NEW YORK, NY – Leveraging its strategic partnership with Enterprise Ireland, Northwell Health today announced an expanded partnership agreement with Irish company Salaso Health Solutions Limited.
Northwell Health President and Chief Executive Officer Michael J. Dowling is in Ireland to formally announce the deal, joined by the Tánaiste Frances Fitzgerald and Enterprise Ireland CEO Julie Sinnamon. Northwell’s new strategic partnership with Kerry-based Salaso Health Solutions builds on an existing contract that Northwell signed late last year with the company to provide online care management services to stroke survivors, and patients with movement disorders and other neurological conditions. The company's platform allows patients to use their smartphones or tablets to access and interact with high-definition video exercises prescribed for them by their clinicians.
Under this new partnership, Northwell and Salaso will develop and enhance Salaso’s capabilities in the area of physiotherapy, which helps restore movement and function in patients affected by injury, illness or disability through therapeutic exercise, functional movement and education. In addition to using Salaso’s innovative physical therapy solutions for stroke and neurological patients, Northwell will expand the scope of the online rehabilitation care to patients with cancer, COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder) and other medical conditions. Along with utilizing the services for its own patients, Northwell Health’s equity investments will help the company introduce its products and services to the US market.
“We’ve received great feedback from patients, extended family members and care coordinators,” said Souhel Najjar, MD, senior vice president and executive director of Northwell’s Neurology Service Line, and chair and professor of neurology at the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell. “This initiative will enable us to reduce the reliance on drugs towards a holistic care approach that incorporates physiotherapy and strategies for improving mood states to promote recovery and help improve the lives of patients suffering from various neurological disorders.”
“Salaso is changing the traditional approach to disease management by integrating exercise and physical rehabilitation into standard treatment protocols. As one of the largest and most progressive health systems in the US, Northwell’s approach to providing preventative healthcare services by deploying innovative and disruptive technologies makes this an exciting partnership for Salaso to expand its global footprint” said Aoife Ni Mhuiri, CEO of Salaso.
Salaso is a client of Enterprise Ireland, the Irish State agency that works with Irish businesses to help them start, grow, innovate and win export sales in global markets. Northwell Health signed a strategic partnership with Enterprise Ireland in December 2016, giving Irish companiesthe opportunity to work with Northwell to build capability in their businesses and learn how health care procurement processes work in the U.S. In turn, Northwell has been working with Enterprise Ireland and their clients to develop and commercialize new medical technologies, secure joint ventures and provide platforms to integrate with US health care companies.
“Through our partnership with Enterprise Ireland, we’ve been able to pursue relationships with innovative companies like Salaso whose technologies bring clear benefits to our patients while improving the efficiency and effectiveness of our care delivery,” said Mr. Dowling. “What makes these collaborations even more fruitful is that we’ll be able to commercialize these medical technologies to enhance the capabilities of other American health care providers. The strategic alliance with Enterprise Ireland is one of many overseas relationships in which Northwell is engaging as it takes a global view to identifying the most innovative solutions and partnerships.”
Tánaiste Fitzgerald, who serves as her nation’s minister for business, innovation and enterprise, welcomed the announcement: “The partnership between Northwell Health and Enterprise Ireland is significant and is already proving to be very beneficial in assisting Irish companies like Salaso to expand its business footprint in the US and build capability from within through innovation and collaboration. Having a world class healthcare provider such as Northwell enter into these strategic partnerships is a great endorsement of what Ireland has to offer in healthcare provision and medical technology and further confirms Ireland’s status as a global leader in healthcare solutions.”
Ms. Sinnamon, the CEO of Enterprise Ireland, said: “I wish to congratulate Enterprise Ireland client company Salaso on their partnership agreement with Northwell Health, a global leader in health care. Since signing the strategic partnership with Northwell at the end of 2016, Enterprise Ireland client companies like Salaso have had the opportunity to engage directly and work alongside a leader in best practice in health care, providing a platform for Irish companies to showcase Irish innovation and technologies, which will assist them to further expand in thehighly competitive US healthcare market. The partnership agreement announced todaywill ultimately improve the efficiency of bringing new Irish medtech products and services to benefit and improve patient experiences in the US market, while further confirming Ireland’s status as a global leader in healthcare solutions.”