West Health Institute

What West Health Institute does

West Health Institute is a San Diego-based nonprofit medical research organization operating as one entity within a three-entity family of organizations — alongside the Gary and Mary West Foundation (the grantmaking arm) and the West Health Policy Center (Washington, D.C.) — solely funded by philanthropists Gary and Mary West since the foundation's establishment in 2006. The organization conducts applied medical research, funds care-model innovation, and shapes policy aimed at lowering healthcare costs and enabling successful aging for vulnerable seniors in America. Its core product portfolio centers on a replicable West Health Accelerator framework (deployed at Mass General Brigham for $16.4M, Northwestern Medicine for $8.6M, and nationally through the American Hospital Association for $12M) that helps hospitals operationalize technologies including AI-driven sepsis detection, ambient AI, EHR optimization, and virtual nursing; a research and data platform suite including the West Health-Gallup Center on Healthcare, West Health Mosaic, the National Healthcare Dashboard, the Well-Being Index covering 789 U.S. cities, and the National Aging Readiness Dashboard; and a set of care-model and policy initiatives including geriatric emergency department accreditation (600+ EDs transformed via ACEP partnership), the PACE program, telehealth, value-based care, and Master Plan for Aging (active in 20+ states). Civica Rx, the nonprofit generic drug company, is a related initiative in which West Health leadership holds governance roles.

The organization has no commercial revenue and operates on philanthropic grantmaking rather than product sales, with $600M+ deployed for successful aging initiatives and $550M+ in grants awarded since inception. Its go-to-market is institutional partnership-led: it convenes hospital systems, payers, federal and state policy stakeholders, and research organizations around shared frameworks, peer-learning networks, and national convenings. Primary customer segments are seniors and older adults (end beneficiaries), hospital systems and healthcare providers (operational partners), and policymakers and payers (incentive-alignment partners). Leadership is stable, with CEO Shelley Lyford and President Timothy Lash each in role since 2012 and 2013 respectively, supported by a Chief Strategy Officer, Chief Medical Officer, and policy leadership.

Name

West Health Institute

Legal name

West Health (Institute and Policy Center)

Website

https://westhealth.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

West Health Institute is a San Diego-based nonprofit research organization within a family of entities solely funded by philanthropists Gary and Mary West. It runs applied medical research, replicable hospital technology accelerators, and policy initiatives aimed at lowering healthcare costs and enabling successful aging for U.S. seniors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Healthcare Research and Policy Nonprofit

NAICS

Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412), Voluntary Health Organizations (813212)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090)

akta.pro primary industry

Elder Services & Aging Support (BPAGAEAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Health Research Funding Agencies (Public/Quasi-Public) (HLAJALAB), Care Transitions Management (Hospital/SNF-to-Home) (HSABAIAC)

Keywords

• Healthcare affordability research
• Applied medical research
• Geriatric emergency care
• Aging policy advocacy
• Healthcare accelerator programs

Headquarters

HQ city

La Jolla

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Philanthropic Funding: West Health is solely funded by philanthropists Gary and Mary West. The organization operates as a family of nonprofit organizations including the Gary and Mary West Foundation, West Health Institute, and West Health Policy Center. Revenue comes entirely from charitable contributions and grantmaking rather than commercial operations.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

West Health Institute is a nonprofit medical research organization that conducts applied research and develops replicable care models to lower healthcare costs and enable successful aging for seniors. Through accelerator frameworks, policy advocacy, and grantmaking, the organization partners with hospital systems, payers, and federal/state agencies to scale proven technologies such as EHR optimization, virtual care, AI integration, and geriatric emergency care. All operations are funded solely by philanthropists Gary and Mary West.

