• Arkansas: Walmart is expanding its digital health platform Better Care Services to include weight management services. The platform initially launched in January and helps connect patients to third-party healthcare providers. Walmart now offers obesity and weight management support services from five new companies: Aaptiv, Berry Street, Curai Health, MyCare by Twin Health, and Wheel. According to Walmart, the expansion aims to connect the company's pharmacy and digital health services, making it easier for patients to access GLP-1 medications. "Access to medication is only one part of the equation, weight management today is often difficult to navigate, with patients managing multiple steps across care, medication, and lifestyle changes," said Kevin Host, SVP of pharmacy at Walmart. "By bringing together pharmacist support, virtual care, and nutrition resources, and leveraging the scale and convenience of our pharmacy network, we’re making it easier for customers to access care and support in a way that fits their lives." (Halleman, Healthcare Dive, 4/17; Walmart press release, 4/16)
• Maryland: CMS has rolled out its first set of digital health tools to help modernize how patients access and share healthcare information. The initiative includes new infrastructure, a Medicare App Library, and patient-facing applications designed to reduce the use of paper-based processes and improve care coordination. So far, over 700 organizations have pledged support for the agency's digital health efforts, with hundreds now contributing to early implementations. "For too long, Americans have navigated a health system that lags behind the technology they use everywhere else," said CMS Administrator Mehmet Oz. "Today, CMS is bringing healthcare into the modern era, aligning innovators to deliver solutions that make care easier, more connected, and more personalized." (Diaz, Becker's Health IT, 4/9)
• Massachusetts: According to a new study, suicides among people ages 15 to 34 have dropped 11% below projections since the launch of the 988 national suicide prevention hotline. The shortened 988 hotline number was originally launched in July 2022, replacing the original 10-digit number. Since its launch, the service has fielded over 25 million contacts. In the study, researchers from Harvard Medical School compared suicide deaths from July 2022 to December 2024 against mathematical projections based on historical trends. Overall, the researchers found that there were 4,372 fewer suicides among adolescents and young adults ages 15 to 34 than projected, equal to an 11% decline from projections. States with higher usage of the hotline also had larger reductions in observed to expected suicides. In the 10 states with the highest usage, suicides among adolescents and young adults decreased by 18.2%. In comparison, the 10 states with the lowest usage had a smaller, 10.6% decrease. The study's findings suggest that the government's investment in the 988 hotline led to "a measurable reduction of deaths," said Vishal Patel, a resident physician at Brigham and Women's Hospital and one of the study's authors. "What our study has added is evidence for the deeper benefit of the program, and that is, that at the population level, among young people at least, suicide mortality is lower than it would have been without the program." In a statement, Emily Hilliard, a senior press secretary for HHS and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, said the agencies were "committed to ensuring that all Americans have access" to the 988 hotline, which "clearly provides lifesaving support, helping millions of people every year." (Barry, New York Times, 4/22)

Hear from three behavioral health leaders about how they’re approaching digital health, workforce, crisis care, and, of course, financial sustainability in behavioral healthcare.