Tech provider Kipu Health announces new CEO
Kipu Health, a behavioral health software provider based in Coral Gables, Florida, named Carina Edwards its new CEO.
“We’re seeing the needs of behavioral health providers only grow as they scale and evolve to serve a broad range of mental health challenges today,” R. Andrew Eckert, Kipu’s chairman of the board, said in the release. “Under Carina’s leadership, Kipu will not only meet these needs but will bring new solutions that serve patients throughout their entire care journey.”
Edwards comes from digital health company Quil Health, where she was CEO. She will lead Kipu’s efforts to expand its organizations without compromising patient care.
“At Kipu, we have an obligation to make providers’ lives easier so they can deliver the critical treatments patients need at the right time,” said Edwards. “I’m thrilled to join this great team and look to continue Kipu’s legacy of providing impactful solutions, tailor-made for behavioral health, as we work together with our provider customers to create positive patient outcomes.”
Kipu provides electronic medical records (EMR), customer relationship management (CRM) and rRevenue cycle management (RCM) solutions for the behavioral health industry.
aptihealth adds two new executives to its C-suite
Saratoga Springs, New York-based aptihealth Inc., a mental health service provider, hired Chris Betz as its chief technology officer and Amanda Conway as its new chief growth officer.
Most recently, Betz worked as senior director of software engineering at Brightside Health, a mental health care telemedicine platform.
“[aptihealth’s] commitment to innovative thinking, paired with an unwavering dedication to turning ideas into impactful solutions, resonates deeply with me,” Betz said in a statement. “I’m excited to be a part of this passionate team that doesn’t settle for anything less than breakthrough results; results that are truly making a meaningful difference in people’s lives.”
Conway previously held the chief growth officer position at Aduro, a provider of corporate wellness solutions, where she spearheaded a company restructuring that increased retention and revenue from existing clients.
“We are delighted to welcome Amanda Conway to the aptihealth family as our new chief growth officer,” said Tim Koehler, President and Chief Operating Officer at aptihealth. “Her outstanding leadership, remarkable achievements, and visionary approach are set to drive aptihealth to new heights of growth as we continue on our mission to become the nation’s preeminent provider of mental health services.”
aptihealth expects to double its number of patients in 2023 and secured a $11 million investment in April.
Behavioral health tech company Array Behavioral Care names new CEO
Mount Laurel, New Jersey-based Array Behavioral Care announced that Shannon Werb will serve as its new CEO.
Werb, who previously worked as the chief operating officer for urgent care provider DispatchHealth, is charged with expanding the company’s telebehavioral services.
“We’re at a critical inflection point for telehealth—we’ve experienced wide-scale adoption and efficacy, and we must ensure we maintain that commitment in order to best meet the nation’s mental health care needs,” said Werb in a news release. “It’s an honor to lead an industry innovator and build on our legacy as a great place for clinicians to practice care and for patients to receive care.”
Array Behavioral Care provides virtual care in business-to-business arrangements with other health care providers such as hospitals and clinics. It received a $25 million investment from CVS Health Ventures earlier this year.
The company also filled two other positions, naming Sara Gotheridge as its chief medical officer and Ben Schlang as its chief financial officer.
“The Board is grateful for all that Array’s executive team has done in establishing Array as the industry leader, and is thrilled that founders Jim Varrell and Geoffrey Boyce will continue to work alongside Shannon, Sara, Ben and other Array leaders to develop and execute a shared vision and strategy to more effectively address mental health needs across the country,” said Glenn Cole, Array’s board chairman.
Mental health provider Resilience Lab names new vice president of people
New York City-based Resilience Lab hired James Banares as its vice president of people.
He is tasked with enhancing the company’s communications and culture as it continues to hire new clinicians.
Banares has 15 years of experience building and developing startups and previously worked as the head of people at StreamNative, a data streaming technology service. He also serves as a Forbes human resources council member.
