Adventist Health has invested in behavioral health startup Synchronous Health as part of a partnership to co-develop behavioral health and well-being programs, the Roseville, Calif.-based not-for-profit health system announced Tuesday.
The organizations did not disclose financial details of the investment.
Adventist Health is part of a growing number of health systems opting to co-develop products with technology companies, rather than purchasing them out-of-the-box. Healthcare providers, followed by biopharma companies, were the most common type of corporate investors in digital health companies in the first half of 2020, according to a 2020 mid-year report from Rock Health, an early-stage venture fund focused on digital health.
Synchronous Health offers users telemedicine appointments with licensed counselors, as well as access to an artificial-intelligence chatbot, Karla, that coaches patients between sessions.
Adventist Health to date has launched two programs it's co-developed with Synchronous Health; one targeted toward senior patients who are isolated, and therefore at a higher risk for anxiety and depression, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, and another for the health system's clinical staff that might be struggling with burnout.
The partnership with Synchronous Health fits into Adventist Health's goal of providing "whole-person care" for employees, patients and the surrounding community, said Scott Reiner, the system's CEO, in a statement.