Growth of Local Startup OpenLoop Leads to Recognition in Health Technology Industry

Jon Lensing, CEO & Co-Founder of OpenLoop Health, shares with the Greater Des Moines Partnership’s Diana Wright how the company continues to expand through gaining talented employees and creating partnerships to increase care around the country. With just 35 employees in 2022, OpenLoop now has more than 300 on their team as more telehealth-minded companies look to scale their practices in order to offer more services. 

About OpenLoop Health

OpenLoop began as a question: How do you take an existing pool of clinical providers and make them more efficient with their schedules in their day?

After witnessing patients having to drive long distances to get care due to a shortage of providers across the country, Lensing began to think about the opportunity to increase that workforce. What was originally a staffing company launched prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, initially under a different business name, soon became OpenLoop. 

OpenLoop now assists telehealth companies with providing efficient traditional health care delivery through virtual services. Anything that can be done in a medical setting, aside from surgery or procedure, can be done through telehealth now, including therapy, prescription renewal, etc. OpenLoop is a B2B enterprise, helping power other telehealth initiatives so patients won’t even know they are using OpenLoop if it’s working correctly.  

Favorite Advice

Mentor John Courtney gave Lensing this entrepreneurial advice: CEOs don’t need to be concerned with the pennies and dollars of it all; that’s what a CFO role is for. A good CEO understands the entire industry and market. Who pays who? Where does the money come from, and where does the money go? Why does the money flow in that direction? What are the incentives and values being created? 

In the DSM Community

The Iowa and Greater Des Moines (DSM) ecosystem has helped Lensing build his business and expand. Iowa values a hard work ethic but maintains strong family values and prioritizes family. It means OpenLoop employees both find purpose in their work and take time for themselves. Iowa will always be home. Investors love it, too, including the level of communication between the DSM community and investors living on the coast.  

Learn about how your telehealth company can streamline your virtual care through diagnostic imaging, licensing and credentialing and more. From payroll to legal to scheduling, OpenLoop can assist with it all. Reach out to the Des Moines-based company or follow them on social media: LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. 

Small Business and Startup Stories DSM was a podcast previously produced by the Greater Des Moines Partnership. For more information on small businesses and startup resources, sign up for our Small Business Resources Newsletter, read DSM Success Stories or check out our blog posts.