Workit Health

Workit Health provides comprehensive telemedicine solutions for substance use disorder and co-occurring mental health conditions. The company’s platform integrates virtual visits, FDA-approved medications, and evidence-based therapy programs, offering a holistic and accessible approach to treatment. This digital intervention aims to support individuals in managing and overcoming addiction through remote behavioral change and ongoing medical care.

Co-founded in 2015 by Lisa McLaughlin and Robin McIntosh, Workit Health emerged from their personal experiences and a shared vision to transform addiction treatment. Their insight stemmed from recognizing the need for a more accessible, discreet, and effective alternative to traditional care models, leveraging technology to address significant barriers to recovery. Both founders sought to build a better and more compassionate experience for those struggling with substance use.

The platform serves individuals seeking private and convenient care for addiction and mental health. Workit Health’s long-term vision is to democratize access to high-quality addiction treatment, fundamentally changing how these conditions are managed across the United States. It endeavors to offer support that is both clinically sound and deeply empathetic, reaching a broader population.

# Workit Health: High-Level Overview

Workit Health is a digital health platform, not a traditional technology company, that delivers virtual addiction treatment through telemedicine.[1][6] Founded in 2015 by Robin McIntosh and Lisa McLaughlin—two women in long-term recovery from addiction—Workit Health has served over 35,000 members by providing medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for opioid use disorder (OUD) and alcohol addiction, alongside treatment for co-occurring conditions like anxiety and depression.[1][6]

The company solves a critical access problem in American addiction care: most people lack convenient, judgment-free treatment options. Workit Health addresses this by offering private, science-backed care accessible entirely online, requiring only an internet connection.[4] The platform combines FDA-approved medications (Suboxone and naltrexone) with behavioral health support from clinicians who specialize in addiction medicine. With a 4.7-star app rating and 3,000+ reviews, Workit Health demonstrates strong product-market fit, particularly among rural populations (20% of members) and treatment-naive patients (75% were new to OUD treatment).[6]

Origin Story

Workit Health emerged from firsthand experience with America's "broken treatment system."[1] Robin McIntosh and Lisa McLaughlin, both in recovery themselves, recognized that traditional in-person rehab models created barriers—stigma, inconvenience, geographic isolation, and cost. Rather than accept these limitations, they built a better alternative in 2015, pioneering virtual addiction care when telemedicine was still nascent in this space.[1]

The company gained early validation through clinical research and strategic partnerships. Workit Health received a Small Business Innovation and Research (SBIR) contract from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), the federal government's lead agency on drug use research, to develop telehealth innovations in interoperability and data-driven care.[1] Lux Capital invested in 2016, recognizing the company's potential to scale evidence-based addiction treatment.[2] By 2025, Workit Health has grown to serve 35,000+ members and completed the first study assessing telemedicine treatment for OUD among rural Americans post-COVID, demonstrating the effectiveness of its care model.[1]

Core Differentiators

• Founder-led authenticity: Built by people in recovery, not external entrepreneurs, giving the company deep credibility and mission alignment with its patient base.[1][4]

• Clinical rigor: Workit Health conducts its own research through Workit Labs, using measurement-based care to continuously improve outcomes rather than relying solely on external validation.[1][6]

• Integrated mental health: 78% of members starting OUD treatment have depression, and 81% have anxiety.[6] Workit Health treats these co-occurring conditions alongside addiction, addressing the full clinical picture rather than addiction in isolation.

• Rural accessibility: 20% of members live in rural zip codes, a population historically underserved by addiction treatment.[6] The telemedicine model eliminates geographic barriers that plague traditional rehab.

• High retention: At three months, 66% of new members remain in care—significantly above the 50% benchmark for traditional programs.[6]

• Innovative technology: Award-winning solutions include automated drug screening and a chatbot supported by NIDA, simplifying the treatment experience.[1]

• Flexible recovery pathways: The platform honors diverse recovery approaches, from 12-step programs to harm reduction strategies, avoiding dogmatic treatment models.[4]

Role in the Broader Tech Landscape

Workit Health operates at the intersection of three powerful trends: digital health expansion, addiction crisis urgency, and mental health destigmatization. The opioid epidemic has created sustained demand for scalable treatment solutions, while telemedicine adoption—accelerated by COVID-19—has normalized remote clinical care. Workit Health's success demonstrates that virtual-first models can deliver superior outcomes in addiction treatment, challenging the assumption that in-person rehab is the gold standard.

The company also influences policy and clinical practice. By actively advocating for legislation preserving 100% virtual access to addiction treatment and publishing research demonstrating telemedicine efficacy, Workit Health shapes how payers, regulators, and clinicians think about addiction care delivery.[1] Its partnerships with state health agencies (like OhMHAS in Ohio) show how digital platforms can integrate into broader healthcare systems.

Quick Take & Future Outlook

Workit Health is positioned to become the dominant virtual-first addiction treatment platform in America. With 35,000+ members, clinical validation, government research partnerships, and a mission-driven team, the company has built defensible competitive advantages in a market that will only grow as the addiction crisis persists and telemedicine becomes standard.

The next phase likely involves geographic expansion, payer integration, and clinical breadth—treating more co-occurring conditions and reaching underserved populations. As mental health and addiction care converge, Workit Health's integrated approach to depression, anxiety, and substance use positions it well to capture this expanding market.

What makes Workit Health remarkable is that it proves a counterintuitive truth: the most effective addiction treatment platform in America was built not by Silicon Valley technologists, but by two women who lived the problem they solved. That authenticity, combined with clinical rigor and technology, is a rare combination—and likely the reason it's winning.