Collective Health’s Post

Today feels big, and a little vulnerable to share. After years working inside health plans and systems, I’ve launched my own consulting practice focused on behavioral health strategy and execution—helping organizations turn complex pressures into clear priorities and actionable plans. The firm is called Friday Afternoon because that’s when most of us finally exhale, reflect, and decide what really matters next—and that’s the kind of grounded, practical clarity I want to bring to the teams I work with. thefridayafternoon.com Why now? Because the ground under behavioral health keeps shifting, and the stakes for patients, providers, and payers are only getting higher. Three forces in particular pushed me to build something that can move faster and be more focused: Increased regulatory oversight is adding complexity and risk faster than many teams can absorb. Decreased and fragmented funding means organizations have to do more with less while still protecting access and quality. Rapid technological advancement (digital tools, data, AI) is outpacing real-world implementation, leaving a gap between “what’s possible” and “what’s actually working.” I’ve seen smart, dedicated teams struggle not because they lack vision, but because they lack capacity, clarity, and a pragmatic partner to help them turn ideas into durable programs. That’s the gap my new firm is designed to fill. My work will focus on: Translating regulatory and market changes into workable strategies Designing practical programs and workflows that fit real operations Helping organizations leverage technology and data without losing the human side of care If you’ve ever wished you had a “borrowed executive” you could plug in to move a behavioral health initiative from concept to launched and measured, that’s the role I want to play. How you can help (and how it could help you) If we’ve worked together, you know how deeply I care about this space. If you’re willing, I’d be grateful if you would: Visit and follow my new business page and website: thefridayafternoon.com Like or comment on this post so it reaches more people Share it with your network, especially if you’re connected to leaders in health plans, provider organizations, or mission-driven startups in behavioral health Why it might be useful for you: If you’re in a leadership role, having someone in your network who lives and breathes behavioral health strategy can be a resource for you and your team—whether it’s a sounding board, a future project, or a referral for someone you know. If you’re in a different space, you may know someone who is quietly wrestling with these same pressures and would benefit from a low-pressure conversation about what’s possible. I’m incredibly grateful for the mentors, colleagues, and friends who’ve shaped my thinking and trusted me with meaningful work over the years. If you’re curious, want to catch up, or see a potential fit, send me a message—I’d love to reconnect. thefridayafternoon.com

In many investor meetings, speaker panels, many intro calls— someone eventually says it. “There are so many maternal health companies right now.” It’s almost always framed as a warning. As if the right response is to sharpen my elbows. Taking inspiration from from Adrienne Maree Brown’s book Emergent Strategy, one principle keeps I highlight is- what you pay attention to grows. If I walk into every room scanning for competitors, that scarcity becomes the operating logic of everything I build. The relationships I don’t make. The data I don’t share. The trust I don’t extend. The maternal mortality crisis in this country didn’t emerge from too much collaboration. It emerged from fragmentation — siloed systems, failed reimbursement structures, duplicated gaps, communities that fell between every crack. Brown writes about how healthy systems are interdependent, not competitive. Mycelium doesn’t compete with the tree. It feeds it. There are 700+ maternal deaths annually in the US that are deemed preventable. Millions of women navigating a system that was never designed for them. That is not a market with too many solutions. That is a crisis that demands linked arms, not raised ones. I’m not naive about the business reality. We have to earn contracts, prove outcomes, build sustainable revenue. But I refuse to let competition anxiety be my starting orientation — because it would make me a worse founder, a worse partner, and honestly, a worse doctor. The companies doing this work well aren’t my enemies. They’re proof of concept.

If you're attending #ATANexus26 next week, don't miss Tania S. Malik, J.D. and Carl Hoopes, M.S., MBA from GRAND Mental Health for their discussion on how organizations are exploring new models to expand access while strengthening sustainability. It’s a topic generating significant interest across the behavioral health field, and one that continues to evolve as organizations move from concept to execution.

Every team is different. The cost of health cover depends on the age, health history, and risk profile of the people being covered. A team of five in their thirties will look different from a team of fifteen with a wider age range. ACT Health builds cover around the specific risks of the team, not around a standard menu. For STEM businesses, the priorities tend to be GP access, mental health support, and cancer pathways. These are the areas where speed of treatment matters most and where NHS waiting times are longest. Health cover can also be structured as a business expense and offset against tax. So the conversation isn’t just about cost. It’s about investment, retention, and continuity. If you’re wondering what cover would look like for your team, a short conversation is the best way to find out.

