On August 18, 2020, Synchronous Health, a behavioral health company that combines the strength of human empathy with artificial intelligence (AI) to increase access and quality of behavioral health services, and Adventist Health, a faith-based nonprofit integrated multi-state health system serving more than 10 million people in more than 80 communities on the West Coast and Hawaii, announced a strategic partnership that provides customized behavioral healthcare and well-being solutions to key populations.

Through this partnership, Synchronous Health and Adventist Health will co-develop behavioral health and well-being solutions to address the biggest drivers of health costs and community needs. Synchronous Health’s technology and clinical models have already been tapped by Adventist Health to address the needs of two critical populations during the COVID-19 pandemic: caregiver burnout and resiliency among the health system’s 37,000 associates, and depression and isolation among more than 2 million older adults in communities served by Adventist Health. Adventist Health is not only fortifying the well-being of its team and community by providing the custom-designed Synchronous platform, but also investing in the dynamically growing company as part of the partnership.

“This partnership directly reflects the market’s need for our vision and solution of an entirely new model for delivering behavioral health and well-being services,” said Guy Barnard, CEO of Synchronous Health. “By combining the benefits of human connection and technology, Synchronous can scale to serve more populations with broader reach, greater impact and sustained improvements.”

Synchronous Health offers a unique combination of person-to-person telehealth sessions through a national network of licensed counselors paired with its proprietary AI platform, Karla®, a bot that delivers precision coaching support between sessions. The Karla platform is customized per individual to include proactive and reactive coaching through messages and alerts, as well as direct access to a behavioral health or spiritual care specialist when indicated. This comprehensive approach can be both scaled to serve large populations and tailored to individual preferences and conditions in a timely way.

“Behavioral health and well-being are two-thirds of our mission statement and consistently represent the highest needs of the communities we serve,” said Adventist Health CEO Scott Reiner. “Our 10-year transformation strategy includes bringing accountable, needs-based community well-being improvement solutions to the forefront. Synchronous Health fits exactly into that strategy. We will continue our 150-year legacy of whole-person care for our associates, patients and communities by ensuring they are cared for in mind, body and spirit and the critical importance of innovating how healthcare is delivered and received.”

The partnership currently provides Adventist Health’s caregivers trauma resilience assistance through virtual visits with highly trained behavioral health specialists as well as spiritual care for those who request it. Together with their specialist, Adventist Health caregivers design their personalized support plan through Karla®, which uses predictive analytics and AI to deliver interventions in the moment they are needed — rather than waiting for the next scheduled appointment. The program, which launched in April 2020, took only 10 days to implement, demonstrating how flexible the platform is in configuring solutions to meet the specific needs of the population and any individual in it.

“The endurance and tenacity of our colleagues on the front lines have been tested like never before, especially for those who see the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic firsthand,” said Bill Wing, president of Adventist Health. “Because our clinicians’ well-being is central to our mission, we needed an innovative solution, and we needed it fast. In Synchronous, we found a unique approach that allows us to quickly expand the care and support needed for our front-line workers.”

Additionally, the two organizations co-developed and launched a program in July to improve the well-being of older adults who are more isolated now due to COVID-19 and at higher risk for anxiety and depression. The pilot program incorporates both a physical and mental health assessment and facilitates access to community resources, a connection to peers and telehealth services with Karla® support. This is one example of how this partnership will demonstrate the tremendous savings in total cost of care when behavioral health is addressed.

“Adventist Health shares our passion for creating better ways to care for the whole person,” said Lisa Henderson, chief operating officer of Synchronous Health. “With our platform and Adventist Health’s expert clinical assets and deep-rooted community presence, we are delivering individualized, precision care to millions of people. We started Synchronous Health to extend care beyond the appointment — our goal is to help everyone, everywhere have more good days.”

About Adventist Health

Adventist Health is a faith-based, nonprofit integrated health system serving more than 80 communities on the West Coast and Hawaii. Founded on Seventh-day Adventist heritage and values, Adventist Health provides care in hospitals, clinics, home care agencies, hospice agencies and joint-venture retirement centers in both rural and urban communities. Our compassionate and talented team of 37,000 includes associates, medical staff physicians, allied health professionals and volunteers driven in pursuit of one mission: living God's love by inspiring health, wholeness and hope. Together, we are transforming the American healthcare experience with an innovative, yet timeless, whole-person focus on physical, mental, spiritual and social healing.

About Synchronous Health

Synchronous Health is reinventing population behavioral health, working primarily with large employers, health systems, payors, and universities. Through a national network of credentialed mental health counselors, combined with an advanced technology and artificial intelligence platform called Karla®, the company works to improve mental health and well-being among its participants and communities. Through Karla®, the platform brings together seemingly unrelated or inconsequential data to provide real-time and predictive insights to guide human services and deliver digital support when and where it is needed. The delivery model is anytime, anywhere.