MENTAL HEALTH CENTER OF DENVER
The human side of tech
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DIGITAL REPORT 2020
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The Mental Health Center of Denver: The human side of tech www.mh cd . or g
MENTAL HEALTH CENTER OF DENVER
Dr Wes Williams, Chief Information Officer of the Mental Health Center of Denver, tells us how technology could make Denver the healthiest city in America Dr Wes Williams wants Denver to be the healthiest city in America. His role in this, as Chief Information Officer of the Mental Health Center of Denver, is to lead on technologies that play an instrumental part 04
in supporting the city’s most vulnerable. But in the course of a wide-ranging interview, Williams also speaks enthusiastically about how innovation has benefited the people who work at the organisation.
MAKING TELEMEDICINE WORK: THE TRANSITION TO REMOTE TREATMENTS In Colorado, the COVID-19 pandemic has not only taken a toll on people’s mental health; it has also created unprecedented challenges for the clinics that provide them with care. Even for an organisation that prides itself on its innovative approaches, the transition from in-person therapies to telemedicine hasn’t been easy. Dr Williams admits that when the organisation was forced to bring all of its services online – which it managed to achieve in two days – putting the technology in place was
The Mental Health Center of Denver’s Deaf & Hard of Hearing Services team provides specialized outpatient mental health care for deaf and hard of hearing children, families and adults.
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www.mh cd . or g
MENTAL HEALTH CENTER OF DENVER
“ You can get sucked into thinking that the tech itself is the solution. But the reality is that it’s only the easy part” — Dr Wes Williams, CIO, Mental Health Center of Denver
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Dr Williams feels that in some ways the upheaval could have been a bless-
only the start of the process. “You
ing in disguise. “The takeaway for me
can get sucked into thinking that
is that if you practice something, you
the tech itself is the solution. But the
can figure it out. We’ve had the chance
reality is that it’s only the easy part.
to really practice and learn how to do
It took a lot more work to figure out
this well. That’s been the silver lining.
how to really do that work – how to
And from a telemedicine standpoint,
make everything happen”.
I’m optimistic that even when it’s safe to go back into clinics, some folks are going to choose to continue to receive their care via telemedicine, because it’s more convenient”. To illustrate his idea, he mentions that since patients have been attending appointments remotely, the number of no-shows has decreased by almost a third.
Benefits of VR Treatments CLICK TO WATCH
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07 C OM C AST P ART NE RSH I P A vital partner for the Mental Health
“Modern medical facilities like MHCD
Center of Denver has become Comcast
require fast, flexible and secure network
Business, which provides broadband
connectivity that ensures the integrity
connectivity at 35 locations across the city,
and availability of health data when
critical redundancy for multiple residential
treatment teams need it,” said Robert
and walk-in facilities and supporting a
Thompson, vice president of Comcast
widespread shift to telehealth services.
Business for the company’s Mountain
During the Covid-19 crisis, thanks to Comcast
West Region. “Comcast Business was
Business, the Center’s workforce was able to begin telecommuting on the same day that the service delivery line shifted to telehealth. The throughput is now able to support
proud to help the MHCD team quickly get the network up and running, so staff could continue to provide the highest quality care to outpatients and residents.”
multiple concurrent video sessions – from five telehealth sessions a week before the
For more information, please visit
pandemic, now about 4,000 are possible.
https://business.comcast.com/denver.
www.mh cd . or g
“ If you practice something, you can figure it out. We’ve had the chance to really practice and learn how to do this well” — Dr Wes Williams, CIO, Mental Health Center of Denver
truly make a difference to people’s lives. Before its clinics were closed, it had introduced virtual reality (VR) into its therapy sessions and mindful-
INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGIES FOR MENTAL HEALTH TREATMENTS
that VR is a perfect fit for what the
The Mental Health Center of Denver
sessions are aiming to achieve:
harnesses technologies in ways that
“What’s great about VR compared with
ness classes. Dr Williams believes
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E X E C U T I V E P R O FILE :
Wes Williams Title: Chief Information Officer Industry: Mental Health Care Location: Denver, Colorado Dr. Wes Williams joined the Mental Health Center of Denver in 2007 and now serves as vice president and chief information officer. In 2020, Wes was awarded the Colorado CIO of the Year Corporate ORBIE, honoring chief information officers who have demonstrated excellence in technology leadership. Wes opened Mental Health Center of Denver’s Innovation Technology Lab in 2019, using humancentered design to find digital health innovations to improve access, engagement, and treatment efficacy. Wes is currently serving a threeyear appointment by the governor to Colorado’s eHealth Commission, representing behavioral health interests. Wes is a licensed psychologist in Colorado.
