Two Huntsville Based Companies Joining Forces to Solve a Tough Problem
April 14, 2020 (Huntsville, Ala.) – The COVID-19 pandemic has brought a long-standing problem to the forefront – racial and ethnic disparities in healthcare.
Reports show that African Americans are dying from COVID-19 at a higher rate than other races. Louisiana reported African Americans account for 70 percent of coronavirus-related deaths. DC reported 58 percent and Michigan reported 42 percent, a state where African Americans only make up 14 percent of the population.
NBC News recently highlighted the need for more racial and ethnic data in order for medical professionals to make more informed decisions in regards to patient care.
“There have been a number of articles about the need to collect racial and ethnic data for COVID-19,” said Tiffany Jordan, Chief Development Officer at Acclinate Genetics, a minority owned, Huntsville based company that strives to achieve health equity and personalized healthcare for all by diversifying genomic data and clinical research.
Tiffany Jordan, Chief Development Officer at Acclinate Genetics
“Yes, we need to utilize the data collected to create a strategy, a strategy that will allow us to overcome some of the current health inequalities. These inequalities are currently impacting the care people receive and that is not fair.”
Jordan notes that this is also an awareness issue.
“We must ensure that minorities are properly educated on the past medical injustices and the rapidly advancing pharmaceutical industry,” she said. “We need to encourage minorities to ask the right questions and play a role in creating a solution for generations to come.”
Surgeon General Jerome Adams recently discussed the lack of health equity and the importance of educating the African American community about their risk.
“My office long before COVID-19 has been talking about health equity and the need to help people understand when they’re at risk and to actually intervene,” said Adams. “We know that blacks are more likely to have diabetes, heart disease, lung disease. I and many black Americans are at higher risk for COVID, which is why we need everyone to do their part to slow the spread.”
Acclinate Genetics helps bio-pharmaceutical companies and contract research organizations achieve the most representative research sample by expanding their genomic studies and clinical trials to include diverse ethnic groups.
“Having the data is one thing,” said Jordan. “Doing something with the data is something much greater.”
Dr. Timo Sandritter, President and Co-Founder of RippleWorx
Creating the actionable, personalized analysis of the data is why Acclinate Genetics is partnering with RippleWorx, Inc., a Huntsville-based, SaaS company. RippleWorx, provides a holistic approach to human performance today, by analyzing both cognitive and physiological data and using powerful machine learning to solve complex problems, such as “when is an athlete at their peak performance and when are they susceptible to injury?”
“Partnering with Rippleworx was a no-brainer,” added Jordan. “Their team of experts is already looking at this type of data to determine what affects people more – identifying factors that keep people from performing at their best – physically and mentally.”
Dr. Timo Sandritter, President and Co-Founder of RippleWorx, firmly believes in this mission for equity in healthcare, stating, “We can’t have a ‘one shoe fits all’ philosophy under healthcare, or anywhere else for that matter. We need to ensure that we service the groups that need it and where they need it. We are quick to celebrate our differences in many ways. We also need to embrace a healthcare system that’s tailored towards those needs.”
Together, Acclinate Genetics and RippleWorx, Inc. are ready to fight war on equality in all areas, whether it’s COVID-19, or in future healthcare needs, so each race is accurately represented and data and results are comprehensive.
About Acclincate Genetics: Acclinate Genetics is a healthcare solutions provider integrating culture and technology to give commercial and government clients analytical healthcare insights. Our experts research, design, and implement solutions in the areas of healthcare analytics and participant engagement for genomic research and clinical trials. Located in HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, Acclinate is a Veteran and Minority Owned Small Business located in an Opportunity Zone. Learn more at acclinategenetics.com. Connect on LinkedIn.
About RippleWorks: RippleWorx maintains a patent-pending algorithm and the existing results respective to Human Performance, to predict when people are susceptible to adverse effects and which steps are needed to mitigate the risks. The Rippleworx system leverages powerful machine learning algorithms for real-time feedback, monitoring, diagnostics and predictive data. Rippleworx is a Women-Owned Small Business located in an Opportunity Zone.
