SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Modern Health, a leading global workplace mental health platform, today announces the appointment of Samantha Meltzer-Brody, MD, MPH, as Clinical Advisor and Board member of Modern Health’s Professional Corporation entities, and Reena Pande, MD MSc, as Clinical Advisor. Both Dr. Pande and Dr. Meltzer-Brody bring deep healthcare expertise and experience to Modern Health. Dr. Pande is a physician, entrepreneur, and experienced healthcare executive, and Dr. Meltzer-Brody is the Assad Meymandi Distinguished Professor and Chair of the Department of Psychiatry at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Both will be offering their expertise to Modern Health as the company continues to expand its partnerships with employers, health plans, and other organizations.
"We are incredibly honored to welcome esteemed clinical advisors like Dr. Pande and Dr. Meltzer-Brody to our team. Their unparalleled expertise and dedication are invaluable as we continue to double down on delivering a member experience that drives the best clinical outcomes in the most engaging and effective way,” comments Alyson Watson, Founder and CEO of Modern Health. “With their guidance, we are poised to unlock new possibilities and reach even greater heights in our vision to make mental health a strength and priority for all."
Dr. Pande previously served as Chief Medical Officer at behavioral healthcare company AbleTo for nearly a decade, taking it through its eventual acquisition by Optum/UnitedHealth Group. Dr. Pande brings a wealth of leadership experience in data science, healthcare economics, clinical product development, and outcomes research. Prior to her time at AbleTo, Dr. Pande was an academic cardiologist and clinical researcher at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, MA, and also served as an Instructor at Harvard Medical School. She earned her undergraduate degree in Biology from Harvard University, her M.D. from Harvard Medical School, and a Masters degree in Epidemiology from the Harvard School of Public Health.
“Given the growing prevalence of mental health needs in the US, it’s clear that we need more innovative and flexible models of care that drive outcomes for both clinical and sub-clinical needs,” comments Dr. Reena Pande, Clinical Advisor at Modern Health. “Modern Health is ahead of this curve and is building a deeply engaging and impactful solution. I am thrilled to be working alongside the team when the need for rapid and scalable access to mental health care has never been greater.”
In addition to being the Assad Meymandi Distinguished Professor and Chair of the Department of Psychiatry at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Dr. Meltzer-Brody also directs the UNC Center for Women’s Mood Disorders. As Chair, Dr. Meltzer-Brody directs one of the largest public university departments of psychiatry in the United States and collaborates with UNC Health and the state of North Carolina on broad-based initiatives to improve mental health. She has also served in leadership roles in physician and health care workers' mental health and well-being in the School of Medicine and UNC Health. Dr. Meltzer-Brody is an internationally recognized physician-scientist in perinatal depression and has led the MOMS GENES study—the largest global genetic study of postpartum depression (PPD) using app-based tools. She also served as the academic PI for the novel psychopharmacologic clinical trials developing the first FDA-approved medication for postpartum depression (brexanolone) and also served as an investigator for the newly approved oral drug (zuranolone) for PPD.
“I am a passionate advocate for innovation and transformation of mental health care. I have been impressed with how Modern Health is redefining global workplace well-being,” comments Dr. Samantha Meltzer-Brody, Clinical Advisor at Modern Health. “Its commitment to providing innovative and clinically robust modalities of care that are personalized to the needs and preferences of individuals across the globe is truly commendable. I look forward to joining the team to further enhance accessibility and equity in mental health solutions, ensuring that everyone has access to the support they deserve.”
In addition to these appointments, other recent company momentum includes:
- The Clinical Research team’s 8th Peer Reviewed Publication provides further proof of improvement and maintenance of mental health with Modern Health: This clinical study examined the effectiveness of Modern Health’s needs-based care model that supports a full spectrum of mental health needs but also enables members to exercise their preferences. The study found that 60-66% of members with elevated baseline symptoms experienced significant improvements or recovery in well-being and depressive and anxiety symptoms after engaging with Modern Health for 3 months. There were also high rates (87-92%) of maintaining good mental health among members with lower clinical risk at baseline. In addition, engagement patterns indicate that Modern Health’s needs-based care model is successful in matching individuals with the most effective care while also allowing them to self-determine their care and use combinations of services that best fit their needs. These exciting findings support the clinical effectiveness and sustainability of the Modern Health platform for improving and preserving mental health and reinforce the utility of digitally delivered mental health services.
- Expansion of Circles: Modern Health continues to expand its topics for its award-nominated Circles that provide spaces for us to collectively learn, grow, and connect. Already this year, topics have included specialized support for families and parents, such as Preventing and Managing Tantrums, Addressing Challenges in Family Relationships, and Supporting Your Child’s Mental Health. Other new Circles this year include a focus on substance use, including Supporting Loved Ones With Substance Cravings and Understanding Personal Substance Use. This year, Modern Health has also launched live closed captioning and audio transcripts to make Circles more accessible for our members.
- Spanish Language Pathways: Modern Health has continued to expand its Pathways Collections, the first of its kind in the digital mental health industry, providing tailored support around Workplace Well-being, Family Care, and, most recently, Physical Well-Being. We have already seen incredible engagement with Pathways with members across 40 different countries utilizing the modality of care and nearly 100% of users reporting confidence in their ability to incorporate the learning into their work. In April, all Pathway Collections will become available in Spanish, supported by our extensive network of Spanish-speaking providers and Spanish self-guided content.
- The launch of Modern Health’s Family Care Dashboard: Modern Health is launching its new Family Care Dashboard, available from early summer, to enable members to seamlessly create new profiles to quickly and easily match with providers and schedule 1:1 care on behalf of their dependents. Members will also be able to use the dashboard to invite dependents over the age of 18 to create their own accounts.
Register for Modern Health’s inaugural Elevate Well-Being - a captivating sub-series of our renowned annual mental health industry event, Elevate. This event, taking place virtually on May 15, is dedicated to bringing together a group of like-minded professionals passionate about prioritizing the mental health and overall wellness of their employees. Visit Modern Health to learn more.
About Modern Health
Modern Health is a comprehensive global mental health solution offering employees access to one-on-one, group, and self-serve digital resources for their emotional, professional, social, financial, and physical well-being needs - all within a single platform. Whether someone wants to proactively manage stress or treat depression, Modern Health guides people to the right care at the right time. Modern Health empowers companies to help all their employees be the best version of themselves and believes in meeting people wherever they are in their mental health journey.
Modern Health is backed by investors like Kleiner Perkins, Founders Fund, John Doerr, Y Combinator, and Battery Ventures and raised more than $170 million in less than two years, making Modern Health the fastest entirely female-founded company in the U.S. to reach Unicorn status.
