Washington, DC, Feb. 13, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- AbleTo, Inc., a technology-enabled provider of behavioral health solutions based in New York City, achieved an important milestone when it became the first behavioral health solutions provider to earn URAC Telehealth Accreditation. This achievement reaffirms AbleTo’s commitment to clinical quality and digital health innovation in a period of rapid growth for the company.
URAC’s Telehealth Accreditation is the first independent, third-party national program to offer comprehensive oversight of diverse telehealth programs. It is designed for organizations providing healthcare-related services, education, and information delivered via telecommunications technology, such as videoconferencing, remote monitoring, electronic consults, and wireless communications.
AbleTo therapists and behavioral health coaches treat the underlying depression, anxiety, and stress associated with a medical condition or life event. The company offers patients next-day access to its nation-wide network of over 400 highly trained, clinically supervised therapists (LCSW) and behavioral coaches. Its customizable treatment programs help patients get back on their feet, reducing depression, anxiety and stress by 50 percent. The company combines evidence-based treatment, structured data capture, and predictive analytics to develop a platform that enables insurers and employers to address unmet behavioral health needs.
“Our mission is to provide our patients with the best quality, evidence-based behavioral health care possible,” said AbleTo Chief Executive Officer Rob Rebak. As part of its overall commitment to delivering the highest quality, AbleTo “decided to pursue URAC’s latest accreditation, which recognizes companies on the leading edge of healthcare innovation.”
URAC accreditation has also proven to be a competitive edge in the marketplace, Rebak said. “Being the first behavioral health organization to receive URAC telehealth accreditation not only provides us with an invaluable resource as our company grows, it also reaffirms our clinical quality as a behavioral health provider.”
The bar to accreditation is high by design, but that’s viewed as a positive in many ways, AbleTo and others have told The URAC Report. For example, pulling together the personnel and resources required to achieve accreditation can also double as a gap analysis. Companies often use issues identified during the process to support their operations.
Deborah Smith, URAC product development principal, worked closely with the AbleTo team during the accreditation process. “By applying for and then achieving accreditation, AbleTo has clearly demonstrated its commitment to providing the highest possible levels of care, and adopting the latest tools and best practices to help it achieve its mission.” Smith leads the development of URAC’s new accreditations.
AbleTo has a clear strategy, and accreditation is a key component, said Aimee Peters, chief clinical officer at AbleTo. “As the leading destination for providers, we are constantly thinking of how we can best serve them in addition to our patients” she said. “This accreditation represented another gold seal to prove to our providers that we stand behind them.”
The thorough process to obtain accreditation “really zeroed in on our innovations and our quality standards, leaving us confident that URAC had the right focus,” Peters added.
Peters also emphasized how URAC worked effectively with its partners – and inspired everyone involved in the accreditation work. “The process really instilled faith that URAC shared our overall goal of improving the lives of our patients.”
While accreditation brings immediate benefits, Rebak said AbleTo looks at it as part of its long-term strategy. “As a technology-enabled provider of behavioral health solutions, our therapists practice to a very high set of standards,” Rebak said. “Given our mission to address the behavioral health needs of the population with quality and care, we can’t settle for anything less than the best.”
Ultimately, URAC accreditation is an important confirmation of AbleTo’s capabilities. “URAC’s intense focus on quality validates the high-standards of care that our therapists practice every day across the country,” Rebak said.
About URAC
Founded in 1990, URAC is the independent leader in advancing healthcare quality through leadership, accreditation, measurement and innovation. URAC offers a wide range of quality benchmarking programs that reflect the latest changes in healthcare and provide a symbol of excellence for organizations to showcase their validated commitment to quality and accountability. URAC’s evidence-based measures and standards are developed through inclusive engagement with a broad range of stakeholders committed to improving the quality of healthcare. For more information, visit urac.org.
About AbleTo
AbleTo, Inc. is a market leader in providing technology-enabled behavioral health solutions. AbleTo has been treating patients for six years and improves patient outcomes and lowers costs by providing treatment that integrates behavioral and medical health care. AbleTo's structured therapy programs strengthen medical recovery and self-care among members with chronic or complex clinical needs. AbleTo analytics, coupled with our multi-channel engagement platform, identify and engage members with unmet, often undiagnosed, behavioral health needs. A proprietary platform connects individuals and their care teams with AbleTo licensed providers who deliver weekly sessions by phone or video supported by an integrated digital experience. AbleTo programs are clinically proven to improve both behavioral health and medical outcomes while lowering overall spending for higher-cost, higher-risk members. AbleTo's investors include .406 Ventures, Sandbox Industries, HLM Venture Partners, Horizon Healthcare Services, Inc., Bain Capital Ventures, and Aetna Ventures. Follow AbleTo on LinkedIn and Twitter.
Media Contacts
AbleTo
John D. Pelle
John.Pelle@AbleTo.com
Tel: (718) 578-8275
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