Flourish Care: On a mission to enhance maternal health
Founded by former VP of Strategic Development at Ximedica, CEO Melissa Bowley first had the idea for Flourish Care upon the birth of her first son. She quickly realized that she needed more support and self-care and was struggling with little guidance on how to take care of herself, her postpartum body, or her new baby.
After noticing other families struggling with the same issues, Melissa's mission became finding a solution to improve maternity care in the US. Her solution? Flourish Care – a B2B maternal healthcare company that empowers families with wellness programs and insurance-reimbursed community care, including doulas, from pregnancy to parenthood.
Throughout Flourish Care’s development, Melissa procured and assembled a leadership team of former CEOs, marketing executives, and industry experts. Collectively, the current leadership team has launched more than 20 products, founded and/or led nine companies, and authored more than 55 scientific publications. The core team has been responsible for revenue growth and investments of $500M+ over the last decade. All of this experience culminates in a powerhouse team working to advocate and advance maternal care in Rhode Island and beyond.
A patient can either access Flourish Care through their OB or they can reach out directly to flourishcommunitycare.com to see if they are eligible. The patient then enrolls in Flourish Care’s 18-month program and is matched with a local doula for support from 12 weeks pregnant to 12 months postpartum. Flourish Care sends a toolkit to each patient’s home and provides a monthly educational curriculum, complementing the ongoing doula support which includes unlimited texting. All services are coordinated through Flourish Care’s HIPAA-compliant mobile app.
Feedback about Flourish Care's services and user experience have been overwhelmingly positive. With patients spending on average 1020 minutes engaged in the services, patient enrollment in doula services has increased from 6% to 60%--a 10-fold increase compared to traditional care; and patient satisfaction has increased from 60% to 92%--an over 30% increase.
Melissa Maher, chief nursing officer at Women & Infants Hospital said of Flourish Care, “The partnership between Flourish Care, Integra, and Women & Infants Hospital has offered patients increased access to doula support while providing a wellness product toolkit that supports both mom and baby. Since the program's inception in June, Women & Infants Hospital has seen a significant increase in patient engagement.”
How NEMIC Became a Support for Flourish Care
Melissa - having a shared background at Ximedica [now Veranex] with NEMIC Co-Founder Aidan Petrie, came into the NEMIC orbit during her development of Flourish Care. NEMIC worked with Melissa to provide business advisory and fundraising support insights, all aiming to advance Flourish Care through to its various milestones and stages of success. Melissa has participated in NEMIC’s Skills for Rhode Island’s Future program and pitching Flourish Care in NEMIC’s various softball and pitch events, which showcase local talent and startups from across Rhode Island within the Health Tech sector.
Flourish Care has also partnered with NEMIC for its newly-minted EMPOWER program aimed at providing support for Minority and Women Business Enterprises [MBE & WBE] in Rhode Island as both an instructor and participant. Founder & CEO Melissa Bowley co-facilitated the EMPOWER Lean Canvas Workshop, which outlines the goals and objectives of a business as a strategic management tool. In addition, Flourish Care participates in the EMPOWER Accelerator, which has awarded funding to 13 Women and Minority companies for developing their respective business enterprises.
