Ascension

Ascension (originally known as Ascension Health) is a faith-based healthcare organisation. In FY2019, Ascension provided $2 billion in care of persons living in poverty and other community benefit programs. 

Ascension includes approximately 156,000 associates and 34,000 aligned providers. The national health system operates more than 2,600 sites of care – including 150 hospitals and more than 50 senior living facilities – in 20 states and the District of Columbia, while providing a variety of services including physician practice management, venture capital investing, investment management, biomedical engineering, facilities management, clinical care management, information services, risk management, and contracting through Ascension’s own group purchasing organisation.

Ascension has its own VC arm, Ascension Ventures, which focuses on startups developing medical devices and technology, and services sectors. It manages $550m in assets.

The company received global media attention when it was revealed it had partnered with Google for 'Project Nightingale', providing the tech giant with US patient data. The partnership initially began in 2018, although was expanded in the summer of 2019. The move meant Google can access health records, names and addresses without telling the patients involved. The partnership aims to result in the development of AI tools for doctors, and will also see the modernisation of Ascension's infrastructure by moving the company over to the Cloud and through the use of Google's G suite productivity and collaboration tools.