There’s something really powerful about an anniversary — an opportunity to reflect on what has been and look forward to what’s to come. On this, our second, we’re doing a bit of both. Our mission was lofty (maybe even audacious), but when we launched two years ago, it was with the firm belief that healthcare could and should be done differently. In that time we’ve learned and accomplished a lot. And the beautiful thing is: we’re just getting started.
We set out to reimagine and reboot the healthcare system. Our aim was to empower individuals to engage with their health, create a community of information, education and support and ultimately, to increase access to better quality healthcare for people around the world. To do so, we made three majors decisions about how we would move Forward:
- We built it as a health membership instead of a transactional doctor’s office… a system that’s preventive, not reactive — one that listens for the clues instead of waiting for the catastrophes.
- We built it as a full-stack company that combines software, hardware and doctors practicing medicine, all under one roof.
- We built it as a product for people, not insurance companies — one that serves the needs of the individual and benefits the greater good.
In essence: we built what was preventive healthcare powered by technology, and we believe the results are already speaking for themselves.
Over the past two years, we’ve tracked billions of heartbeats, captured hundreds of thousands of body scan measurements and screened millions of genes for cancer — crucial data our best-in-class doctors have then used in creating proactive protocols and programs for our members. What’s more, with this information, we’re creating an intelligent healthcare system that learns and gets smarter with time. This means that with each day, we’re able to better serve our members, providing them with increasingly optimized care and support in achieving their health goals.
In two years’ time, we’ve also grown in leaps and bounds, opening four new locations in 2018 alone. With the addition of our offices at Fashion Island in Orange County, The Americana in Glendale, as well as those in the NoMad and Midtown neighborhoods of New York, we’re no longer just providing preventive care to our Forward family in California; we’re helping people across the country live happier and healthier lives.
Perhaps the most compelling (and rewarding) is the feedback we’ve received from members whose lives have been changed by the system we set out to create.
By monitoring one member’s blood pressure regularly, our doctors spotted an irregularity that indicated he was in the early stages of a heart attack, enabling them to get him care more quickly and preserve his cardiac function. Through our genetic testing program, other members have learned that they are at a higher risk of certain cancers and been supported in creating proactive plans to mitigate those risks — in some cases encouraging family members to seek testing… allowing the work we do to touch even more lives.
It’s this kind of ripple effect that inspires us to keep going. And though these kinds of experiences differ from individual to individual, a common theme remains. As one member put it, “I’ve done more for my health in the past six months than I might have in my entire lifetime.”
As we look forward, it’s to a future that’s undoubtedly bright. Our newest location (hello, Washington, D.C.) is set to open this spring. In addition, we’ll be expanding the scope of our primary care practices to include services traditionally found in Dermatology and Cardiology offices, using groundbreaking technology to track and monitor skin lesions as well as the inner functionings of the heart and its important valves.
These are just a few more examples of how we continue to help our members take a proactive and preventive role in their health (Why wait until you have a mole of concern or experience chest pain to seek out the care you need?). But, they highlight the fact that the clues to our health are all around us, if we only listen. We’re incredibly proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish in just two short years, and we invite you to join as we continue to dream, grow and drive… forward.