It is easy to misidentify a drop in cognitive clarity or physical resilience as a simple lack of discipline or professional burnout. For women in high-pressure roles, these shifts are often early indicators of underlying endocrine or metabolic changes that deserve more than a "wait and see" approach. During Women's Health Week, we focus on moving beyond basic screenings toward a model of optimized performance. When we look at the data behind these subtle symptoms, we often find manageable imbalances that, once corrected, restore the edge you've been missing. We believe that your health strategy should be as precise and proactive as your business strategy. You can learn more about our physician-led care at https://optummd.com. #InternalMedicine #WomensHealth #Longevity #AtlantaBusiness #PerformanceHealth

Now available! Meet the reimagined Lyra Health member experience—a more human, intuitive, and future-ready way to access mental health care. Built on our flexible AI platform, Empower, we’re doubling down on our clinical excellence and technological innovation to create an even smarter, more adaptive path to well-being. ✨ Intuitive Care Navigation: From finding a provider for therapy to a specialist for neurodiversity, access a frictionless, intuitive path to every type of care. ✨ Personalized Tools and Resources: Easily find personalized, self-guided exercises, and preventive strategies that evolve alongside you, at your pace. ✨ Continuous Support: Stay connected to your new skills, care plan, and provider through all of life’s moments, ensuring you never feel adrift between sessions. As we kick off #MentalHealthAwarenessMonth, we’re thrilled to invite you into this new era of care with us. https://bit.ly/4eVwnNo

This Women’s Health Month, I hope you’ll join me in raising awareness about something that doesn’t get nearly enough attention—heart health, especially for women. Working in the ER, I can’t tell you how many times I saw women come in having a heart attack saying things like, “I just don’t feel right”… nausea, heartburn, fatigue—and even apologizing for taking up a bed. We shouldn’t be apologizing. We should be paying attention. Heart disease is the #1 cause of death for women, and yet it’s still not talked about enough. That silence delays care, and it costs lives. We have an opportunity to change that. Let’s empower the women in our lives to: ❤️ Speak up and seek care when something feels off ❤️ Move our bodies—even in small, simple ways ❤️ Eat foods that truly nourish us ❤️ Find moments to decompress and manage stress And most importantly—let’s start having more heart-to-heart conversations. If you’re an employer or benefits leader, Hello Heart put together a simple toolkit to help start these conversations in your workforce: https://lnkd.in/dFiFu87N Because when we talk about it, we can change it. #LongLiveWomen #HeartToHeart #WomensHealthMonth

Rising healthcare costs aren’t just a financial issue—they’re a mental health one. As medical expenses continue to climb, employees aren’t just worrying about premiums and deductibles. They’re carrying chronic financial stress, delaying care, and feeling less secure about their health and their future. The result? Higher anxiety, burnout, and disengagement—showing up directly in productivity, absenteeism, and turnover. For employers, this matters because mental health strain doesn’t stay personal. It shows up in claims trends, performance metrics, and workforce stability. What employers can do now: ➡️ Design benefits that reduce uncertainty, not just costs (predictable copays, transparent pricing, navigation support). ➡️ Expand access to mental health care, including virtual options and lower barriers to entry. ➡️ Communicate benefits clearly and often—confusion amplifies stress. ➡️ Address financial wellbeing holistically, connecting healthcare strategy with financial education and support. Healthcare strategy is people strategy. Employers who recognize the mental health impact of rising costs—and act on it—will be better positioned to retain talent, control long‑term spend, and build a more resilient workforce. #MentalHealthAwareness #EmployeeEducation #HealthcareInflation #InformedHealthcareConsumers

We ask women to heal the world. Then we wonder why their bodies break. A 2025 study in BMC Primary Care followed healthcare workers. Here’s what it found: 39.5% of female healthcare workers had at least one non-communicable disease (NCD) – compared to 22.4% of their male colleagues. That's not a small gap. Women in healthcare are on the front lines of care – for patients, for families, for communities. They work long shifts, skip meals, absorb trauma, and go home to a second shift of caregiving. The interaction of workplace stress, gender norms, and the "double burden" of home and work life creates a significant health vulnerability. The evidence is clear. Systems do not always recognize that women are often unsupported. We've built healthcare systems that rely on women's labour and sacrifice – without building systems that protect their health. So what can we do, right now, as individuals and leaders? Start small. Start with a pause. Lunch Hour Reset – every Wednesday, 12:30 PM EST. 30 minutes, free, virtual. Somatic tools for women in high-stress roles. No performance. No toxic positivity. Just a chance to release what you've been carrying. https://lnkd.in/eMMKdFw4 If you're in healthcare – or you manage women who are – drop a ❤️ and share this.

In Social Capital in Healthcare, Dr. Thomas H. Lee argues that trust, respect, teamwork, and connectedness among clinicians and staff are as essential as financial and human capital. When teams function with psychological safety and shared values, outcomes improve—across quality, safety, patient experience, and workforce well‑being. Rather than treating these as separate priorities, Lee shows they are deeply interconnected and best advanced through intentionally building social capital. In an era of complexity, burnout, and constrained resources, organizations that invest in how people work together, not just what they do create a powerful advantage for both patients and caregivers Thank you Michael Liwanag for the book. #SocialCapital #HealthcareLeadership #TrustInHealthcare #TeamworkMatters #HighReliability #HealthcareStrategy