Equip Expands its Eating Disorder Care to Pacific Northwest

SAN DIEGO, Sept. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Equip, a company that delivers virtual, evidence-based eating disorder treatment to families at home, announced today that it is now seeing patients in Washington and Oregon. Equip is currently in-network with PacificSource and Optum in these two states, with additional insurance plans coming soon.

"Washington and Oregon are suffering from the same crisis in eating disorder care as the rest of the nation since the emergence of COVID-19," said Kristina Saffran, CEO and co-founder of Equip. "Only 20% of people who get diagnosed with eating disorders receive treatment, and merely 1% of them get treatment that works. In Washington and Oregon alone, this means nearly a million people with eating disorders never get treatment. Equip's mission is to change this equation."

In Washington and Oregon, even when people seek treatment, they face a dearth of eating disorder providers, let alone providers trained in evidence-based care. In Washington, 3 million (or 50% of the state) people live in a Mental Health Professional Shortage Area (MHPSA), and in Oregon, nearly 2 million (40% of the state).

"We are thrilled to work with Equip to support our members and their families with gold-standard telehealth eating disorder treatment," said Dr. Mike Franz, PacificSource Medical Director-Behavioral Health. "As we continue to navigate the challenges of the pandemic, virtual care is now, more than ever, an essential and valuable tool in helping our members get the care they need."

Founded in 2019 by Kristina Saffran and Erin Parks, Ph.D., Equip builds upon Family-Based Treatment (FBT) – a model that  empowers families to help their loved ones through recovery – with a dedicated five-person care team for each patient that includes a peer and family mentor, a medical physician, a therapist, and a dietitian. Equip's fully virtual platform allows families to arrange treatment to fit their schedules and needs.

The company, which raised $13mm earlier this year, currently serves families in California, New York, New Jersey, and Texas, and plans to expand its geographic reach to all 50 states over the next few years.

Equip has seen remarkable outcomes in its first six months of patient care with 60% of patients meeting their weight restoration goals, a 98% retention rate of families opting to continue treatment after four weeks, and a 68% improvement in patients' EDE-QS scores, the clinically validated measure for eating disorders.

About Equip

Equip delivers modern eating disorder treatment through family-based care that promises lasting recovery at home. Created by experts in the field and people who've been there, Equip provides each patient with a five-person dedicated care team including a therapist, dietician, physician, and peer & family mentor.

Our vision is to equip every family with effective tools to confidently overcome eating disorders in a way that is accessible and affordable. We believe Equip is a better alternative to the status quo treatment options and we eliminate the various obstacles families face in treatment today.

For more information, visit www.equip.health.

SOURCE Equip Health

Related Links

https://equip.health/

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