2024 EY Healthcare Entrepreneur of the Year: Eric Reimer’s Journey to Innovating Kidney Care

In late 2024, Healthmap Solutions Chairman and CEO Eric Reimer was named the national EY Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2024 Life Sciences and Health award winner. In this episode of The Strategy of Health from The American Journal of Healthcare Strategy, Eric talks with host Cole Lyons about the rigorous selection process, why Healthmap chose kidney care, how its model works, and his advice for leaders building companies.

A rigorous road to the award

Eric said EY encouraged him to apply after following his career. The process started with hours of on-site interviews at Healthmap, then a regional round for Florida and Puerto Rico with about 15 independent judges, many of them past winners. The judges reviewed Healthmap’s financials and spoke with customers and current and former employees. He didn’t expect to get past Florida, and said the rigor made winning more meaningful. (Read the national award announcement.)

He sees it as a recognition of the whole company. When he joined as CEO four years earlier, Healthmap had about 60 employees. At the time of recording, it had more than 600 mission-driven people.

Why kidney care

Healthmap began as a technology and actuarial consulting business. As chairman, Eric pushed the founders to pick one space and build for it. President and co-founder Joe Vattamattam chose kidney disease for two reasons. At WellCare, he had seen smart health care leaders avoid end-stage renal disease (ESRD) as unmanageable. At CareCentrix, the company Eric had led, they were often asked about home dialysis but never pursued it.

When Joe asked nephrologists what would actually reduce dialysis costs, the answer was clear: don’t focus on dialysis. Go earlier, find people in stages 3 through 5, and slow progression so fewer people ever need dialysis. Eric said Healthmap sees about 30 percent less disease progression in the members it manages, and can keep many members stable in stage 3 for years.

Where the money actually goes

Many companies chased dialysis spending because it is so visible. But across the population from CKD stage 3 to ESRD, Eric said only about 10 percent of spending is dialysis. About 60 percent is facility costs from inpatient stays. Reducing avoidable hospitalizations is where the real opportunity lies, and that requires building long-term relationships with members and asking them to do things today that may not show savings for months or years. (See Reducing CKD Hospitalizations Through Proactive Care Coordination.)

Working with the doctors members already see

Eric shared a statistic that surprises many people: only about half of stage 3 members have ever seen a nephrologist, and only about 60 percent of stage 4 and 5 members have. Many get their care through a primary care physician, cardiologist, or endocrinologist. Healthmap works with all of them, helps members get to a nephrologist when they need one, and keeps the PCP connected, since managing comorbidities is often the most important thing at stage 3.

People empowered by technology

Some companies lead with an app. Others send nurses or doctors into the home. Healthmap tailors the intervention to each member’s needs: sometimes a home visit or nurse call, sometimes a simple digital reminder to refill a prescription.

“At the end of the day you can tell members and providers anything you want to, but if you don’t change actual behavior, you’re really not making a difference.” (Eric Reimer)

Why start at stage 3

Cole asked why Healthmap doesn’t manage stages 1 and 2. Eric explained that the program is funded by reducing inpatient facility costs, typically by 20 to 30 percent for customers. Stages 1 and 2 don’t carry enough avoidable cost to fund full management. For plans that want it, Healthmap can offer a lighter program using digital tools and claims monitoring to catch the highest-risk members early.

Advice for leaders

• Go above and beyond. Don’t just tell a member to see a nephrologist. Help schedule the appointment.
• Improve constantly. Ask frontline staff how to do better, and reward them for speaking up.
• Lead by example. Hire and promote people who reflect your values, and mentor high-potential employees.
• Expect a nonlinear path. Plan for more time and resources than you think you need. Changing your business model to meet the market is a strength, not a flaw.

Listen to the full episode

Find the episode page on AJHCS, watch on YouTube, or listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Learn more about Healthmap’s Kidney Health Management program.