in our chronic disease prevention and management platform, and thanks to our resources and investors, we outlined what we can do during this trying time:
Help as many chronic patients as possible get consistent, real-time virtual care so they may shelter-in-place without traveling to higher risk areas like hospitals, clinics, and even pharmacies.
Help nurses and doctors reduce their existing chronic burden so they can be our frontline of defense for COVID-19 where they are needed.
Share trusted expert knowledge for COVID-19 issues for chronic patients.
Become a source of comfort and help with mental well-being for chronic patients or those at higher risk for chronic conditions during a period of heightened anxiety and stress.
To address these goals, we are doing the following to help our population:
We are continuing to build our AI-powered therapist that provides real-time, unlimited 24/7 therapy based on clinically rigorous Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. We plan to launch this service so that those at risk of chronic conditions or who are struggling with a condition can have the tools and support during this emotional journey.
We’ve incorporated a COVID-19 symptom self-assessment tool into our Lark platform that helps people understand when they should seek care.
Our Lark Health Committee is hard at work to develop informational content for our website and Lark platform for chronic patients and those high at-risk.
If we have learned anything these past few weeks, it's that we need to make it possible for more people to get the care they need to better manage their chronic conditions at home. Even during this uncertain time, it’s been exciting to see the entire system come together and unite under a common cause.
Please visit Lark’s COVID-19 page to learn more and access valuable resources, including guides for lowering your risk for COVID-19, maintaining well-being during social distancing when you have diabetes, and COVID-19 and hypertension.
About Julia Hu
Julia is the CEO and Co-Founder of Lark Health, a 24/7 personal AI health coach that texts with users to help them manage and prevent chronic disease – anytime, anywhere. Under Julia’s leadership, Lark’s Diabetes Prevention Program, which has Full Recognition status from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, along with Lark Hypertension, Lark Diabetes Care, and Lark Prevention, has grown to nearly 2 million members. Follow her latest updates on Twitter at @JuliaHuCEO.
About Lark
By bringing together AI-driven insights, smart connected health devices, and compassionate expert coaching, Lark supports members with diabetes and hypertension management, diabetes prevention, and behavioral health. Learn more.