Patrick Kennedy, a former congressman and member of one of the country's most famous political families, has joined the board of technology startup Quartet Health.
Kennedy, 48, began his role as an independent member of the board earlier this month. Quartet's software facilitates collaboration between medical and behavioral-health providers, and uses a data engine to provide physicians with population insights.
A major advocate for access to behavioral-health services, Kennedy authored the Mental Health Parity Act in 2008, which requires insurers to provide coverage for mental-health conditions comparable to benefits provided for physical care. He recently spoke on CBS' “60 Minutes” about what he called the “Kennedy code of silence,” referring to his family's little-known suffering from alcoholism and mental illness.
He has since founded The Kennedy Forum and One Mind for Research, which work to bring policymakers, business leaders and scientific communities together to improve mental healthcare.
Other members of Quartet's board include the company's CEO, Arun Gupta, Board Chairman Steve Shulman, Annie Lamont, managing partner of venture-capital fund Oak HC/FT and Board Observer Carl Byers, who works at Fidelity Biosciences.