How Uptiv Health Built a Patient-Centered Infusion Center

Uptiv Health was founded with a simple goal: to improve how patients experience infusion care. Frank DeJesus, Senior Operations Director and co-founder, helped build the company from the ground up.

The team saw a growing need for infusion services outside of hospital systems. Many patients with chronic illnesses require regular treatments that can last several hours at a time. Traditional hospital infusion centers often come with long waits, complex logistics, and high costs. Uptiv set out to build a better alternative.

The first location opened in Westland, Michigan, serving patients across a range of conditions including gastrointestinal disease, neurological disorders, severe allergies, and autoimmune conditions. But the vision went beyond infusion therapy alone.

Most infusion centers focus on one thing: delivering medication. Patients arrive, receive treatment, and come back weeks or months later. But chronic illness affects far more than a medication schedule. Patients often need support with behavioral health, medication adherence, and long-term care planning. Uptiv wanted to build a model that addressed all of it.

Their approach to whole-person care integrates behavioral health resources, digital patient engagement tools, and ongoing clinical support into the patient experience.

Launching a healthcare business requires more than a strong clinical idea. Providers must operate within strict regulatory frameworks that require physician oversight, licensing compliance, and clinical governance. For Uptiv Health, establishing physician collaboration was a critical early step. Without it, the company could not operate safely or compliantly.

The leadership team explored several options, including hiring physicians directly and working with outside organizations. Most solutions were expensive or hard to scale. They needed a structure that would let them launch quickly while staying compliant and operationally flexible.

Uptiv Health partnered with GuardianMD to establish the physician oversight and compliance infrastructure needed to operate. The partnership gave Uptiv the physician collaboration structure required to open its infusion centers, while keeping the leadership team in control of day-to-day operations. As new clinicians joined and new locations opened, the model made it straightforward to onboard additional providers in a compliant and predictable way.

With the compliance structure in place, Uptiv opened its first infusion center in Westland, Michigan. The facility was designed around patient comfort and accessibility, featuring private infusion suites and an environment where patients and their families could feel at ease during long treatment sessions.

The company also built a digital patient engagement platform. Through a mobile app, patients stay connected with their care team between visits and receive support throughout their treatment. This combination of environment, technology, and care coordination helps Uptiv deliver a more supportive experience at every step.

The response from patients has been powerful. Frank recalls one patient whose story reinforced what the company is building. The patient lives with a rare condition requiring regular infusion therapy, and his mother serves as his primary caregiver. Through Uptiv, he gained easier access to treatment and a more supportive environment during his care. Stories like his continue to drive the company forward.

Uptiv Health is now focused on expansion. A second clinic is already planned, with more markets to follow.

The company represents a new model for infusion care, one that combines clinical expertise, technology, and whole-person support. As demand for infusion services grows, patient-centered models like Uptiv are poised to play a larger role in the future of healthcare.