“With 60% of Americans defining themselves as lonely, Wisdo’s mission has never been more pressing and its product more relevant for health plans, providers, employers, and consumers,” said Boaz Gaon, Wisdo’s Founder and CEO.

NEW YORK (PRWEB)
November 04, 2021

Wisdo, the award-winning, and AI-powered peer support and intervention platform addressing the negative impact of social isolation on mental and physical health, announced today the addition of Dr. Dena Bravata, Co-founder and former Chief Medical Officer at Lyra Health to its Board of Directors. Dr. Bravata will also join Wisdo’s Scientific Advisory Board which recently recruited several top executives and researchers from UnitedHealthcare, American Airlines, and the University of Iowa.

“Worldwide, adults and children are struggling to maintain their emotional wellbeing and social connections in the face of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, vulnerable populations facing social determinants of health barriers to care require more support than ever to access essential services. Wisdo is addressing these issues head-on. I’m thrilled to join their board,” said Dr. Dena Bravata.

A 2019 report by Cigna found that 3 out of 5 Americans reported feeling lonely, up from 54% in 2018 Researchers have found that loneliness is as lethal as smoking 15 cigarettes per day. Lonely people are 50% more likely to die prematurely than those with healthy social relationships. A recent study by UnitedHealthcare and AARP found that members who possess one or more social health protective factors such as resilience and social connections have up to 38% ($5,719) lower medical costs than members without these protective factors.

With over 1 million users, the Wisdo platform is the largest social health platform proven to reduce social isolation rates by 23%, increase the number of mental and physical health experienced by its members by 39%, and reduce overall medical costs.

Wisdo uses AI to match users with trained peer Helpers who share similar life experiences, certified life coaches, and teletherapy services. The Wisdo platform is unique in its evidence-based approach to reducing the negative impact of loneliness on health and in its ability to engage users. For example, 47% of members remain actively engaged with Wisdo after six months and 30% after 12 months–10x the industry average.

“We are delighted to see healthcare leaders of this caliber joining Wisdo, recognizing that it is the premier provider of evidence-based peer support and timely professional interventions. With 60% of Americans defining themselves as lonely, Wisdo’s mission has never been more pressing and its product more relevant for health plans, providers, employers, and consumers,” said Boaz Gaon, Wisdo’s Founder and CEO.

New members joining Wisdo’s Board of Directors, Advisory Board and team, include:

• 
  Dena Bravata, MD, MS, Board of Directors – Dr. Bravata is the Co-founder and former Chief Medical Officer at Lyra Health, a provider of mental health benefits for employees. Dr. Bravata also served as the Chief Medical Officer and Head of Products at Castlight Health, Inc and is a senior research scientist in Stanford’s Center for Primary Care and Outcomes Research.
• Adrienne Schneider, Advisory Board – https://www.linkedin.com/in/adrienneschneider/ Ms. Schneider Adrienne is a retired American Airlines executive with over 20 years of corporate benefits, operations, and HR experience. As the head of health benefits, she created a best-in-class ecosystem of health benefits programs for 100,000 employees. She was accountable for oversight of challenging integrations from ideation through to execution. She is the founder and CEO of The Camille Group, a strategic consulting firm.
• Professor Daniel W Russell, Advisory Board – https://works.bepress.com/daniel-russell/ Professor Russell’s scholarship on loneliness, social support, stress and resilience, and gene-environment interactions in family and community studies have had a global impact. Among his most often cited studies are the development of the UCLA Loneliness Scale and the Social Provisions Scale, the gold standard in the field of studying and reversing who enduring loneliness affects mental and physical health.
• Dr. Jacqueline Stiff, Advisory Board – https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacqueline-stiff-md-msph-5243276/ Dr. Stiff is the former Vice President for Health Care Strategy, National Accounts, at UnitedHealthcare. Currently, she acts as Commissioner of the Colorado Commission on Aging. As a seasoned leader in a Fortune 10 company for over 23 years, Jackie’s knowledge brings a deep understanding of the complex impact of insurers, providers, employers, and reimbursement strategies on a health care company’s goals to market their products and services. Moreover, her clinical leadership for UnitedHealthcare’s Health Equity Customer Council and her passion in addressing health disparities – are closely correlated with Wisdo’s goals.

About Wisdo Wisdo is an award-winning and AI-powered peer support and intervention platform addressing the negative impact of social isolation on mental and physical health. With over 1 million users, the Wisdo platform is the largest social health platform proven to reduce social isolation rates by 23%, increase the number of mental and physical health experienced by its members by 39%, and reduce overall medical costs.

Wisdo offers a B2C subscription app and a B2B2C channel by working directly with health insurance providers and employers interested in reducing medical costs, improving mental health, improving productivity, and overall engagement. To learn more visit: https://www.wisdo.com

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