StartUp Westport started just 2 years ago.
But the public/private partnership for tech, innovation and entrepreneurship has already helped bring several half-formed ideas to fruition.
The latest is Halespring.
Michael Hermus
It’s the brainchild of Michael Hermus. The MIT-trained, 2-time software company founder and former chief technology officer of the US Department of Homeland Security knows his way around systems.
But when a family member struggled with mental health challenges, the family spent years navigating the mental healthcare landscape. They were drowning in a world of disconnected providers, endless forms and communication breakdowns.
“Therapists, psychiatrists, school staff and pediatricians all try to help. But they’re not talking to each other enough,” Hermus says. “And families are often left out of the conversation entirely.”
So he built a secure, HIPAA-compliant platform that allows outpatient mental health providers to communicate about their patients. The result is a more collaborative and streamlined approach.
Halespring just launched a consumer platform. It provides patients and caregivers with powerful tools to connect with providers, manage care, and advocate for loved ones.
The mother of a son who receives complex autism support says Halespring offers “visibility into his OT, ABA, psychiatry, talk therapy, school interventions, and pediatrician visits. It saves us time, so my husband and I can focus on his progress.”
Hermus joined StartUp Westport in 2023. He met vice president Peter Propp. He invested in Halespring, and now works on marketing and strategy as an advisory board member.
“Passionate founders are so important for successful startups,” says Propp. “Passionate founders like Mike who can code an entire platform and improve it when needed are quite rare.”
The platform includes secure messaging, a document hub for sharing forms and assessments, and a clear overview of care teams. Westporter Dr. Frank S. K. Appah Jr., Halespring’s lead clinical advisor, calls it “the missing connective tissue.”
The platform is available at Halespring.com, with both free and premium options.
In these times of great uncertainty and confusion I can’t think of anything Westport needs more than a high quality, scalable and well thought out mental health platform. I’d like to congratulate Mr. Hermus and wish him every success in this exciting endeavor. And thanks to Dan (Woog, not Katz) for helping to bring it to the attention of the people who need it the most.
Thank you! Millions of people every day are negatively impacted by the problems we are hoping to solve. It is great to have home-town support 😉
Your initiative reminds me of the quote I always attributed to Maya Angelou: “Better to light a candle than curse the darkness.” Best wishes!!!
mental health is as important as physical health!