MiSalud To Debut Health, Wellness Platform For Hispanic Community; Gets $5M Funding Boost

MiSalud, a digital healthcare platform, is coming away from a funding round with $5 million and is rolling out a beta version of its platform, according to a press release.

MiSalud’s goal is to provide a healthcare platform personalized especially for U.S. Hispanic people, the release stated.

The pandemic had dire effects for the Hispanic community in the U.S., with stats showing that they were almost three times more likely to be hospitalized with COVID-19 and 2.3 times more likely to die of the virus, according to the release.

“There are hundreds of digital health services in English, and some of these services have even been translated to Spanish,” said MiSalud Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer Wendy Johansson in the release. “But most of that technology is built with an English-language bias. We are creating a system that is culturally relevant, and thus inclusive.”

MiSalud Co-Founder and Executive Chairman Bismarck Lepe said in the release that as a child, he watched his family, based in the U.S., wait until they visited Mexico to get healthcare.

“Because of the cost, we wouldn’t see doctors until we were back in Mexico in December,” he said in the release. “And now, despite having good insurance and financial means, my mother still goes to Tijuana for medical care. She feels more comfortable with someone who understands her language and culture.”

In addition, MiSalud attempts to address broader issues Hispanics face when it comes to healthcare, such as their increased likelihoods of being obese or having hypertension.

Another recent healthcare innovation has come from Drips, a communications startup powered by artificial intelligence (AI). The company has been teaming up with numerous big healthcare players to help clients communicate better and provide critical updates when needed.

Read more: AI Communication Startup Drips Grows Healthcare Presence