Hi Ricardo, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.

Muse Health really began from two significant events in my life: the passing of my paternal and maternal grandmothers from completely preventable diseases, and two business partners not wanting to move in the same direction as I did a couple of years ago. The loss of family made me ask myself what more I could do to prevent this from happening to someone else in the future. The loss of one project sometimes opens the door to a much greater opportunity.
The Muse Health story, like so many others, is rooted in failure, persistence, consistency, excellence, and faith.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?

We are often asked how, in a time when companies are eliminating DEI initiatives, we continue to flourish. The answer is rooted in two truths: there’s grace in doing the right thing, and doing the right thing is usually good for business.
BIPOC-centered strategies reduce the use of costly emergency services and preventable hospitalizations. Studies show that BIPOC communities, particularly those with low health literacy, often rely on emergency services due to delayed or inadequate care. For example, Black and Hispanic individuals are more likely to visit the ER for preventable conditions like diabetes and hypertension, which could be managed in primary care settings.
Medicaid data reveals that preventable ER visits cost the U.S. healthcare system over $8 billion annually, with a large portion of these costs stemming from BIPOC populations with low health literacy and limited access to culturally competent care.
By investing in customized healthcare education, preventive services, and culturally concordant care, healthcare systems can reduce ER utilization and hospital admissions, significantly lowering healthcare costs. For instance, research shows that patients who receive culturally relevant education are 50% less likely to visit the ER.

Muse Health’s tailored BIPOC strategies improve chronic disease management, leading to better outcomes and lower long-term healthcare costs. BIPOC populations disproportionately suffer from chronic diseases like diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease, but these conditions can be managed effectively with targeted interventions.
The CDC estimates that over 90% of the $3.8 trillion spent on healthcare in the U.S. is related to chronic diseases. Among Black and Hispanic populations, the incidence of diabetes and cardiovascular diseases is significantly higher. African Americans, for example, are 60% more likely to have diabetes than white Americans, and poorly managed diabetes leads to costly complications such as amputations, dialysis, and hospitalizations.
Muse Health increases health literacy among BIPOC populations, leading to better self-management and reduced healthcare spending. Customized care models that address the specific needs of BIPOC populations—such as culturally aligned diabetes coaching and preventive care—can reduce complications and improve disease management. For example, an inclusive diabetes program could reduce hospitalizations by 30%, potentially saving billions of dollars in avoidable expenses.
We’ve found that improving health literacy by just 10% can reduce healthcare costs by 12% overall. Culturally tailored preventive care programs increase utilization and reduce long-term healthcare costs. Underutilization of preventive care services, such as cancer screenings and wellness checkups, among BIPOC populations, often stems from distrust in the healthcare system, cultural stigma, and access barriers.
Muse Health’s inclusive healthcare package offers culturally targeted outreach for preventive services, which can increase screening rates. Studies indicate that increasing breast and colorectal cancer screening rates by 10% among BIPOC populations can reduce treatment costs by up to $1.5 billion annually due to earlier detection.
These types of screenings could have saved members of my family and hundreds of thousands of others.
The work Muse Health does with each of our stakeholders focuses first on impact and then on sustainability. We outline the business case, supported by data, to drive decisions made by our partners. Muse Health can address health disparities, reduce unnecessary expenses, and improve outcomes for entire health systems and government programs. These approaches not only make economic sense but also align with broader societal goals of equity, inclusion, and improved public health.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business.

Muse Health helps stakeholders optimize outcomes at every step along their operational journey, from member/patient acquisition to retention and debt management. We work with clients to deliver culturally concordant solutions and analyze outcomes and needs that characterize their most valuable customers, determine the right objectives, and identify the best ways to engage them (e.g., direct marketing and channel strategy).
In practice, our work focuses on four primary activities: driving member/patient lifetime outcomes through deep analytics, optimizing engagement programs, implementing front-line transformational change, and most importantly, improving the customer experience through culturally competent care.
We are proud that while many shrink away from the ideas surrounding diversity and inclusion, we have successfully communicated to our partners that expanding access in underrepresented communities isn’t simply the right thing to do—it’s a blue ocean, devoid of competent competition, and the right thing to do.

Alright, so before we go, can you talk to us a bit about how people can work with you, collaborate with you, or support you?

As an organization, we have experienced growth through a dogma of ethical and fiscal sustainability. We have achieved excellence through collaborative innovation and success through unbiased inclusivity.
We have been fortunate to count Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota, Allstate Benefits, Centene, Health EZ, Welcome Tech, and a host of other companies as our trusted partners and customers.

Contact Info:

Website: https://www.mymusehealth.com