AI Health Tech Pioneer Valerie Health Chooses Chattanooga for Its Next Major Expansion
When Valerie Health, an AI-powered healthcare technology company, set out to find the ideal location for its new operations hub, Chattanooga was an obvious top contender. Known as the Gig City with a national reputation for welcoming entrepreneurs, the city checked every box.
Why Chattanooga Works
Founded in mid-2024, the San Francisco-based startup first expanded to Chattanooga in late 2025. Marking a major milestone in its growth, Valerie Health leased an entire floor in the city’s downtown.
“Chattanooga is one of those rare cities that balances beauty, community and job opportunities,” says Director of Operations Lauren Coile, who is leading the team and brings more than a decade of operations management experience. “It is large enough to support growth, and the local ecosystem genuinely wants startups to succeed. We have a collaborative and accessible relationship with the city, tech and startup community, plus the universities, in a way that is hard to find elsewhere.”
Smarter Care, Real Results
Co-founders Pete Shalek and Nitin Joshi bring years of entrepreneurial experience to the table. From the company name to Valerie Health’s mission, the pair and their team have a laser focus on making a distinctive difference in the digital healthcare arena for independent medical providers.
The founders combined the initials of their children’s names to create Valerie Health. Their moniker serves as a reminder of the importance of building better healthcare for future generations.
The impetus behind the company’s founding was the realization that independent medical providers are often left behind in adopting technology and could benefit from the distinct solution Valerie Health’s AI front office platform provides. Instead of staff drowning in repetitive workloads, Valerie Health’s AI systems efficiently automate responsibilities like prior authorizations, referrals, faxes and scheduling. This gives patients faster access to care – often reducing referral time-to-entry to under 20 minutes – at a fraction of the operational cost, all backed by a skilled technical partner they can trust.
Valerie Health clients typically see a 7% increase in patient volume, cut administration costs in half and receive a six to eight times return on their investment. These positive results serve to frame the Chattanooga region as a future leader in healthcare efficiency and an attractive destination for medical specialty groups looking to expand or relocate.
Jobs That Matter
With its thriving downtown and outdoor-oriented lifestyle, Chattanooga is a natural fit for Valerie Health.
“Our team is comprised of smart, ambitious people who are energized by solving hard problems, making an impact and building something over the long term,” Coile says. “They come from a variety of backgrounds and are passionate about providing excellent service and support to help independent healthcare physicians thrive.”
Valerie Health plans to expand its team to 100 employees by year-end 2026, with a target of reaching 200 within three years. Key to attracting that top-tier talent is the company’s tight-knit culture and regular team outings – including after-work socials, a book club, outdoor adventures and cheering on the Chattanooga Lookouts baseball team. Full-time employees also enjoy perks like 99% paid health insurance and equity opportunities.
Erika De La Cruz, an operations coordinator who joined the team six months ago, is enthusiastic about her future with Valerie Health.
“Chattanooga is home, and I’m looking to build something here,” De La Cruz says. “What gets me about Valerie is that it’s not just a job where I can grow – it’s a company actually making this community better. When a patient messages back and says, ‘That was so easy,’ I feel it. That is someone getting care when they needed it, and I was part of making it happen. This is the kind of work I want to do, in the city I want to do it in.”
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