OpenLoop widens telehealth platform into higher-acuity care

OpenLoop is expanding its infrastructure for employers, payers and health systems to support medically necessary care for complex patients. The Des Moines telehealth company also hired Sara Crate to lead growth across health systems and employer channels.

Why it matters: - OpenLoop is pushing deeper into higher-acuity care, where employers, payers and hospitals need clinical programs that can handle enrollment, provider coverage and billing. - The expansion could help organizations launch care offerings faster without building their own provider groups or reimbursement operations. - OpenLoop now supports more than 300 organizations nationwide.

What happened: - OpenLoop announced a broader expansion of the programs it runs for employers, payers and health systems. - The company is extending its infrastructure into care for patients with complex conditions. - OpenLoop hired Sara Crate as general manager of health systems and employer to lead growth across employer, payer and hospital channels. - The company also posted open roles at OpenLoop careers.

The details: - OpenLoop is expanding in four areas: medical nutrition therapy for complex populations, employer health benefits, hospital and health system programs, and provider-of-record support for digital health, DME and pharmacy partners. - Medical nutrition therapy will cover patients managing pregestational diabetes, congestive heart failure and recovery from bariatric surgery. - Employer health benefits work is moving upstream into the large self-insured employer and ASO market. - Hospital and health system programs include post-discharge transitions, disease management and remote patient monitoring. - Provider-of-record support is designed for partners that need a clinical partner to enroll and manage patients. - OpenLoop says demand from employers and payers already using these programs drove the decision to invest in a dedicated team. - OpenLoop operates as the layer that enrolls patients, serves as provider of record and handles back-office billing. - That setup allows employers, hospitals and health companies to offer clinical programs without building their own provider groups or reimbursement operations. - Crate was most recently CEO of Homebase Medical, which delivered in-home and virtual care to high-needs seniors. - Crate has more than 25 years in healthcare, with prior commercial leadership roles at DispatchHealth, Honor, Evolent Health and Walgreens. - 1 True Health said OpenLoop stood out because of its nationwide reach, operational excellence and ability to scale without compromising quality. - OpenLoop says its broader goal is to create a single infrastructure that gives patients reliable access to needed care instead of fragmented point solutions. - OpenLoop describes itself as a virtual care operations provider that powers 300+ organizations with clinicians, technology and clinical compliance. - The company says it has been recognized on TIME's Top HealthTech Companies list for 2025. - More information is available on OpenLoop's website.

Between the lines: - OpenLoop is positioning itself less as a telehealth vendor and more as a back-end operating layer for complex care delivery. - The hire of Crate signals a focused push into employer and health system sales, where implementation and reimbursement infrastructure can be as important as clinical services. - The strategy fits a market where buyers want faster deployment and fewer point solutions.

What's next: - Crate plans to hire dedicated leads for large self-insured employers, hospitals and health systems, digital health partnerships and payer contracting. - OpenLoop will likely use the new team to convert existing demand into larger, more structured programs across its target channels. - The company’s expansion suggests more partnerships tied to medically necessary and post-acute care programs ahead.

The bottom line: - OpenLoop is betting that the winners in complex care will be the companies that can deliver clinical access, enrollment and billing as one integrated service.