AbleTo Welcomes Distinguished Healthcare Leader Dr. David Shulkin to Board of Directors
Dr. Shulkin’s extensive healthcare experience and history of supporting behavioral health improvements will greatly benefit the growing virtual care company
NEW YORK, January 17, 2019 — AbleTo, Inc., a leading provider of virtual behavioral health care proven to improve clinical outcomes and lower healthcare costs, announced today that David J. Shulkin, M.D. joined the company’s board of directors. Dr. Shulkin most recently served as the U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
A board-certified internist, he received his medical degree from the Medical College of Pennsylvania and completed his internship at Yale University School of Medicine. Prior to leading the VA, Dr. Shulkin held numerous chief executive roles at Morristown Medical Center and the Atlantic Health System Accountable Care Organization in New Jersey. He also formerly served as president and CEO of Beth Israel Medical Center in New York.
Dr. Shulkin recently was the featured key note speaker at the 2018 AbleTo Behavioral Health Innovation Summit, where he discussed his work with payers and providers and his efforts to integrate primary care and behavioral health care.
“Dr. Shulkin’s experience working in private and public health care provides strategic insight at a time when AbleTo continues to experience significant growth from our health plan partners,” said AbleTo CEO Trip Hofer. “He is a medical doctor with a passion for behavioral health and understands that those two areas have to be addressed at the same time. Having Dr. Shulkin on our board reinforces our commitment to delivering treatment that addresses behavioral health with a holistic approach, especially for those with unmet needs.”
Dr. Shulkin also has held numerous physician leadership roles, including chief medical officer of the University of Pennsylvania Health System, Temple University Hospital and the Medical College of Pennsylvania Hospital. He has held academic positions, including chairman of medicine and vice dean at Drexel University School of Medicine, and founded and served as chairman and CEO of DoctorQuality, one of the first consumer-oriented sources of information on quality and safety in health care.
“I am honored to join the board of such an innovative organization like AbleTo, one that is committed to breaking down the barriers to behavioral health access at a time when results-oriented programs are needed more than ever,” said Dr. Shulkin. “It is absolutely necessary to improve access to high quality behavioral health care for many populations to have a meaningful, lasting impact on overall health. I believe that AbleTo is uniquely positioned to help organizations reach the full potential of integrated behavioral health care.”
