We Are Here

Today we are eager to share some very exciting news with you all - We are welcoming our newest team member, Vinona Bhatia MD MPH on board as our Strategic Oncology Advisor! Vinona is a Medical Oncologist and Public Health specialist who formerly worked at UCSF and Kaiser Permanente, before leading efforts at Genentech/Roche to expand education and access to cancer care and diagnostics in sub-Saharan Africa. Since then she has transitioned her focus to the digital healthcare space. Her primary goal is to unblock millions of individuals from the barriers they face in accessing cancer screening and care. Dr. Bhatia shared “for years I’ve been contemplating how to improve navigation for cancer patients in order to unblock people from the barriers they face in achieving care. Now I’m thrilled to have started as Strategic Oncology Advisor at We Are Here.” Vinona will directly contribute to We Are Here’s mission to close gaps in cancer care, especially those related to access. We Are Here’s CEO, Carolyn Treviño Jenkins, speaks for the entire team. “I am so proud that We Are Here’s progress in closing gaps in access to care and clinical trials resonates with Vinona. We are so honored to have her join our team.” Welcome to the team Vinona! 💜 #oncology #cancerresearch #startup #technologyforgood #healthtech

We are excited to share insights from our CPO, Alex Grishaver, featured in an enlightening interview with AgeTech Collaborative™ from AARP 🎙️ Last month, Alex Grishaver sat down with Mark Ogilbee from Agetech Collaborative to have an in-depth conversation about the general need for a more modernized approach to supporting the cancer journey, and how our platform is addressing current gaps in patient care. Topics covered include striking a balance between AI resource curation and traditional human navigation, our path towards becoming HIPAA compliant, and the need for a more personalized patient care experience than the typical big black resource binder. Read the full interview at the link below: https://hubs.la/Q02F9bkL0 #CancerSurvivors #Caregivers #HealthTech #Innovation #Startup #Agetech #TechnologyForGood

We are excited to announce that our team has gained an invaluable new member! Join us in welcoming Dr. Carol Wang to the We Are Here team as our new Director of Clinical Research. She is an accomplished social and health research scientist with an extensive background leading and managing collaborative research projects with a focus on community-based and patient-centered outcomes. Carol brings expertise in generating real-world evidence through quantitative and qualitative methodologies, with a strong focus on health equity among cancer patients. She is incredibly excited to be contributing to a mission very dear to her. Welcome to the team Carol! 💜

We’re honored to share Diamond's story. Diamond, a 31-year-old Native American and Black woman with stage IV ovarian cancer who lives in DC, got accepted into a clinical trial in Houston, TX, in May 2023, but the need to relocate for 6 months was financially impossible. Luckily we were able to connect her to over $21,000 of support in the form of: ✈️ Free air travel  🏨 Free and discounted lodging in Houston 💵 Cash toward travel expenses 🥗 Nutrition counseling and groceries  🤝 A peer mentor with similar experiences  🛡️ Professional insurance navigation IMPACT: This support gave Diamond hope, got her into the right care, improved trial diversity, reduced recruitment delays, and protected future revenue for the trial sponsor. We’re grateful to be part of her journey. 💪✨ #ClinicalTrials #HealthEquity #WeAreHere #Hope #FutureOfMedicine #OvarianCancer #DiversityInTrials

Today we honor Juneteenth, a day commemorating the end of slavery in the United States and celebrating freedom, resilience, and progress. As we reflect on this pivotal moment in history, it's essential to address the ongoing challenges and disparities African American communities face today, particularly within healthcare. At We Are Here, we are dedicated to advancing health equity and ensuring that everyone, regardless of their background, has access to quality cancer care. It is our mission to close the care gap and provide resources and support for marginalized communities. Did you know that early detection of colorectal cancer has increased among African Americans, leading to improved survival rates over the past decade? This positive trend highlights the impact that can be made when giving marginalized communities access to health resources, screenings, and education. Join us in honoring Juneteenth by committing to a future where equitable healthcare is a reality for all. Together, we can make a difference and pave the way for a healthier, more just world. 🖤❤️💚 #Juneteenth #HealthEquity #CancerCare #EndCancerDisparities #TogetherWeCan

Our platform, founded by survivors and caregivers, provides personalized support to connect patients and caregivers with the resources they need, when they need them. We Are Here for them every step of the way. Everyone who works at We Are Here has been impacted by cancer (as a patient, caregiver, or both), and knows first hand how this kind of individualized support isn’t just necessary; it’s transformational for the cancer experience. Below our CEO, Carolyn Treviño Jenkins, shares our commitment to making a difference. #wearehere #cancernavigation #aitechnology #humanvalues

Our amazing co-founder, Shea Mencel! We are so proud of her!

The We Are Team continues to be humbled by the support given across the start up community. As AgeTech Collaborative™ from AARP wrapped up, Techstars Healthcare Accelerator started. Now as Techstars wraps, we are one of 20 companies selected for AWS Startups ans LaFamilia Foundation’s AI program. We are excited and humbled!

Grateful for the journey, thrilled for the destination! 🌟 Thanks for an amazing thirteen weeks Techstars Healthcare Accelerator! Learning from industry professionals and networking with the Techstars community has been nothing short of inspiring. We met so many dedicated people who are using their passion to bring about positive change to the world through health innovation. We can’t wait to put the invaluable information learned and connections made to work as we continue to move forward in our mission to standardize access to the resources needed before, during, and after cancer, improving health outcomes and reducing barriers to care. Congrats to all the peers in our cohort for graduating with the Spring 2024 Techstars Healthcare class, and here's to a bright future working alongside each other! Akara Robotics Asclepius Health Brainbot BRINTER CranioSense D.Sole Limber Technologies | Techstars 24 LoBio MediCircle nurtur Special thanks to the sponsors that made this all possible: Cedars-Sinai, Point32Health, UCI Health and UnitedHealthcare #TechstarsHealthcare #InnovationJourney #Gratitude

It's demo day for us and our Techstars Healthcare cohort 🎉 Catch our pitch at the link below!