By NEIL VERSEL
Three Midwest health systems have invested in Avia Innovator Network, a provider-focused health innovation accelerator, while a previous investor from the Pacific Northwest has re-upped.
Froedtert Health in Milwaukee led this Series C round for Avia, with participation from new “member-owners” Rush University Medical Center in Chicago and OSF HealthCare, based in Peoria, Illinois. Renton, Washington-based Providence Health & Services, the lead in Series B, also invested in this new round, according to Avia. The dollar figure was not announced.
Avia, headquartered in Chicago, serves more as a testing ground and curator for digital health innovations than a traditional incubator or Rock Health-style accelerator because it’s backed by providers rather than entrepreneurs. “Our whole mission is to accelerate the pace of health system transformation,” said Nicole Winokur, Avia’s director of marketing.
