When people think about women’s health, they often think about it in the context of fertility and maternity, declared Kristen Helton, CEO of Herself Health, a primary care company for women ages 65 and older. But women’s health goes much further than that.

“The need to focus on women’s health throughout their lives is really important,” Helton said in an interview. “Women are four times more likely than men to be diagnosed with osteoporosis. They’re three times more likely than men to have an autoimmune disease such as arthritis. They’re twice as likely as men to be diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. … This need doesn’t go away post-menopause. In fact, taking really good care of women in these years improves their vitality and improves their life and their ability to live independently.”

That’s why Herself Health was created: to serve women and their unique needs as they grow older. With a clinic in St. Paul, Minnesota, the startup offers preventative care, chronic condition care, acute care and wellness services. It also offers virtual follow-up visits. After securing $26 million in Series A financing, Herself Health is looking to grow its footprint, it announced Monday.

The $26 million funding round was led by Michael Cline, founding managing partner of Accretive, and included participation from Juxtapose. It comes six months after Herself Health raised $7 million in seed funding. In total, the company has raised $33 million.

Cline said he chose to invest in the company because of its work in improving care for an underserved population.

“Herself Health is addressing a long-neglected segment of the population with thoughtful, differentiated primary care services,” Cline said in a news release. “This approach has the potential to fundamentally change the way women 65+ across the United States experience health care and start a long overdue conversation about the unique health and wellness needs these women have.”

With the funding, Herself Health plans to grow its number of clinics. It is launching two more clinics in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area in 2023. It will also enter a new market in 2024.

In addition, the company plans to grow its virtual care services, as well as its in-person care and community engagement services. Herself Health will also invest in hiring additional physicians, nurses and medical assistants.

Herself Health makes its revenue by contracting with Medicare plans, though it’s looking to work with Medicare Advantage plans as well. While the company is currently functioning in a fee-for-service model, it aims to transition into a value-based care model in the future, Helton said.

“The goal of the company is to be an at-risk provider,” Helton said. “We’ll grow our patient population, build out our operational capabilities, so that we can be a true value-based care provider.”

Other primary care companies include Oak Street Health and ChenMed, though these companies don’t have a particular focus on women like Herself Health does.

Photo: kate_sept2004, Getty Images