CHICAGO, Sept. 6, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Synapticure, a virtual clinic transforming treatment and outcomes for individuals and their caregivers living with neurodegenerative diseases, announced Joe Leinbach has joined as the company's first Chief Operating Officer. Leinbach joins at a critical time for the company's expansion into additional neurodegenerative conditions including Alzheimer's and related Dementias, while creating new ways to expand patient access through innovative partnerships with health systems and health plans.
A veteran of early stage value-based care innovators, Leinbach has driven growth and operational success in leadership roles at Cityblock Health and Evolent Health. His background includes scaling operations to serve individuals with complex physical and behavioral health needs, and structuring partnerships with payers and providers to improve patient costs and outcomes. Joe will lead the company's next phase of growth and efforts to implement innovative models that directly benefit patients and partners.
Founded in 2021 by Brian Wallach and Sandra Abrevaya, the co-founders of I AM ALS, Synapticure's care teams now provide services to all 50 states + DC, providing specialized neurology care, integrated behavioral health, and care coordination to help patients and their caregivers navigate the complexities of neurodegenerative diseases. Through proactive, patient-centered support, Synapticure's patients have enrolled in clinical trials they otherwise wouldn't have accessed, were prescribed new medications and supplements changing their quality of life, avoided costly hospitalizations and ER visits, and received support for issues with medical equipment, insurance benefits and other care needs.
"We've proven that patients and caregivers love working with Synapticure's specialized neurologists, as shown by our incredible NPS (Net Promoter Score) of 95. As an active ALS caregiver myself, I am excited to expand our services to more people living with neurodegenerative diseases," said Sandra Abrevaya, Co-Founder and CEO. "At this critical moment of growth, bringing Joe onto the team paves the way to deeper opportunities in partnering with payers, providers and other like-minded innovators to scale our mission and make true, lasting impact."
Today, neurodegenerative diseases including ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease), Parkinson's, and Alzheimer's impact more than 10 million Americans and countless more caregivers. Due to the shortage of specialists across the country, most patients rarely, if ever, see a specialist during their journey, missing critical opportunities to access clinical trials and new therapies. In addition, patients and caregivers commonly struggle with the complex demands of their illness, resulting in financial stress, mental health and other burdens that often go unaddressed. Synapticure addresses these systemic challenges by providing the first nationwide virtual clinic, designed around an integrated care model purpose-built for patients with neurodegenerative disease. The result is a convenient, patient-centered care experience that provides patients and providers the data, therapies and coordination support they need at every stage of their journey, from diagnosis through late-stage illness.
"As someone whose family has been deeply affected by these diseases, I'm acutely aware of how desperate patients and caregivers are for a better care experience. I'm thrilled to join Synapticure at a critical moment when our team has proven the value of our services, and the landscape of payers and policymakers are demanding transformation to improve outcomes and reduce costs,'' said Joe Leinbach, COO, Synapticure. "We have an incredible opportunity to use technology to radically improve the patient experience, accelerate access to treatments and therapies to help patients stay healthier and independent longer, and partner with innovative health plans, health systems and primary care groups to build this future."
Already supporting patients and caregivers nationwide, and covered by insurance including Medicare, Synapticure's specialized physicians provide care to patients with ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease), Parkinson's, Huntington's, Alzheimer's and other Dementias including FTD and Lewy Body Dementia. Synapticure's services also include behavioral health (psychiatry and therapy), genetic counseling, in-home physical therapy/occupational therapy, and speech language therapy. Patients and providers can sign up or refer patients to Synapticure for a free consultation at www.synapticure.com or call us at (855) 255-5917.
About Synapticure
Synapticure is dedicated to creating the future of neurodegenerative disease patient care. Today, Synapticure is focused on providing better treatment and care for all people living with ALS through a full-stack teleneurology platform, built by and for those living with ALS. Co-founded by Brian Wallach, Sandra Abrevaya, Peter Wallach, Jason Langheier and Jonathan Hirsch, Synapticure is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. To learn more, please visit synapticure.com or follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram for updates.
About ALS
ALS is 100% fatal and affects more than 30,000 people in the U.S. The lifetime risk of developing ALS is 1 in 300, the same as Multiple Sclerosis. Each year, more than five thousand people are diagnosed with ALS in the US alone. This number is expected to nearly double by 2060. People living with ALS, on average, live two to five years after diagnosis, and nearly half live more than 50 miles away from the closest ALS multidisciplinary clinic.
About Parkinson’s Disease
Parkinson's disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that causes nerve cells (or neurons) in the area of the brain that controls movement to weaken and/or die. More than 10 million people worldwide are currently living with Parkinson's disease. The number of people diagnosed with with Parkinson’s Disease is expected to rise from 900,000 to 1.2 million by 2030. What causes Parkinson's remains largely unknown. Genetics cause about 10 to 15 percent of all Parkinson's. The other 85 to 90 percent of cases are classified as sporadic (or occasional). Although there is no cure, treatment options vary and include medications and surgery.
