As digital mental health tools become an increasingly important part of healthcare, collaboration across government, industry, clinical care, and technology is essential to ensuring innovation translates into meaningful patient outcomes. Reflecting this shared commitment, the Washington Health Innovation Council (WHIC) continues to work with member organization eMHIC to foster conversations at the intersection of healthcare policy and emerging technologies. On June 11, 2026, WHIC brought together leaders from across these sectors for a discussion on artificial intelligence and its growing impact on patient care, providing participants with the opportunity to engage directly with policymakers, innovators, and industry leaders shaping the future of healthcare through candid, bipartisan dialogue.
Regulatory priorities for digital health
A featured speaker at the June gathering was Dr. Rick Abramson, Director of the Digital Health Center of Excellence at the FDA and Associate Director for Digital Health within the FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health. In a fireside chat with WHIC Founder Jack Kalavritinos, Dr. Abramson discussed the FDA’s 2026 guidance agenda and the agency’s ongoing efforts to modernize oversight of digital health technologies.
For organizations working in digital mental health, Dr. Abramson’s remarks underscored the growing importance of clear, risk-based regulatory pathways for software-enabled care. He highlighted the FDA’s focus on balancing innovation with patient safety, particularly as artificial intelligence becomes more deeply integrated into healthcare delivery and clinical decision support.
A major theme of the discussion was lifecycle oversight for artificial intelligence. Unlike traditional medical technologies, AI systems can evolve over time, raising important questions about how regulators evaluate safety, effectiveness, and ongoing performance. These considerations are especially relevant for developers of digital mental health platforms, digital therapeutics, and other technology-enabled interventions that may continuously learn and improve through real-world use.
Dr. Abramson also highlighted the FDA’s Technology-Enabled Meaningful Patient Outcomes (TEMPO) Pilot, which explores how promising digital health technologies can be evaluated and deployed in controlled real-world environments. The initiative reflects a growing recognition that healthcare innovation, including digital mental health solutions, benefits from collaboration between regulators, innovators, providers, and patients.
Policy and reimbursement
The discussion continued with policy updates from Mia Heck, JK Strategies consultant, who provided insight into the CMS ACCESS program and its potential to create more accountable reimbursement pathways for healthcare technologies. As digital mental health solutions continue to demonstrate value in improving access and supporting patients between traditional care encounters, reimbursement policy remains a critical factor in scaling innovation and expanding patient access.
Additional perspectives came from Kirsten Tullia, Executive Director, Digital Health Tech and Head of Research at AdvaMed, who discussed opportunities to modernize healthcare policy for an increasingly connected and technology-enabled healthcare system. Her remarks emphasized the importance of ensuring that patients can benefit from innovative care models while maintaining appropriate standards for safety, effectiveness, and equity.
Looking ahead
Throughout the meeting, speakers repeatedly returned to a central theme that resonates strongly with the digital mental health community: technology is most effective when it augments, rather than replaces, human expertise. Whether supporting clinical decision-making, improving patient engagement, enabling remote monitoring, or expanding access to care, digital tools can help healthcare professionals deliver more personalized and effective interventions.
As WHIC and eMHIC continue their partnership, both organizations remain committed to fostering dialogue that connects policy, innovation, and patient needs. By bringing together leaders from across the healthcare ecosystem, these conversations help ensure that emerging technologies, including digital mental health solutions, are developed, evaluated, and deployed in ways that deliver meaningful outcomes for patients.
Please contact Hanna Spencer at [email protected] for information about joining the WHIC.
