Leveraging Technology and Telehealth to Expand Access to Mental and Behavioral Health - May 24

Recorded On: 05/24/2023

This is part of the AAMC Integrated Behavioral Health (IBH) Learning Series: The Mental Health Access Crisis: How academic medical centers can use IBH models as part of the solution.

AAMC’s third webinar in this series will focus on leveraging technology to expand access to mental and behavioral health and align with IBH models. This installment will feature speakers from three academic medical centers who are exploring ways technology can improve access and efficiency for mental health, with a focus on automating screening in the electronic health record, implementing clinical care pathways and psychiatry eConsults in primary care, and utilizing mental health apps, such as online, self-paced cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).

Register for other sessions in the series as they become available here. Please note that you may participate in multiple forums or choose individual sessions to attend.

Coming soon...

In our final webinar, on June 13th, representatives from 3 academic medical centers in various stages of implementation will share their journey in utilizing IBH models at their institutions. They will cover common issues such as workforce, financial and operational exemplars, as well as lessons learned for those interested in implementing similar models.

Anita Arora

Assistant Professor in General Internal Medicine | Interim Director of Population Health | Regional Medical Director, Ambulatory Services | Physician Lead, Yale Clinical Optimization Services | Yale School of Medicine

Dr. Arora received her undergraduate degree from Pomona College and her medical degree and MBA from Dartmouth. She completed her Internal Medicine residency at Yale-New Haven Hospital and went on to complete the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Clinical Scholars Program at Yale School of Medicine. As a clinical scholar, her research was focused on population health and well-being. 

Dr. Arora currently serves as Associate Director of Population Health for Yale Medicine and Regional Medical Director for Yale Medicine Ambulatory Services. In these roles, Dr. Arora addresses operational issues and implements population health management strategies in order to improve access, quality, efficiency and coordination of care provided by Yale’s faculty-based practice. She also serves as Physician Lead for the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) Coordinating Optimal Referral Experiences Project. In this role, she guides academic medical centers across the nation as they launch electronic consults and enhanced referrals, and collaborates with the AAMC team to develop strategies and priorities for the national initiative. Clinically, Dr. Arora practices medicine and teaches both residents and medical students at Cornell-Scott Hill Health Center and in the Generalist inpatient service at Yale-New Haven Hospital.

Dana Steidtmann

Senior Instructor and Associate Clinic Director at the Johnson Depression Center in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Colorado-Anschutz School of Medicine

Dr. Dana Steidtmann is a licensed clinical psychologist, Senior Instructor, and Associate Clinic Director at the Johnson Depression Center in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Colorado-Anschutz School of Medicine. Dr. Steidtmann currently serves as clinical lead for a pilot program providing computer-assisted Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy to adults experiencing depression, anxiety, and stress. Her research interests focus on strategies for making mental health treatments more effective, accessible, and affordable.

Rachel Weir

Chief of Mental Health Integration for the Huntsman Mental Health Institute at University of Utah Health (U Health)

Dr. Rachel Weir, MD, is the Chief of Mental Health Integration for the Huntsman Mental Health Institute at University of Utah Health (U Health). Dr. Weir has led efforts to expand access to psychiatric services across clinics and educates residents on primary care focused consultation models. She helped to establish the statewide child psychiatry access program and also served as the psychiatry lead for the implementation of the Collaborative Care model for depression in primary care throughout U Health.

Dr. Weir leads U Health’s systemwide mental health integration initiatives, including overseeing efforts to improve screening, follow-up, and access to care for patients with depression. In her work, Dr. Weir focuses on how medical and behavioral health providers can leverage technology to improve early detection of mental health disorders, standardize mental health treatment, and optimize patient outcomes using stepped care models.

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