Cohen Veterans Network Continues to Innovate to Provide High-Quality Care During the Pandemic

The National Not-For-Profit Philanthropic Network Quickly Pivoted to Provide more than 36,000 Therapy Sessions via Telehealth with Strong Client Outcomes

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Cohen Veterans Network

Sep 10, 2020, 14:14 ET

STAMFORD, Conn., Sept. 10, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Despite the challenges of COVID-19, Cohen Veterans Network (CVN) remains undaunted in its mission to treat post-9/11 veterans and military families. Since the start of the pandemic six months ago CVN has treated more than 3,000 new clients, almost all remotely via telehealth.

Since March 1, the 16 Steven A. Cohen Military Clinics have provided 36,555 sessions of care via CVN Telehealth. The network averaged 800 telehealth sessions per month in January and February 2020, and now has averaged 6,100 sessions per month during the pandemic – an increase of more than 660%.

"We are very proud of our quick transition to remote operations and have become a true virtual mental health system while adhering to our principles of community, integrity, and excellence," said Dr. Anthony Hassan, President & CEO of CVN. "Our Founder Steven A. Cohen has not waivered during these unprecedented times, and 99% of all CVN mental health care delivered is a direct result of his charitable commitment to veterans and military families."

CVN clients are reporting just as good, sometimes better, clinical outcomes with telehealth treatment vs. in-office care. Related, CVN clients are staying in treatment longer with lower no-show rates when engaged in telehealth treatment.

"I'm extremely proud of the work our Cohen Clinics are delivering during this challenging time," Hassan said. "To care for thousands of clients, almost entirely virtually, while seeing client outcome scores improve is quite an accomplishment."

Another area where the network has pivoted operations is in community engagement. The Community Rooms in each of the Cohen Clinics had become focal points for engagement and activity throughout the network since CVN launched in 2016. As COVID-19 forced the closure of many gathering spaces around the country, CVN filled the missing gap by launching a virtual community room: CVN Presents. Nearly 2,500 visitors to the page have viewed more than 155 hours of video content since March.

CVN has also expanded by three clinics already in 2020, with two more scheduled to open before the end of the year. Additionally, the network has recently hired two industry leaders – Sheetal Sood has joined the network as Chief Information Officer and Tracy Neal-Walden has been added as the new Chief Clinical Officer.

"We are very pleased to add these two experienced leaders, as we look to evolve CVN into a mature mental health system," Hassan said. "The network's information systems and cyber security are paramount to our future especially during these times of remote operations, while our focus on excellent client outcomes and high-quality care will never change."

Sheetal is responsible for the strategy, implementation and optimization of CVN's information systems including business systems, electronic health record ("EHR") systems, telehealth and data sciences. Additionally, Sheetal is leading CVN's venture into digital health including but not limited to mobile applications and wearable technology. Sheetal also serves as CVN's information security officer responsible for CVN's cybersecurity strategy. She is a security and technology innovation leader with over 20 years of industry experience and joins CVN from NYC Health + Hospitals.

Neal-Walden provides clinical vision and strategic leadership for the network in mental health, psychiatry, substance use, case management and clinical training focusing on the needs of clinical staff as well as our veteran and military family clients. She is a veteran of the United States Air Force and served for over 24 years as a military psychologist/clinician, officer, leader, and academic; retiring in the rank of Colonel. Neal-Walden also served as the first Clinical Director for the Steven A. Cohen Military Family Clinic at Easter Seals in Silver Spring, MD.

SOURCE Cohen Veterans Network