Behavioral Health’s Forge Health Marks Next Phase with Board of Directors Expansion and Advisory Board Creation

Adds Impressive Roster of former healthcare CEOs, CMOs, and Thought Leaders with Operational and Innovation Expertise, including Aetna, Independence Blue Cross, Walmart Health, VillageMD, and more

Mental health and substance use care continue to be far from affordable or accessible for millions of people in need. However, the gap takes a notable step toward closing today as Forge Health announces a significant board and advisory expansion. The New York-based provider of hybrid treatment options, serving thousands of patients, has added three new members to its board of directors, including a new board observer, and announced the formation of an Advisory Board.

Appointed to the Forge Health board of directors are:

• Alisa Bahl, Ph.D. - Former Chief of Innovation & Strategy, Magellan Healthcare
• Alan Muney, MD - Former Chief Medical Officer, Cigna
• Richard Synder, MD - EVP, Facilitated Health Networks at Independence Blue Cross (Observer)

“The symbiotic relationship between payers and providers is an immensely complex one, and both Alisa and Alan have showcased immense acumen in navigating this domain throughout their impressive, respective careers. The Forge team is honored to have their counsel and experience infused into our growth trajectory, and we are confident this move will pay dividends all the way downstream to the many people we enable better care for,” said Eric Frieman, Co-Founder and CEO of Forge Health.

Since its founding in 2016, Forge has been committed to providing the highest-quality, affordable, accessible, and effective “one-stop-shop” mental health and substance use care to individuals, families, and communities in need, especially for the moderate to severe populations. The Forge care model utilizes multidisciplinary clinical teams, data analytics, and streamlined care delivery to provide individualized, whole-person care that concurrently addresses mental health and substance use issues while driving improved health outcomes.

The Forge Health Advisory Board will leverage their vast experience and profound understanding of the health insurance landscape to provide insight, expertise, and thought leadership to support Forge on strategies to expand its market-leading integrated mental health and substance use care model as well as enhance its partnerships with primary care physicians, specialty medical groups, health systems, and payers. The Advisory Board will be chaired by Alisa Bahl, Ph.D., and will include the following members:

• Allen Karp – Former EVP of Healthcare Management & Transformation at Horizon BCBSNJ
• Brian Shipp – Former President, Commercial Local Business at Anthem
• Brent Asplin, MD – Former COO of VillageMD, Co-Founder & CEO of Gather Health
• Kevin Klobucar – Former EVP, HealthCare Value & CEO of Blue Care Network at BCBS Michigan
• Marcus Osborne – Former SVP, Walmart Health
• Paul McBride – Former Senior Executive of Top US Health Plans, CEO of Globally Capitated Medical Group
• Seth Feuerstein, JD, MD – Executive Director & Founder, Center for Digital Health & Innovation, Yale University School of Medicine
• Steve Hamman – Former President, BCBS Illinois
• Simeon Schindelman – Former CEO of Brighton Health Plan Solutions & Bright HealthCare

Frieman continued, “Building this bespoke roster of brilliant minds and passionate mental health advocates was a real honor and we are thrilled to have their perspectives alongside our mission-driven efforts and further scaling an affordable and effective technology-enabled model.” The newly established Advisory Board will be instrumental in developing innovative and customer-centric approaches to enhance Forge Health’s offerings.

Forge Health has a well-established track record of partnering with payers, primary care physicians, specialty medical groups, and health systems to provide integrated mental health and substance use care that transforms the patient journey and vastly improves patient outcomes and experience. These partnerships include streamlined referral management, information exchange, and care coordination, and in certain circumstances, include physical co-location to improve diagnosis, collaborative treatment, and timely access to care.

About Forge Health

Forge Health is a mission-driven company dedicated to delivering the highest quality, affordable, accessible, and effective “one-stop-shop” mental health and substance use care to individuals, families, and communities in need. The Forge care model utilizes multidisciplinary clinical teams, data analytics, and streamlined care delivery to provide individualized, whole-person care that concurrently addresses mental health and substance use issues while driving improved health outcomes. As the first and only behavioral healthcare provider with a proven, national payor-validated ability to drive clinical outcomes that span all areas of health, Forge Health is leading the charge in driving innovation, improving care delivery, and shaping the future of behavioral healthcare.

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