Cricket Health Adds Dialysis Industry Veteran Danny Shapiro to Leadership Team

SAN FRANCISCO, CA--(Marketwired - Sep 28, 2017) - Cricket Health, a developer of technology-enabled care solutions for chronic kidney disease (CKD) and end stage renal disease (ESRD) patients, announced today that industry veteran Danny Shapiro has joined the company as chief business officer.

Shapiro, whose experience includes senior management roles at Home Care Assistance and DaVita Kidney Care, will focus on developing go-to-market strategies, building partnerships with relevant payers and providers, and expanding the company's clinical footprint.

"We're delighted to welcome Danny to our team," said Arvind Rajan, co-founder and CEO of Cricket Health. "He brings tremendous experience, contacts and expertise in kidney dialysis that cannot be replicated, and an incredible passion and commitment to improving the lives of patients."

Cricket Health leverages design, technology and world-class clinical expertise to reinvent the care of CKD and ESRD patients. Cricket Health's award-winning programs are already being used by healthcare providers to improve patient outcomes and quality of life, while also reducing the overall cost of care. These initial deployments are focused on improving the transition from CKD to ESRD by slowing progression of disease, educating patients on their condition and options, and reducing unplanned starts to dialysis.

CKD affects 30 million adults in the United States, but because the condition often shows no symptoms for long stretches, most patients go undiagnosed until they have already progressed toward kidney failure. There are more than 650,000 people living with ESRD in the U.S. Of the 120,000 patients who progress to ESRD annually, almost half have an urgent, unplanned start into dialysis. The result is significant morbidity and higher costs. Furthermore, close to 90 percent end up receiving in-center hemodialysis, even though there is widespread agreement in both the payer and provider communities that dialysis at home is associated with better outcomes and lower cost.

Changes in Medicare reimbursement that encourage home care and home dialysis, and other benefits associated with caring for CKD and ESRD patients at home, are providing momentum for Cricket Health's approach.

Shapiro most recently served as chief operating officer for Home Care Assistance, a home care specialist. Before that, he was a San Francisco Bay Area-based division vice president for DaVita Kidney Care, a leading provider of dialysis and related services.

"I'm excited to join Cricket Health," said Shapiro. "I've long been passionate about bringing together the best of technology, hospitality and human-centered design to improve the health and quality of life for patients with kidney disease."

Cricket Health was co-founded by Vince Kim, a former general partner at Aberdare Ventures, a leading healthcare technology venture capital firm, and CEO Arvind Rajan, a former senior executive at LinkedIn.

About Cricket Health
Cricket Health is a developer of scalable healthcare technology services designed to fundamentally transform the care and treatment of people with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and end stage renal disease (ESRD). Cricket Health's goal is to significantly improve patients' lives and reduce the clinical, psychosocial and economic burdens associated with kidney disease. The company's team and advisors include leaders in healthcare, technology and design from Stanford, University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), DaVita, LinkedIn, Twitter and Aberdare Ventures. Founded in 2015, Cricket Health is based in San Francisco. Learn more at www.crickethealth.com or follow us @CricketHealth.