Ksana Health and Children's Wisconsin Announce Innovative Digital Mental Health Partnership to Enhance Pediatric Behavioral Health Care

, /PRNewswire/ -- Ksana Health, a pioneer in digital mental health solutions for research and health care, and Children's Wisconsin, a leading pediatric health care provider, today announced a groundbreaking collaboration aimed at transforming pediatric primary care behavioral health using Ksana's technology.

Currently, approximately 20% of children ages 3-17 experience mental and behavioral health disorders, yet up to 80% of these youth do not receive the necessary care. With 90% of children seen annually in pediatric primary care (PPC) settings, these facilities are ideally positioned for early identification and treatment of youth mental health challenges. The integration of mental health services directly into pediatric primary care has been recognized as essential to addressing this critical gap, which is why Children's Wisconsin has made integrating mental health into primary care a system-wide priority.

Leveraging the Pediatric Primary Care Integrated Behavioral Health model, this partnership introduces the cutting-edge digital behavioral health care platform, Vira by Ksana Health, to enhance existing behavioral health services. Vira employs artificial intelligence to reinforce evidence-based therapeutic principles, smart automations to optimize clinical workflows to reduce the burden on health care providers, and personalized mobile interventions designed to support the health of youth and their families.

"We see enormous potential in digital mental health tools to empower clinicians and families with continuous, data-driven behavioral support," said Dr. Michael Gaffrey, Craig Yabuki Research Chair and Director of Mental and Behavioral Health Research at Children's Wisconsin. "This collaboration marks a significant step forward in realizing a sustainable, effective integration of mental health services within pediatric primary care."

This initiative underscores the commitment of Ksana Health and Children's Wisconsin to improving pediatric behavioral health care accessibility, adherence to evidence-based practice and the long-term sustainability of integrated mental health care.

"Our goal is to revolutionize pediatric behavioral health by making effective, personalized interventions accessible precisely when youth and families need them," added Dr. Nick Allen, CEO of Ksana Health. "Together, we're committed to addressing the mental health crisis facing today's youth with practical, scalable solutions that work."

About Ksana Health: Ksana Health develops advanced digital behavioral health care platforms integrating AI and evidence-based methodologies to support clinicians, improve service delivery, and empower patients in managing their mental well-being.

About Children's Wisconsin
Children's Wisconsin is the region's only independent health care system dedicated solely to the health and well-being of children. The hospital, with locations in Milwaukee and Neenah, Wisconsin, is recognized as one of the leading pediatric health care centers in the United States. It is ranked among the top pediatric hospitals in the country by U.S. News & World Report's 2023-24 Best Children's Hospitals report. Children's Wisconsin provides primary care, specialty care, urgent care, emergency care, mental and behavioral health care, community health services, foster and adoption services, child and family counseling, child advocacy services and family resource centers. In 2022, Children's invested more than $171 million in the community to improve the health status of children through medical care, advocacy, education and pediatric medical research. Children's achieves its mission in part through donations from individuals, corporations and foundations and is proud to be a member of Children's Miracle Network Hospitals.

SOURCE Ksana Health