For leaders making digital integral to how care is accessed, delivered, and scaled.
A Message from our Board Member
When I engage with the ATA—whether it’s Nexus, Insights Summit, a SIG meeting, or through Member Connection—I’m reminded of the power of this community. Connecting with clinical leaders, technologists, payers, and policymakers keeps me grounded in the present and focused on what's next in clinically integrated digital care.
ATA members are consistently bringing forward the ideas shaping our era of care delivery, from the Center of Digital Excellence founder, Stanford Health Care's hub-and-spoke ED telehealth model, to emerging research on group teletherapy published by ATA clinician council member, Ateev Mehrotra.
I also welcome our new board members from the Digital Therapeutics Alliance. The acquisition is a reminder of how collaboration within the ATA community fuels real progress and a catalyst for innovation, insight, and meaningful change.
Senior Vice President and Chief Health Informatics Officer, Trinity Health;
Board Member, ATA
MEMBER & COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHTS
OSF Healthcare
From Hospital to Home: A 24/7 Lifeline for Patients After Discharge
OSF HealthCare’s OSF OnCall program offers 24/7 digital support to patients after hospital discharge, significantly enhancing recovery and reducing readmissions. Since its inception in May 2021, the initiative has lowered readmission rates to 7%, compared to 12.8% for those not enrolled in the program. This continuous virtual care model provides patients with immediate access to medical guidance, remote monitoring, and personalized assistance, ensuring a smoother transition from hospital to home.
The Business of Telehealth – Key Legal Considerations
At NEXUS 2025, legal and healthcare leaders joined Nathaniel Lacktman, ATA Board Chair and Foley partner, for a three-hour deep dive into top telehealth legal issues. Featuring 20 experts across 12 topics, the session highlighted key compliance risks and growth opportunities—especially as HIPAA enforcement ramps up, with dozens of recent settlements tied to cybersecurity and patient access rights.
The Future of Digital Health Investment – Priorities, Challenges, and Opportunities Beyond 2025
At NEXUS 2025, a candid panel discussion—moderated by Fierce Healthcare’sHeather Landi—brought together industry leaders, including Christine Brocato, System VP of Strategic Innovation at CommonSpirit Health; Julia Monfrini Peev, Partner at PACE Healthcare Capital; William "Bill" Sheahan, Senior VP & Chief Innovation Officer at MedStar Health; and Bo Wilkes, Chief Growth Officer at Ballad Health to explore what’s next for digital health investment.
Key Takeaways:
Investment trends are shifting toward maternal and behavioral health, AI-powered engagement, and care model redesign, driven by both clinical need and operational pressure.
AI remains a hot topic, and outcomes will depend on high-quality data, not just flashy tools.
Deep partnerships over pilots remind us that innovators must move beyond point solutions and prioritize integrated, data-driven collaborations with healthcare systems.
ROI scrutiny is rising, and early-stage growth companies must demonstrate not only technological value but also alignment with health system culture, finances, and workflow.
Despite market uncertainty, healthcare remains resilient. The greatest opportunities lie in improving patient experience, alleviating workforce strain, and driving measurable impact in resource-constrained settings.
Read more about this discussion in the recent Fierce Healthcare article by Heater Landi.
Pictured (right to left): Heather Landi, Executive Editor, Fierce Healthcare; Christine Brocato, System VP of Strategic Innovation, CommonSpirit Health; Julia Monfrini Peev, Partner, PACE Healthcare Capital; William "Bill" Sheahan, Senior VP & Chief Innovation Officer, MedStar Health; Bo Wilkes, Chief Growth Officer, Ballad Health
MEMBERS ONLY
Drive Telehealth Policy Forward: Serve on the ATA Policy Council
The ATA Policy Council helps shape ATA and ATA Action’s positions on key state and federal policy issues, aligning advocacy efforts with our mission. Council members have played a vital role in developing principles on topics like health data privacy, AI, and virtual care—and their leadership is more important than ever.
We’re seeking new members for a two-year term. Applicants should have expertise in policy, law, or government affairs and hold relevant roles in their organizations (preference given to Level 5 members). Council members meet regularly and attend Nexus and EDGE conferences. To apply, complete the form by June 30; selected applicants will be notified by July 18.
CODE Spotlight: Stanford Healthcare - Designing, Enhancing, and Sustaining Quality Emergency Care through Digital Health
Stanford Health Care has built a scalable hub-and-spoke telehealth model to address ED overcrowding, extend provider reach, and reduce unnecessary hospital visits. The program spans in-ED virtual care and post-acute digital support for skilled nursing facilities (SNFs), improving efficiency without compromising patient outcomes.
Key Features:
ED Virtual Visit Track:
Redirects low-acuity ED patients to virtual physicians
Reduces length of stay and boosts patient satisfaction
Nearly 9,000 patients seen to date
TeleSNF Pilot:
Real-time consults between Stanford ED physicians and SNF care teams
Aims to reduce ED transfers and readmissions
Metrics include readmission rate and “stay-in-place” success
What’s Ahead: Stanford is expanding into virtual specialty consults, AI-enabled triage tools, and in-home digital care to further ease ED burden and improve care transitions. This model offers a blueprint for systems looking to scale virtual care and optimize emergency operations.