Product overview

West Health Institute operates as part of a family of nonprofit organizations (including Gary and Mary West Foundation and West Health Policy Center) focused on lowering healthcare costs and enabling successful aging. The organization offers a portfolio of research platforms including the West Health Mosaic data platform and National Healthcare Dashboard (in partnership with Gallup), accelerator programs (West Health Accelerator with AHA, Northwestern Medicine West Health Accelerator) that provide technology-enabled care solutions, and various care model initiatives including geriatric emergency care, telehealth, value-based care, and PACE programs. Additional offerings include policy initiatives like the Master Plan for Aging and pharmaceutical initiatives through Civica Rx.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• West Health Mosaic Healthcare insights, data and research platform offering advanced research capabilities, data visualizations, and key insights on healthcare costs, practices, and policies affecting aging in America.
• National Healthcare Dashboard Interactive dashboard providing national healthcare data and tracking of healthcare affordability indices in partnership with Gallup.
• Well-Being Index Index scoring 789 U.S. cities with populations over 50,000 across seven dimensions of daily life, from financial stability to social connection, to reveal how well each community supports its residents.
• National Aging Readiness Dashboard Interactive elderly care data dashboard that explores America's aging landscape, filters demographics, and analyzes trends across life stages.
• West Health Accelerator (with AHA) Three-year initiative in partnership with AHA providing hospitals with a support network including AI-driven sepsis detection, ambient AI, EHR-embedded safety bundles, virtual nursing tools, implementation support, and peer-learning networks.
• Northwestern Medicine West Health Accelerator Multi-year initiative establishing an accelerator at Northwestern Medicine to provide access to comprehensive psychiatric services for primary care practices, expanding behavioral health care integration.
• Mass General Brigham West Health Accelerator Multi-year effort to help transform care for older adults in the hospital setting at Mass General Brigham, providing replicable models that have been deployed at Northwestern Medicine and nationally through the AHA partnership.
• Geriatric Emergency Care Accreditation Initiative Initiative advancing geriatric emergency department accreditation and specialized emergency care for older adults, having helped transform care at over 600 emergency departments nationwide in partnership with ACEP and the VA.
• Civica Rx Not-for-profit generic drug company established to address generic drug shortages and lower prices of lifesaving medications; West Health team members serve on Civica Rx's Drug Selection and Medical Trend Committee.
• West Health-Gallup Center on Healthcare in America Joint initiative with Gallup dedicated to elevating American voices within the healthcare system through rigorous research and human-centered storytelling that drives actionable insights and informs policy solutions.
• V-LAB Social Laboratory Social laboratory created in partnership with Gallup and Gates Ventures that brings together leaders across health, AI, sport, business, and faith to explore how innovation, collaboration, and values can improve human vitality and longevity.

Quantifiable outcome

• 600+ emergency departments across the country transformed through geriatric emergency care accreditation
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

19 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• American Hospital Association (AHA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 May 2026Three-year partnership called West Health Accelerator at AHA's Research and Education Trust to help healthcare organizations adopt and scale technologies including EHR optimization, virtual care, and AI integration. Backed by $12 million investment from West Health. Builds on successful accelerator models at Mass General Brigham and Northwestern Medicine. Initiative aims to improve patient outcomes and support care teams through a digital hub offering implementation support, ready-to-deploy solutions, and peer-learning networks.
• National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 April 2026Strategic partnership to advance integration of behavioral health into primary care. Combines NCQA's leadership in healthcare quality measurement with West Health's expertise in healthcare innovation. Will establish core behavioral health quality measures to guide care delivery, accountability, and payment structures. Partnership will function as an incubator to test and refine quality measures across diverse care settings and payer environments.
• GallupcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 January 2026West Health-Gallup Center on Healthcare, a joint initiative dedicated to elevating American voices within the healthcare system. Through rigorous research and human-centered storytelling, the Center drives actionable insights and informs policy solutions. Conducts nationally representative surveys tracking healthcare affordability, mental health trends, and AI adoption in healthcare.
• Gates VenturesmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 January 2026Co-creator of V-LAB, a new social laboratory introduced at the World Economic Forum. V-LAB brings together leaders across health, AI, sport, business, and faith to explore how innovation, collaboration, and values can work together to improve lives across the lifespan.
• SemaforminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 3 November 2025Co-organizer of The Future of Health Forum with West Health and Gallup to discuss challenges in the US healthcare system, including rising costs, workforce shortages, and policy fluctuations.
• The Kennedy ForummajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 September 2025Partnership to elevate brain health in the workforce, making mental, neurological, and cognitive well-being a top priority across sectors. Brain-related conditions projected to cost global economy $15 trillion annually by 2030. Partnership champions 90-90-90 initiative for mental health screening and care.
• Northwestern MedicinecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 November 2024$8.6 million multi-year initiative establishing the Northwestern Medicine West Health Accelerator to provide access to comprehensive psychiatric services for primary care practices throughout Northwestern Medicine, expanding access to mental health care and promoting earlier intervention. Builds on Northwestern's successful Collaborative Behavioral Health Program (CBHP) available at 75 primary care locations.
• Meadows Mental Health Policy InstitutemajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 November 2024Collaboration with Northwestern Medicine and West Health to provide easier access to evidence-based mental health services. The integrated care model is positioned as a proven, effective way to ensure people receive treatment they need as early as possible.
• Mass General BrighamcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner$16.4 million multi-year West Health Accelerator to help transform care for older adults in the hospital setting. Model has been replicated at Northwestern Medicine and is being scaled nationally through AHA partnership.
• McKinsey Health InstitutemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on primary care research examining the gap between primary care demand and supply in the United States through 2050. Released report and interactive modeling tool highlighting that US invests only 5% of health spending on primary care compared to roughly 13% in other OECD countries.
• MetismajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership kicking off brain health systems transformation effort, aligning with V-LAB and broader brain economy initiative to address cognitive resilience, adaptability, and mental wellness.
• Duke-Margolis Institute for Health PolicymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to advance and accelerate value-based care in the US healthcare system. Includes the Accountable Care Learning Hub and collaborative work on rapid learning approaches to accelerate accountable care adoption.
• Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration to remodel acute care for seniors, specifically addressing how older adults receive care during acute medical events by facilitating delivery where patients reside (home or SNF-type programs) rather than traditional hospital settings.
• American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMore than six-year collaboration to support expansion of geriatric emergency department accreditation across the country. West Health Institute has helped transform how more than 600 emergency departments care for older adults. Recognized by ACEP in 2026 for leadership and sustained partnership.
• U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPublic-private collaboration to create accredited geriatric emergency departments. VA now has 67 accredited GEDs spread across the country with 18 more in process. Partnership designed to create welcoming EDs offering multi-disciplinary, specialized care focused on at-risk older Veterans.
• The John A. Hartford FoundationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in public-private collaboration with VA and ACEP to create accredited geriatric emergency departments across VA facilities.
• Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE)coreOthersWest Health supports the development and expansion of PACE programs, which provide comprehensive medical and social services to older adults allowing them to age in place.
• Civica RxmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNation's first nonprofit generic drug company established in part with a grant from the Gary and Mary West Foundation. West Health team members serve on Civica Rx's Drug Selection and Medical Trend Committee. Shelley Lyford serves as vice-chair of the board. Created to address generic drug shortages and lower prices of lifesaving medications.
• Center for Excellence for Telehealth and Aging (CE4TA)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to advance telehealth adoption and implementation for aging populations, particularly addressing the challenge of low telehealth adoption in senior living communities (only 14% of healthcare providers reporting usage).

