How Healthie Became the Go-To Platform for 37,000 Providers and 12M Patients

When Stefanie Mendez made the leap from clinical care into health tech, it wasn’t about chasing a new trend; it was about solving a problem she knew all too well.

As a registered dietitian, she experienced firsthand how traditional healthcare software often failed to support the long-term, relationship-driven care that patients truly need. Those limitations stuck with her. And eventually, they led her to Healthie, a now-thriving EHR and virtual care platform that has quietly become the infrastructure behind 37,000+ providers and care for over 12 million patients.

“It was just one foot in front of the other. Looking back, it all makes sense. But at the time, it was about showing up wherever I could add value and learning everything I could.”

From Clinician to Tech Builder: The Nonlinear Leap

Before joining Healthie, Stefanie was deep in patient care first in clinical settings, then in private practice. But as she got involved in early-stage health startups as a subject matter expert, she began realizing just how much opportunity there was to shape the future of care from the tech side.

“I’d sit in on nutrition app roundtables, contribute content, and advise on product decisions. I didn’t even realize I was inching closer to a tech role, it just felt like helping solve problems I understood deeply.”

When the opportunity came to join Healthie, she jumped in headfirst. In the early days, Stefanie wore multiple hats, even serving as the only product marketer on the team. Her clinical background gave her an edge in shaping product decisions, messaging, and ultimately helping build trust with their most important audience: providers.

A Founding Story Grounded in Real-Life Care

Healthie was founded in 2016 by Erica Jain and Cavan Klinsky, inspired by a deeply personal insight.

Erica watched her parents work with a care team of dietitians, coaches, and other specialists on a weight-loss journey. What struck her wasn’t just the power of the care itself, but how difficult it was for those providers to deliver it using outdated, physician-centered tech.

“EHRs were built for episodic care. See the doctor, get a note, leave. But what about nutrition, therapy, coaching? Those are relationship-based models that need ongoing engagement.”

So Erica and Cavan built a platform tailored for that kind of care charting, billing, scheduling, telehealth, engagement, all designed for specialties that had been underserved for decades.

Staying True to the Vision – Even As the Market Shifted

Most startups pivot. Healthie didn’t.

“I’ve seen their original pitch decks. What they set out to build those core features are still the foundation of our product today.”

From day one, they served small private practices, solo providers looking for a modern, unified tool. That focus on usability and provider needs helped Healthie grow steadily through organic channels, with a strong emphasis on SEO, content, and community building.

But when COVID hit, things accelerated.

Healthie already had HIPAA-compliant telehealth, deep Zoom integrations, and thousands of users on the platform. Providers needed to pivot overnight, and Healthie was ready.

“We weren’t building a solution in response to the crisis. We were already there. That made all the difference.”

The API-First Bet That Unlocked Enterprise Growth

What really catapulted Healthie into the next phase of growth was a bet the team made early on: to build the platform API-first.

“That decision turned out to be a huge unlock. When digital health companies realized they didn’t want to build their own infrastructure, they came to us.”

Being API-first meant Healthie wasn’t just a tool; it became infrastructure. Enterprise partners could build care delivery models on top of Healthie, customize the experience, and scale quickly.

Today, developers make over 1 billion API calls every month, and Healthie is powering care across behavioral health, women’s health, MSK, nutrition, and beyond.

The Hard Thing About Building EHRs (That No One Talks About)

Stefanie is quick to point out that building an EHR is not for the faint of heart.

“Most platforms focus on doing one thing well. But with an EHR, you have to go deep on everything: scheduling, billing, charting, engagement, and team management. It’s not something you can fake your way through.”

By the time the healthcare industry had to pivot rapidly toward virtual-first care, Healthie had already been battle-tested by thousands of providers and millions of patients. With a deeply nuanced product and robust infrastructure already in place, Healthie was able to support the evolving needs of care teams without missing a beat.

Advice for Aspiring Tech Marketers: Be Useful, Be Real

For anyone looking to move into health tech or build their own startup, Stefanie’s biggest piece of advice is deceptively simple:

“Be authentic. Create useful content. Think deeply about what your customers need to succeed and give them resources to help.”

Her team’s content strategy is rooted in exactly that: helpful, relevant content made by people who understand the work providers do.

“It’s not about flashy campaigns. It’s about trust, community, and delivering value over time.”

What’s Next for Healthie?

Fresh off a $23M Series B, Healthie is investing in expanding its Healthie Harbor partner marketplace, building AI-powered workflows, and continuing to scale its ONC and HITRUST Certified platform.

But for Stefanie and the broader team, the mission hasn’t changed.

“We want to be here for good reasons. Do good work. And help others do the same.”