AbleTo Welcomes Dr. David Shulkin on its Journey to Improve Behavioral Health Care and Empower Patients
For a long time, behavioral health care has taken a backseat to medical care. As such, it often lacks necessary funding and cannot provide patients access to proper care. The same issues that impact medical care (lagging interoperability, capturing and cleaning big data, etc.) also affect behavioral health, but the urgency to find solutions for behavioral health care has lagged behind medical care. Fortunately, there is now industry-wide agreement that these gaps exists, and AbleTo is prepared to provide solutions that drive meaningful impact.
In short, we must improve access to the highest quality behavioral health care. To meet this objective, innovative, proven solutions are a necessity. That’s why I am extremely excited to have Dr. David Shulkin join the AbleTo Board of Directors. Dr. Shulkin previously served as the U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs and has held chief executive roles at Morristown Medical Center and the Atlantic Health System Accountable Care Organization in New Jersey. He was also president and CEO of Beth Israel Medical Center in New York.
Dr. Shulkin's commitment to driving solutions that simultaneously address behavioral health care and medical care is critical to address current systemic gaps. Dr. Shulkin understands AbleTo’s commitment to delivering accessible treatment that addresses behavioral health with a holistic approach, especially for those with unmet needs.
Dr. Shulkin is a longtime AbleTo supporter and was most recently the keynote speaker at the 2018 AbleTo Behavioral Health Innovation Summit. At that event, he appropriately outlined the need to acknowledge our past in order to make progress for the future. He explained why addressing the behavioral health gap requires collaboration, cooperation, and a commitment from everyone within the health care sector. He inspired me then, and he inspires me now. I am truly excited for Dr. Shulkin to join the AbleTo Board. His experience and vision will enhance our vision to empower patients to get better and stay better.