“We knew we needed someone who could come in and have an immediate impact, and James has brought so much change and positivity to Resilience Lab in such a short time,” Marc Goldberg, co-founder and CEO of Resilience Lab, said in a statement. “Growing to a company of this size has been a journey, and one where we know we need to listen, learn and ensure we’re being thoughtful and deliberate in our choices.”
The health care provider hopes to reduce clinician burnout and says one way it can do so is through leadership.
“Resilience Lab is bringing an employee-centric approach to its management strategy with the goal of scaling company culture and connectivity to have a direct, positive impact on employees,” said Banares. “In a virtual-first world, open, constructive communication needs to be at the forefront – there is no more water cooler. Focusing on how we interact, grow and maintain our culture will deliver an impact across all aspects of the business.”
Resilience Lab’s clinicians voted to unionize in February, making the company one of the first venture-backed behavioral health startups to do so.
Valera Health elevates VP of growth to chief operating officer
New York-based Valera Health’s new COO is Lauren Mills, a former clinical social worker who most recently worked as the company’s vice president of growth.
She has worked for the company since 2021. Before Valera Health, Mills worked for Aetna in multiple roles over four years, including the strategy and product management director position.
“I’m happy to share that I’m starting a new position as Chief Operating Officer at Valera Health,” wrote Mills on LinkedIn. “Excited for the next phase in our journey with continued focus on clinical quality and access to compassionate mental health care.”
Valera Health was founded in 2016 as a SaaS platform to enable collaborative care models and has since shifted to operate as a comprehensive telehealth mental health provider. In 2022 the provider raised $44.5 million. In June, the company announced that Dr. Thomas Tsang, its co-founder and founding CEO, would transition to the chief strategy officer role, and Craig Albright would take over as CEO.
Holmusk announces former US representative as strategic advisor
Patrick Kennedy joined behavioral health data science and technology company Holmusk as a strategic advisor.
Kennedy served as a Democratic member of the US House of Representatives from 1995 to 2011 and founded The Kennedy Forum, a national mental health nonprofit.
“Holmusk is directly addressing some of the most challenging issues facing the mental health care industry, from a lack of deep understanding of common disorders to an over-reliance on trial and error in diagnosis,” Kennedy said in a statement. “As a champion of advancing evidence-based practices and policies in mental health and addiction, I am honored to work alongside a company dedicated to creating a framework for a data-driven behavioral health system that provides better support for patients and providers alike.”
In this role, Kennedy will help develop industry-wide measurement standards relating to parity laws and payment reform.
“Patrick’s expertise and leadership in driving the creation of a more equitable mental health industry will have a significant impact on our ability to advance our mission,” Nawal Roy, founder and CEO at Holmusk, said in a statement. “Patrick has been a tireless advocate for the mental health community, and I am proud to have him on Holmusk’s side as we work to create a single source of truth for behavioral health and fix our broken mental health care system.”
Holmusk operates a clinical real-world behavioral health database. It raised $45 million in a series B financing round in January.
Gateway Foundation fills chief marketing officer role
Chicago-based Gateway Foundation, an addiction treatment provider, named Robert Miller as its chief marketing officer.
“Robert’s depth of experience in marketing healthcare is increasingly important as Gateway Foundation continues to fulfill its addiction recovery mission in more than 100 locations nationwide, as well as expand to new locations across the country,” Jeremy Klemanski, president and CEO of Gateway Foundation, said in a statement.
Most recently, Miller worked as chief marketing officer for New York-based Antidote Health, a startup telehealth company.
“This is a critical time for addiction treatment – I’m honored to assist Gateway in fulfilling its mission of reducing substance abuse and co-occurring mental health problems through effective and efficient treatment programs,” Miller said in a statement.
Gateway Foundation is one of the largest nonprofit addiction treatment providers in the nation. It appointed a new CEO, Jeremy Klemanski, in January.
Companies featured in this article:
Aptihealth, Array Behavioral Care, kipnu health, Resiliance Lab, Valera Health
