West Health

West Health

Founded	2009
Founders	Gary and Mary West
Type	Non-profit organization
Focus	Lowering healthcare costs to enable successful aging
Location	La Jolla, California and Washington DC, United States of America
Origins	Philanthropists Gary and Mary West made their money through West Corporation, a private telecommunications provider based in Omaha, Nebraska. In 2006, the Wests sold their stake in the company for $1.4 billion, the same year they founded the Gary and Mary West Foundation, which has awarded more than $231 million in grants since its inception. Subsequently, the Foundation provided funding to enable the creation of the West Health Institute in 2009 and the West Health Policy Center in 2012. These three organizations comprise West Health.
Method	Independently funded by the Gary and Mary West Foundation and other donations from Gary and Mary West
Key people	Shelley Lyford, President and CEO Tim Lash, Chief Strategy Officer Zia Agha, MD, Chief Medical Officer
Website	West Health
Formerly called	West Wireless Health Institute (2009–2012)

West Health is a family of non-profit, nonpartisan organizations that includes the Gary and Mary West Foundation, the West Health Institute, and the West Health Policy Center. Founded in 2009 by philanthropists Gary and Mary West, West Health's mission is to lower healthcare costs to enable seniors to successfully age in place with access to high-quality, affordable health and support services that preserve and protect their dignity, quality of life, and independence.

West Health Institute

The West Health Institute was established in 2009 with an initial $45 million grant from the Gary and Mary West Foundation. This applied medical research organization collaborates with healthcare providers, community organizations, and academic institutions to improve or validate models of care that lower healthcare costs and enhance the holistic delivery of medical, dental, and social services for seniors. The institute conducts research on various topics, including geriatric emergency care, telehealth, value-based care, oral health for seniors, home-based primary care, and malnutrition.

West Health Policy Center

The West Health Policy Center, based in Washington, D.C., is a nonprofit organization focused on identifying policy solutions and innovations that improve access to high-quality healthcare and social services for seniors while slowing the trajectory of rising healthcare costs. The center's current areas of focus include the high cost of prescription drugs and medical services, increasing the number of accredited geriatric emergency departments, expanding access to oral healthcare services for vulnerable seniors, and expanding the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) model.