Quote of the Spotlight:
"We’re not just creating access—we’re creating capacity, reducing length of stay, and delivering the same quality of care through virtual means.” – Sam Shen, MD, MBA
Clinician Council Spotlight: Ateev Mehrotra Explores the Patient Experience in Group Teletherapy
Ateev Mehrotra, MD, MPH, and colleagues recently published new research examining how patients with depression or bipolar disorder experience group teletherapy, and what healthcare providers can learn to improve care delivery.
Patient Experiences With Group Teletherapy for the Treatment of Mental Illness: A Qualitative Study
Key takeaways included:
Teletherapy improved access and made it easier for patients to attend sessions consistently over time.
Many participants felt more empowered and engaged via telehealth than with traditional in-person therapy.
However, patients reported reduced emotional connection and intimacy during virtual sessions.
Technical issues and at-home distractions often contributed to feelings of disconnection.
Preferences were mixed: while some favored in-person sessions, most wanted a hybrid approach.
This study provides a patient-centered roadmap to optimize virtual group therapy, highlighting the need to balance accessibility with deeper emotional engagement.
The DTx Value Assessment & Integration Guide from the Digital Therapeutics Alliance offers healthcare decision makers a standardized framework to evaluate the clinical and economic value of digital therapeutics. Developed with input from payors, clinicians, and industry stakeholders, the Guide addresses the current patchwork of evaluation methods by providing consistent, evidence-based criteria for product review, access, and adoption across diverse healthcare settings.
During the upcoming ATA Government Relations SIG meeting, join ATA's Sr. VP of Public Policy, Kyle Zebley, for an update on the latest in state and federal policy impacting telehealth and digital health, as well as a live Q&A focused on your priorities for the ATA EDGE Policy Conference this December. This is your chance to shape the agenda. Bring your ideas, questions, and insights to help guide the conversations that matter most.
Acute & Critical Care SIG and Digital Transformation SIG Joint Meeting 🗓️ Wednesday, June 18 🕛 12:00 PM ET
Home & Community Telehealth SIG 🗓️ Wednesday, June 25 🕛 12:00 PM ET
Telerehabilitation SIG 🗓️ Thursday, June 26 🕛 12:00 PM
ADVOCACY TOOLS: Make Your Voice Heard in Washington!
Online Resources to Contact Your Members of Congress: ATA Action has prepared easy-to-use advocacy tools to help stakeholders contact your Members of the US House and US Senate on key policy issues facing our industry:
Extending Medicare Telehealth Flexibilities: support telehealth extensions after September 30, using this link.
First Dollar Coverage of HDHP-HSA: urge Congressional action to include this provision in any upcoming legislative vehicle, using this link.
Telehealth as an Excepted Benefit: ask Congress to include this provision in any upcoming legislative vehicle, using this link.
ATA ACTION BRINGING TOP FEDERAL POLICY PRIORITIES TO CAPITOL HILL
We head to Capitol Hill to meet with Congress and key committee leaders, pushing for permanent telehealth access and digital health innovation. Top federal priorities include Medicare telehealth flexibilities and the Acute Hospital Care at Home program, HDHP-HSA telehealth access, remote prescribing of controlled substances, Prescription Digital Therapeutics (PDTs), and Virtual Foodcare, including Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT) coverage. Follow ATA Action on LinkedIn for live updates!
FEDERAL POLICY UPDATE
ATA Action Backs Telemental Health Access Act: Next week, US Representatives Doris Matsui and Troy Balderson and Senators Tina Smith and Bill Cassidy will reintroduce bipartisan legislation to remove outdated restrictions and expand Medicare access to telemental health for millions with behavioral health needs.
Pushing for Broader DMHT Coverage: While CMS added digital mental health treatment (DMHT) codes for the first time in 2024, they cover only half of the available digital therapeutics. ATA Action recently met with CMS to advocate for broader code inclusion. Read more in Fierce Healthcare.
STAY ON TOP OF KEY POLICY LEGISLATION
Federal and State Policy Trackers: ATA Action monitors critical federal and state legislation and provides the latest updates and status of important legislation impacting telehealth and digital health. You can access the 119th Congress Federal Legislative Tracker and the State Legislative Tracker directly!
Webinar | June 12, 2025 | 1:00 PM ET Cracking the Code: CMS Technology Adoption & Digital Therapeutics Reimbursement
Join us for a practical, expert-led webinar on the latest coding and reimbursement strategies for digital mental health services. Learn how to navigate key billing codes, understand reimbursement pathways, and align your approach for successful stakeholder adoption.
Reshaping Healthcare Delivery: How Virtual Nursing Is Transforming Patient Care
As staffing shortages strain the nursing workforce, virtual nursing has emerged as a critical solution—helping healthcare systems retain experienced nurses, mentor new ones, and improve care delivery. In this webinar, we’ll explore how blending bedside and virtual care meets rising patient expectations, extends careers, and enables innovative use cases like AI-powered observation, remote admissions support, and virtual family visits.
Save the Date: November 16-18, 2025 | Orlando, FL ATA Insights Summit Small, expert-led working sessions designed for deep dives. Explore the building blocks of smart hospitals, command centers, and remote patient monitoring—powered by CODE member case studies.
Save the Date: December 10-12, 2025 | Washington, DC ATA EDGE Policy Conference The place where digital policy meets care model transformation. Shape care reimbursement, licensing, and workforce policy, alongside the systems and stakeholders defining what comes next.
From Washington, DC — with 🧡 for the work our community leads in care.
ATA, 601 13th St NW, 12th Floor, Washington, DC 20005, United States
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