Key Highlights
- Akron Children’s partners with Woebot Health to offer Woebot for Adolescents to teens aged 13-17.
- AI-powered, evidence-based tool designed to support mental health alongside therapy.
- Three-year agreement provides unlimited distribution, starting in rural counties and expanding to 44 pediatric offices.
- U.S. Surgeon General identifies youth mental health as the “defining public health challenge of our time.”
Source: Business Wire
Notable Quotes
- “We’ve seen firsthand the youth mental health crisis in over a quarter of our teen patients in pediatric practices. It’s hitting hardest in rural counties, where it’s difficult to recruit and maintain qualified behavioral health providers.” — Dr. Eva Szigethy, Director of Behavioral Health and the Lois C. Orr Endowed Chair in Pediatric Psychiatry at Akron Children’s
- “They are laying the foundation for holistic human- and technology-based approaches that help youth in need and define the way support can be delivered for the digital age.” — Michael Evers, CEO at Woebot Health
SoHC's Take
The partnership between Akron Children’s and Woebot Health represents a significant step forward in addressing the deepening youth mental health crisis. By integrating AI-powered tools like Woebot into their care models, Akron Children’s is pioneering a new standard of mental health support, particularly in under-resourced rural areas. This initiative not only increases access to mental health resources but also sets the stage for future innovations in holistic, technology-driven healthcare.
