MD Ally Announces $3.5M Seed Round to Connect 9-1-1 and First Responders to Telehealth, Mental Health and Social Services

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Apr 28, 2021, 09:00 ET

NEW YORK, April 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- MD Ally, a 911-powered telehealth company, today announced a $3.5M seed round to expand the scope of 9-1-1 dispatch and first response services to include providing access to virtual care for callers with non-emergency concerns. Led by General Catalyst, and participation from leading healthcare venture firm Seae Ventures, this latest round brings MD Ally's total funding to $4.5M.

MD Ally enables greater connectivity between EMS and the broader healthcare ecosystem. Over the past year, in-home COVID testing and the facilitation of vaccine distribution has shown that the capabilities of public safety systems extend far beyond responding to emergencies. MD Ally expands the scope of services that 9-1-1 dispatch, EMS, and law enforcement personnel can provide to their communities by streamlining access to telehealth, virtual mental health care and social services.

"This latest funding will further enable us to realize our vision of a virtual response system that helps reduce ambulance wait times, decrease crowding in emergency rooms and ensures equitable healthcare outcomes for all," said Shanel Fields, CEO and founder, MD Ally. "We look forward to partnering with and supporting the vision of forward-thinking Public Safety leaders looking to drive innovation across 9-1-1."

Every year, there are millions of 9-1-1 calls that can increase ambulance response times, place a strain on valuable EMS personnel and drive billions in excess costs without proper triage. MD Ally allows public safety personnel to triage patients to virtual care instead of tying up or risking critical emergency resources. Built with EMS' high standards of care and needs in mind, MD Ally puts telemedicine at the fingertips of 9-1-1 personnel, allowing them to transition callers to licensed medical professionals that will provide comprehensive and personalized virtual care, ultimately enhancing the patient experience.

"The world has changed a lot, and the ability to provide care remotely means a lot for overhead costs, which is going to be somewhere around $1,000 per run," said Frank Williams, EMS Chief of Butler County Emergency Medical Services. "The safety net that was built into MD Ally's process and automatic resources available within eight minutes… I mean that's unheard of in most systems to be able to do that. The savings are important, but that [safety net] directly equates to safer best practices. MD Ally did a great job of communicating with the crews and helping to support a culture change."

Designed by public safety professionals specifically for transitioning patients from an emergency to a virtual care setting, MD Ally's technology integrates with existing 911 workflows to minimize disruption, training times and personnel strain. "We are excited to support this innovative technology that will optimize the efficiency of our critical 9-1-1 system and enable access to care for vulnerable populations," said Tuoyo Louis, Managing Partner of Seae Ventures.

To learn more about MD Ally, visit www.mdally.com.

ABOUT MD ALLY
Founded in 2018 by the daughter of an EMT volunteer, MD Ally is focused on eliminating the logistical barriers that often prevent impactful partnerships between 9-1-1 and the broader healthcare ecosystem. With MD Ally, medical dispatch and response systems are able to implement a 9-1-1 telehealth solution that expands the scope of services they can provide to their community. To learn more about MD Ally, visit www.mdally.com.

SOURCE MD Ally