Winston Health aims to reduce healthcare costs by empowering savvy consumers. Healthcare decisions can be emotional and confusing, and we strive to be your personal healthcare companion every step of the way through your health journey. The name behind Winston Health was inspired by a furry companion, Winston (pup of co-founder Mitchell Sweigart). Anyone with a dog has experienced the feelings of trust, loyalty and comfort they bring to their human friends. We believe these qualities are vital when it comes to healthcare, and to build trust, Winston Health would like you to get to know our team better. Over the next few weeks, we will take a closer look at Mitchell Sweigart, Caleb Weaver, and Bri Callahan and what they bring to the table. Today we will focus on introducing co-founder Mitchell Sweigart.
Eight years ago, Mitchell was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis as a college freshman. Initially, his condition was considered mild, and he was put on a relatively affordable medication to manage his symptoms. Mitchell was raised to be mindful of spending and after about 6 months of treatment, he stopped taking his medication to save his family on out-of-pocket costs. A few years later, Mitchell's condition worsened, and his treatment now costs his insurance plan almost $100,000 per year. This experience left him wondering why there wasn't a resource to help find quality care at an affordable price.
In addition to Mitchell's personal experience with healthcare, he spent the past five years working for an insurtech startup, where he learned the ins and outs of employee benefits and health insurance. He held roles in operations, sales, and product. Most importantly, it’s where he met fellow co-founders Caleb and Bri. They built a bond working closely together on many projects that often required a lot of late-night and weekend work. They quickly recognized and built mutual respect for each other's work ethic and passion for bringing change to a broken industry. At Winston Health, Mitch leads our sales efforts and contributes to building the product.
Check back next week to meet co-founder Caleb Weaver!