© 2018 Guerrero, LLC/Photo by Cassandra Davis www.mh cd . or g
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any other cognitive behavioural ther-
Dr Williams talks passionately about
apy is that it’s so immersive. It sort of
the benefits that this brings. “I think
tricks your mind into being right there.
that it’s a special part of our organisa-
And I think that is especially impactful
tion. There’s a lot to be said for going
for things like mindfulness, and expo-
back to work, and having that sense
sure therapy”.
of meaning in your day”. The Centre
Another of the Center’s ambitious
is involved in the IT aspects of the pro-
projects is a supported employment
gramme, and developed an app that
programme, which helps people
helps staff cultivate new placements.
suffering from serious mental illness
So far, over 160 people have found
to find work. The Center liaises with
work through this scheme.
both patients and potential employers
The Center has also used IT to make
in order to set up placements, and
the programme work more efficiently www.mh cd . or g
MENTAL HEALTH CENTER OF DENVER
1989
Year founded
$100Mn+ Revenue in US dollars
900+ 12
Number of employees
The Mental Health Center of Denver’s 2Succeed in Education program offers a wide variety of trainings, including computer classes.
Using Technology to Treat Health CLICK TO WATCH
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hasn’t gone unnoticed. In July he
Dr Williams explains: “Previously the
received an ORBIE award at the
staff working on our supported employ-
Colorado CIO of the Year Awards, for
ment programme had to spend a lot
his work at a corporate organisation.
of time just doing reports. But we have
Talking about the lessons that larger
been able to automate a lot of the
organisations could learn from how
bureaucracy and paperwork – and that
the Mental Health Center of Denver
feels good, because it means that they
manages its resources, he stresses
have time to spend actually working with
that clear-headedness counts for
people, instead of filling out forms”.
more than deep pockets. “In order to really do something unique and
MAXIMISING THE POTENTIAL OF HEALTHCARE TECHNOLOGIES
finished everything else. It’s about tak-
Dr Williams’ success in making a dif-
ing that vision and figuring out: given
ference with healthcare technologies
my limited resources, how should I
innovative, we can’t wait until we have
www.mh cd . or g
MENTAL HEALTH CENTER OF DENVER
“ We have been able to automate a lot of the bureaucracy and paperwork – and that feels good, because it means that [our staff] have time to spend actually working with people” 14
— Dr Wes Williams, CIO, Mental Health Center of Denver
line things up?” But he is most keen to credit the people who have allowed the Center to be a pioneer in innovative solutions: “I really like the staff here. They have a culture of innovation – they’re used to doing things differently clinically; used to figuring out what works. When we have good people, we can take that same innovative approach to technology, and how might that help with healthcare”. When it comes to new innovations, the Centre looks outwards as well as inwards; but Dr Williams points out
Lessons for Innovative IT CLICK TO WATCH
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that it doesn’t have to look far. “One
time. What I’m hoping is that everything
of the things that’s really special about
we’ve learned about telehealth during
Colorado is there’s a lot of collaboration
the pandemic takes root in healthcare,
within healthcare. Every other month
and really explodes”.
there’s a meeting of hospital and healthcare CIOs. We talk about the different challenges we have faced, and how we handled the situations. And this feels special, because in this landscape our organisations are all sort of competing, but people are still willing to share”. How will we see telemedicine develop in future? “This is a really interesting www.mh cd . or g
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