Boulder is honored to be ranked among the fastest growing companies in America: ranked 140th of 5,000, and #16 in healthcare. It’s a huge milestone for the company and the teams that made it happen. This is Boulder’s first time appearing on the Inc. 5000, a data-driven ranking of the most successful, independent, private companies.
As we celebrate this accomplishment, it’s a good time to reflect on how we got here, why our growth matters, and what it means for the future.
Build slow to go fast.
Before making this list, we spent 7 years ensuring the care model is rock solid, setting us on an intentional growth path. Substance use disorder, and its treatment, are highly individualized and complex experiences. Here are a few ways Boulder grew as rapidly as this public health crisis demands, while staying focused on quality care for the people we treat.
- Early on, Boulder’s team published peer-reviewed work under a dedicated department for Research, Education, and Quality. The team added empirical rigor to our emergent field and contributed to the larger body of knowledge. This work has resulted in numerous publications in The Journal of Substance Abuse and Annals of Internal Medicine, partnerships with universities, and even in the development of novel treatment methods that progressed into Randomized Controlled Trials.
- We partnered with health plans to make care free to patients, and prioritized Medicaid beneficiaries––who now make up 80 percent of Boulder patients––in all aspects of product development. We were determined to close access gaps for the most undeserved.
- From the start, we knew it was crucial to forge connections with community partners. We reached out to hospitals, emergency departments, and jails––the places where people with SUD, through no fault of their own, endlessly cycle. We focused on addressing flaws and inefficiencies in the system that perpetuate these harmful outcomes. Building a bridge between telehealth and traditional medicine has been––and remains to be––key to Boulder’s model.
Investors initially questioned whether Boulder’s approach was “scalable,” pointing to technology companies that grew aggressively by bypassing local partnerships and advertising directly to patients who were able to pay out of pocket. We firmly believe that providers can not only be successful by planting roots in the communities we serve, but that doing so is a vital ingredient for success.
We believe in scaling while not leaving those who need the most help behind, which includes thousands of patients in rural towns, folks who are currently incarcerated, or those living outside. All deserve the best care possible. Our yearslong, laser-focused effort ensured confidence in the model, that what we were doing was safe, effective, and ready to meet this massive need.
Do the right thing for patients, and growth will follow.
Boulder relies on patients and community partners to spread the word about the excellent care they received. We spend ~1,000x more delivering clinical care than we do on marketing or advertising, since the majority of patients find Boulder from the endorsement of an existing patient. We take that as a sign that we’re doing this the right way––and thousands of patients give Boulder an 85 Net Promoter Score. Rooted in expert clinical care, medication-based treatment, peer recovery coaching, and compassionate care advocacy and social supports, Boulder’s model is proof that growth and quality can reinforce each other, creating a virtuous cycle.
Care without barriers.
Let Boulder’s growth be counter-evidence to the false notion that “people with SUD just don’t want help.” Millions of people do want care, and when we listen to patients and providers, when we eliminate needless barriers, patients feel empowered. At Boulder, they get the care they need––and they flourish.
Boulder will continue to innovate to make addiction care more accessible so that people can thrive in their recovery.
Together with our patients, we’ve developed a solution positioned to address the overdose crisis at the urgent speed and scale necessary.