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• John A. Hartford Foundation: A private philanthropy focused exclusively on improving care for older adults. Directly comparable as an aging-focused foundation; West Health is already a co-partner with Hartford in the VA geriatric emergency department initiative.
• The SCAN Foundation: Independent public charity dedicated to transforming care for older adults in ways that preserve dignity and independence. Directly comparable mission and grantmaking model targeting the same senior population and aging-in-place outcomes.
• The Pew Charitable Trusts: Nonprofit that conducts research and policy advocacy on health, including drug pricing. West Health's Director of Health Policy (Sean Dickson) previously led Pew's drug spending research initiative — direct lineage and comparable model in pharmaceutical policy research.
• Civica Rx: Not-for-profit generic drug company co-founded by West Health. Directly comparable as a West Health-anchored initiative with shared leadership (Shelley Lyford as vice-chair) and shared mission of lowering healthcare costs through structural market intervention.

Broad incumbents

• The Commonwealth Fund: Major U.S. healthcare-focused foundation supporting independent research on health policy reform. Overlaps with West Health Policy Center's healthcare affordability and value-based care agenda, but with a broader (non-aging-specific) remit and much larger endowment.
• Robert Wood Johnson Foundation: Largest U.S. philanthropy focused exclusively on health. Comparable as a research, policy, and grantmaking organization shaping healthcare delivery — though broader in scope than West Health's aging concentration and with substantially larger capital base.
• Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF): Nonprofit organization focused on national health issues and the role of healthcare policy. Comparable as a healthcare policy research and data organization publishing nationally influential affordability and access analyses — direct adjacency to West Health-Gallup's research mission.
• Milken Institute: Nonprofit think tank with active programs on aging, longevity, and health policy. Comparable as a convening and research organization intersecting aging and healthcare economics — overlapping with West Health's V-LAB longevity and brain health work.

Emerging players

• RAND Corporation: Nonprofit research institution with major healthcare, aging, and health economics research portfolio. Comparable as an applied research organization producing policy-relevant healthcare evidence — paralleling West Health Institute's applied medical research function.

Others

• American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP): National medical specialty college that runs the geriatric emergency department accreditation program in partnership with West Health. Included as an ecosystem partner rather than direct peer; ACEP is the standards body through which West Health has scaled geriatric ED accreditation to 600+ sites.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/WestHealth
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCgNIl-Ne1yH5m-6YAVBP-cQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/WestHealth
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/west-health

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about West Health Institute