General Catalyst Partners Dr Marc Harrison to Launch HATco to Offer Consultative Services to Health Systems

The unveiled venture, named Health Assurance Transformation Corp, or HATco, was introduced to the public by Harrison and General Catalyst CEO Hemant Taneja during the recent HLTH conference in Las Vegas, this year.

Venture capital firm General Catalyst has joined forces with former Intermountain Health CEO Dr Marc Harrison to launch Health Assurance Transformation Corp (HATco) to transform the healthcare system. 

HATco, was introduced to the public by Harrison and General Catalyst CEO Hemant Taneja during the recent HLTH conference in Las Vegas, this year.

HATco, exclusively owned by General Catalyst, sets out to provide consultative services to health systems, assisting them in the shift towards value-based care, seamless integration of scalable digital platforms, alignment of stakeholder interests, and bolstering financial sustainability.

Highlighting the central objective of this initiative, Dr Marc Harrison, said, "We want to demonstrate what the evolution of healthcare can look like and how we can make it clinically and economically sustainable, more accessible to regular people, and how we can achieve measurable changes in public health and health spending."

The primary aim of HATco is to support health systems and provider organisations in becoming more patient-centric, equitable, and cost-effective. 

Harrison underlined the importance of empowering these entities with tools to effectively compete with retail, big tech, and private equity-backed participants in the healthcare delivery landscape.

In its inaugural year, HATco has outlined plans to acquire a health system, serving as a proof of concept for its services. 

Harrison reiterated, "We want to demonstrate what the evolution of healthcare can look like and how we can make it clinically and economically sustainable, more accessible to regular people, and achieve measurable changes in public health and health spending."

Upon acquiring a health system, HATco will collaborate with the organisation's management to devise a comprehensive transformation plan. One of the primary goals is to transition the health system to a platform where digital solutions can seamlessly scale across the enterprise, promoting integration and operational efficiency. 

Harrison stressed the imperative to move away from isolated digital health solutions and work towards holistic platforms that benefit healthcare professionals, payers, communities, and individuals.

In addition to health system acquisitions, HATco is set to share best practices within General Catalyst's health assurance network, a digital health ecosystem comprising health systems, health tech startups, and health plans. 

Drawing on his extensive experience at Intermountain, Harrison underscored the necessity for collaborative efforts to drive transformation, particularly in light of the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Dr Harrison, who transitioned to General Catalyst in August 2022 after departing from Intermountain, expressed confidence in the progress achieved during his tenure at Intermountain, underscoring the shift towards value and virtual care. 

However, he acknowledged that the industry requires a collective effort beyond the capacity of a single system. Hemant Taneja, General Catalyst CEO, commended Harrison's alignment with their vision for healthcare transformation and stressed the significance of an experienced leader to drive this profound change.

He highlighted the importance of having an individual with firsthand experience in healthcare transformation at the helm, mainly as the industry evolves towards a more integrated and digital future.