First Stop Health is a U.S.-based virtual care company that provides employers and higher-education institutions with a full suite of telehealth services designed to be affordable, convenient, and highly engaging. Pulse 2.0 interviewed First Stop Health CTO Vijay Anand to gain a deeper understanding of the company.
Vijay Anand’s Background
Could you tell me more about your background? Anand said:
“I’ve spent most of my career at the intersection of business and technology. Prior to joining First Stop Health as Chief Technology Officer in November 2024, I led R&D at Apree Health and Castlight Health. Earlier, I had a long tenure as Head of Global Engineering at Intuit and played VP Technology roles at technology leaders Oracle, Sun Microsystems, and IBM. Throughout my career, I’ve sought out companies that are mission driven, and apply technology and innovation to drive better user experiences and business outcomes. I am able to bring my decades of experience applying technology to transform customer experiences and business outcomes to innovate in healthcare today.”
“At First Stop Health, I’m focused on enhancing our virtual care platform with cutting-edge technology, especially AI, to make it more affordable, delightful and engaging. Healthcare has lagged behind other industries in applying technology to deliver transformative outcomes. It is an exciting challenge and opportunity to revolutionize healthcare delivery and be a part of a team that’s reimagining the future of healthcare.”
“As CTO, my primary responsibilities include leading the company’s product, engineering, data, and IT teams. My focus is on ensuring our on-demand virtual care platform provides an engaging and easy-to-use experience for both users and employer customers. I came into this role to determine how advanced technology can support the company on its growth path, expanding on what First Stop has already built and taking it even further.”
Core Products
What are the company’s core products and features? Anand explained:
“First Stop Health provides connected, whole-person virtual care available 24/7 through our app, website, or phone. Our core offerings include urgent care, mental healthcare, chronic care, and preventive care in all 50 states. The technology we’ve developed includes a member/patient portal that supports scheduling, intake, and virtual care; a provider portal for care teams to access patient data and deliver virtual urgent care, primary care, and mental health; and a client portal for clients to access outcomes.”
Challenges Faced
Have you faced any challenges in your sector of work recently? Anand acknowledged:
“One of the main challenges for businesses like ours is scaling up what we deliver while maintaining quality and lower costs. At First Stop Health, we’re tackling this by focusing on bringing data and technology to streamline service delivery through automation, reducing manual overheads, and enabling our care teams to operate at the top of their license. We’re also working on further integrating data, systems, and care models so that we can provide a more holistic approach to healthcare that brings together mental and physical care, particularly for higher risk patients with co-morbid conditions.”
Evolution Of The Company’s Technology
How has the company’s technology evolved since launching? Anand noted:
“Since I joined First Stop Health as CTO, we’ve already seen exciting developments in our technology platform. While maintaining the strength of our core virtual care offering, we’ve made key improvements that set the stage for future innovation:
- We have integrated Sentry Health solutions into the First Stop Health platform and launched new offerings to the market including whole Mental Health. We’ve also refreshed our branding to make it a warm and welcoming home for care.
- We also moved Short Term Therapy in-house and integrated this into the First Stop Health platform as a more affordable way for members to receive mental health.
- We have embarked on a technology refresh including refactoring the monolith into microservices and building an integration service that enables the engineering team to accelerate innovation and third-party software integrations.
- We’ve developed a comprehensive three-year technology roadmap of innovations that are crucial for our long-term growth and ability to serve our patients, providers, and clients effectively.”
Future Goals
What are some of the company’s future technology goals? Anand emphasized:
“Our future technology goals include significantly expanding our use of technology to automate processes, improve care integration, and leverage data more effectively. We’re developing an AI strategy to scale our business more efficiently while maintaining our core values of affordability, efficiency, and engagement. We’re also focusing on building better integrations with our partners to improve data sharing and enhance our ability to serve patients and manage population health.”
Additional Thoughts
Any other topics you would like to discuss? Anand concluded:
“I’m particularly excited about the potential for AI and data analytics in healthcare. At First Stop Health, we’re exploring how we can use the wealth of data we have to improve health outcomes, keep patients engaged with their care plans, and provide more personalized care experiences. We’re also looking at how technology can support a team-based care approach, ensuring patients receive the right care from the right providers at the right time.”
