Empowering Family Caregivers: Shara Cohen's Journey with Carallel
The population is aging and that means more family caregivers are needed. One in five US adults are caregivers today, providing $600 billion in annual value to the healthcare system. Shara Cohen, CEO of Carallel, is dedicated to supporting and empowering family caregivers. In a recent episode of the HealthBiz podcast, Cohen shares her journey from a history major with a passion for volunteering to a leader in the healthcare industry.
Volunteerism as a Foundation
Cohen's passion for healthcare and helping others began in her childhood, where she volunteered as a candy striper and delivered meals on wheels. These experiences not only shaped her career path but also instilled the importance of volunteering and contributing to the community.
From Emmi to Carallel
In 2010, Shara Cohen moved to Chicago to join Emmi, a patient engagement business that grew to 170 employees before being sold to Wolters Kluwer in 2016. At Emmi, Cohen focused on leveraging underutilized resources in healthcare and worked to demonstrate the impact patient engagement could have on healthcare outcomes.
Her mission didn't stop there - Cohen joined Carallel, a company dedicated to serving the growing need for family caregivers. Carallel provides a human-led, tech-enabled service that makes caregiving easier and helps healthcare organizations and employers deliver caregiver strategies to attract and retain members.
The Importance of Supporting Caregivers
As the need for caregiving increases, health plans, providers, and employers are all impacted. Carallel's services aim to make caregiving easier for these stakeholders by providing personalized guidance and digital tools that help identify and empower caregivers throughout their caregiving journey.
Cohen believes that family caregivers are a fundamental key to ensuring individuals can live with dignity and security. By providing support and resources to family caregivers, Carallel is improving the lives of caregivers along with the lives of those they care for.
Looking Ahead
As the national conversation around caregiving continues to grow, Cohen is excited about the future of Carallel and its role in the care economy. As technology advances, it becomes easier for organizations like Carallel to deliver support and empathy at scale. Furthermore, as their team grows, they are better able to reflect the diversity of the caregiving experience.
In the coming years, Cohen envisions Carallel becoming even more connected to social determinants of health and health equity, helping to create a brighter future for family caregivers and the healthcare system as a whole.
To learn more about Shara Cohen's journey and the impact Carallel is making on the lives of family caregivers, listen to the full HealthBiz podcast episode on Apple Podcasts or any other audio app.
Health Business Group is a boutique healthcare consulting firm that develops growth strategies for innovative companies like Carallel. Contact us to learn more.
