Rula Health Appoints Chief Medical Officer, Doug Newton, MD, MPH

Executive team expansion will support recent growth and further the company mission of making mental healthcare work for everyone.

LOS ANGELES, July 11, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Rula Health, formerly known as Path Mental Health, a leading behavioral health company focused on improving access to high-quality, personalized, and covered mental healthcare, announced the appointment of Douglas Newton, MD, MPH, as Chief Medical Officer. Bringing with him nearly 20 years of experience as a physician and behavioral health leader, Doug will oversee all clinical care and strategy at Rula, ensuring patients receive the highest quality care and that providers are fully supported along the way.

Doug's experience leading Optum and Kaiser Permanente's respective national pediatric mental health and wellness and behavioral health teams — plus previously running his own private practice — provides him with a deep understanding of the unique challenges and perspectives that all mental health stakeholders face. This positions him to serve as an effective bridge between patients, payers, and providers. With a background in psychiatry and public health, Doug is well-versed in the behavioral healthcare model and what it takes to substantially improve mental healthcare for patients, providers, and the industry as a whole.

"I feel strongly that personalized behavioral healthcare requires deep patient understanding and a strong clinical foundation of care delivery. We must deliver care that's tailored to each individual, using methods and practices that have proven to drive patient outcomes," said Doug.

"Because my previous experience has touched various aspects of behavioral healthcare and has allowed me to interface directly with patients and other providers, I believe I bring additional perspective to the Rula Health executive team to further support the accessibility of quality, affordable behavioral health services."

This recent appointment comes after a company rebrand, reemphasizing Rula's continued effort toward making high-quality mental and behavioral healthcare accessible to all. As mental health continues to worsen in the U.S., Rula is at a unique moment of rapid — and necessary — growth. Providing therapy services in 48 states to individuals, couples, families, and children, and psychiatry services to children and adults in 39 states, Rula aims to create a world where every person can access high-quality mental and behavioral healthcare.

"Rula is focused on fostering meaningful patient-provider relationships and supporting providers in delivering quality, measurement-informed care." said Josh Bruno, CEO of Rula. "We are thrilled to welcome Doug to the team to support our mission of making mental healthcare work for everyone."

For more information on this announcement and regarding Rula's services, visit: https://www.rula.com/.

About Rula Health
Rula is reimagining how people access high-quality, affordable behavioral healthcare. With a diverse network of over 9,000 providers, the company offers therapy for individuals aged 5+, couples, and families across 48 states, as well as psychiatric services in 39 states. Rula Health accepts most major insurance networks, including Aetna/CVS, Anthem/Elevance, Cigna/Evernorth, Kaiser, United Healthcare/Optum, and many Blue Cross Blue Shield plans, covering over 120M lives. Patients can visit rula.com to find a provider that meets their unique preferences and be seen in as little as 48 hours. Since 2019, Rula Health has facilitated millions of hours of therapy.

SOURCE Rula Health