Despite the growing prevalence of Alzheimer's, dementia and Parkinson's disease, care and treatment options remain limited and fragmented. A company called Harmonic Health has developed a new dementia care model seeks to bridge gaps in care by bringing together technology and a care team to partner with physicians.
Harmonic Health launched its initial services with Stoney Batter Family Medicine, which has more than 24,000 patients in the Delaware, Pennsylvania, and Maryland region.
Built at healthcare startup creator Redesign Health, Harmonic says it empowers and supports primary care practices and neurologists in managing the impact of cognitive decline for Alzheimer’s, dementia and Parkinson's patients. Using a multidisciplinary approach, Harmonic explains that it addresses the medical, behavioral, and social aspects of dementia care.
As part of the initial program pilot with Stoney Batter, Stoney Batter physicians and their patients receive dedicated dementia care expertise and resources that includes caregiver support and coaching, dementia screening, patient education, and referral for community services.
“Harmonic Health serves to fill a serious unmet need for my patients with neurodegenerative disease and their families,” said Stoney Batter Family Medicine Physician and Owner Sarah Mullins, M.D., in a statement. “It complements my practice and alleviates stressors for the patient and their family, as well as for me and my team.”
Harmonic’s care model includes:
· Specialized Care Team: Harmonic's specialized multidisciplinary care team, utilizes a top of license model to assess disease severity, coordinate treatments, and provide emotional support for patients and caregivers, all while creating comprehensive care plans with specialist referrals when needed.
· Personalized Educational Materials and Resources: Harmonic provides resources, educational materials, and personalized support through a patient and caregiver-facing app that includes a central patient portal to contact their care manager, appointment scheduling and tracking, symptom tracking and care plans.
· AI-Powered Assistance and Risk Stratification: Harmonic says it combines generative AI, advanced algorithms, and data analytics to assess patient risk levels, identify undiagnosed or underdiagnosed disease severity, and create comprehensive care plans aligned with physician protocols.
· Provider-Friendly Workflow Integration – Harmonic says its platform enables PCPs and neurologists to efficiently manage patients by offering data insights, care coordination, and integration with EHR systems, allowing clinicians to proactively identify and refer patients, access care plans, and monitor patient progress.
“I know from personal experience that the current situation for treating patients with neurodegenerative diseases is ineffective, unsupportive and deeply frustrating. Patients and caregivers lack support and physicians lack the resources to provide comprehensive care,” said Harmonic CEO and Co-Founder Jim Gera, in a statement. “At Harmonic, our goal is to provide that missing support and bridge the gap in care by treating each patient and caregiver with candor, dignity and empathy while focusing care specifically through the lens of the disease.”
Gera previously served as CEO of Fusion5, where he launched a tech-enabled value-based care delivery platform in 41 states with 6,500 physicians. The company’s chief clinical officer is Marcy Bergeron-Noa, D.N.P, who previously served as chief nursing officer at AmazonCare and Medically Home. Harmonic’s chief medical officer, geriatrician Scott Sarran, M.D., currently serves as a MedPac commissioner and has served as CMO for BCBS Illinois, Advocate Health System, and MoveCare.
