Former UnitedHealth Group Executives Join Talkspace - Neil Leibowitz, MD, JD as Chief Medical Officer; Deb Adler as Senior VP, Network and Quality

NEW YORK, April 12, 2018  /PRNewswire/ -- Talkspace, the industry leader in online therapy, today announced the appointment of Neil Leibowitz, MD, JD, as its first Chief Medical Officer, and Deb Adler as its Senior VP of Network and Quality. The new additions come as the company sees increased demand for online therapy in the commercial healthcare markets.

"The addition of these senior leaders, both from UnitedHealth Group, represents Talkspace's focus on evidence-based care and supports the rapid growth and success the company is seeing in enterprise healthcare markets," said Roni Frank, Talkspace Co-Founder and Head of Clinical Services. "As we shift from early-mover in digital health to national player in the behavioral health sector, Talkspace plans to draw on both executives' experience from their times at the nation's largest health insurance payer to further our offering to enterprise clients."

Dr. Leibowitz joins Talkspace from UnitedHealth Group, where he served as Senior Behavioral Health Medical Director, Community and State, for New York. He is an expert in bioethics, with a background in law and private practice. "I'm excited that Talkspace is changing the treatment paradigm and meeting patients where they want to be, rather than having the expectation that the patient will meet the provider only on the provider's terms," Leibowitz said.

Adler joins Talkspace from Optum, UnitedHealth Group's IT-enabled health services business. At Optum she served as Senior Vice President of Network Strategy, developing its national telemental health network. She is a Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality (CPHQ). "A telehealth solution is only as strong as its network. I'm thrilled to work with the clinical leaders and provider community at Talkspace to further strengthen Talkspace's network relationships and help millions of consumers have access to behavioral health solutions," Adler said.

The additions come as Talkspace sees growth in its client base, therapists on the platform and enterprise business, and follows a November announcement of Talkspace's collaboration with Magellan Health, Inc. Through that collaboration, Talkspace is offered through Magellan's comprehensive Employee Assistance Program (EAP). Talkspace offers a convenient digital modality for therapy backed by evidence-based care. Access to a licensed and vetted Talkspace therapist is available to consumers either directly through the Talkspace website and secure app, or via an increasing number of employer-sponsored health plans.

About Talkspace
Talkspace connects people with licensed therapists through its web and mobile apps. As the leading online therapy company, Talkspace revolutionized mental health care access by bringing the dialogue between therapists and their clients into the digital age. Founded with a mission to eliminate the stigmas associated with mental illness and make therapy available to all, Talkspace has already been used by more than one million people.  For more information, please visit https://www.talkspace.com. To learn more about online therapy, please visit https://www.talkspace.com/online-therapy/. Please direct any press inquiries to [email protected]

Media Contact:
Juliet Travis
(510) 479-3818
[email protected]

SOURCE Talkspace

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