CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- The co-founder of a healthcare startup on Tuesday said he wants his company to be a one-stop shop for all of its customers' healthcare questions.
- The startup, Well, will put a new operations center in downtown Chapel Hill
- The center will create 400 jobs with an average salary of $63,000 per year
- The company currently contracts with large employers but wants to expand to individual services
Well announced Tuesday afternoon it will set up a major operations center inside the former location of the Carolina Ale House on West Franklin Street and will also occupy a building next door currently owned by the county.
Gov. Roy Cooper said the startup will create 400 jobs paying an average salary of $63,000 per year. He said the move shows North Carolina is a place where businesses can innovate.
“Talented people come to the old Well for knowledge. Now the new Well is coming to hire that talent,” he said, eliciting chuckles from the audience.
Company co-founder David Werry said the company is designed to provide people with a one-stop shop for any healthcare needs, ranging from benefits help to answering questions relating to pharmacy or acute needs. It does this by taking a person's health and economic data and looking for ways to improve the healthcare services the person receives to reach their desired health outcomes.
Customers may choose to share as much or as little personal health information with the company as they wish.
He said the company is starting out by providing its services to large employers. Eventually he wants to make the service available for anyone.
“We believe in the state and the talent here to be able to recruit the right level of people,” he said.
Werry said the company has five years to deliver on the 400 promised jobs or it will forfeit the tax incentives for which it has applied.