Digital Mental Health Devices: Update on Evidence and Financing | March 17th, 2026
Date of Presentation: March 17, 2026
Type: Past Presentation
Audience: Clinical
Program: Virtual Care Implementation
Keywords: #financing #mental health #telehealth #VCI #virtual #virtual care
In this presentation, Drs. Whitfield and Vana define digital mental health devices and review the current evidence and regulatory landscape surrounding their use. They also highlight key benefits and challenges of implementing these tools in tribal health organizations, including considerations for financing and adoption.
Presented by:
Dr. Jessica Whitfield
Program Director
Jessica Whitfield, MD, MPH, has served as the Director of Education for the Virtual Care Implementation ECHO since its launch in 2021. In this role, she tailors the speaker schedule in response to audience feedback to bring the VCI community up to date information on telehealth models, implementation strategies and new directions. She brings to this role several years of experience as a practicing psychiatrist using telehealth across a variety of settings, from outpatient specialty health to integrated primary care. She also has expertise in implementation science, having graduated from the Integrated Care Training Program Fellowship at the University of Washington, and currently serves as a Psychiatric Consultant coach at the Advancing Integrated Mental Health Solutions (AIMS) Center. She is an Assistant Professor in the Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences at the University of Washington School of Medicine and received her medical degree from Saint Louis University School of Medicine and her Master of Public Health from Columbia University. She completed her residency in General Adult Psychiatry at Brown University.
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Dr. George ‘Bud’ Vana
Faculty
George ‘Bud’ Vana, MD, is a general pediatrician, adult psychiatrist, and child psychiatrist practicing at the Lummi Tribal Health Center in Bellingham, Washington. He and his psychiatric team are integrated into the medical clinic, substance use disorder treatment program, pediatrics department, school-based health clinic and behavioral health department. Bud is a graduate of Harvard University, and he completed medical school at the University of Vermont and his residency training at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. He has worked to develop a telehealth infrastructure at the Lummi Tribal Health Center, as well as a child psychiatry consultation service for other tribal health clinics. His other professional interests include family-based psychiatry, acceptance and commitment therapy, treatment of co-occurring disorders, treatment of developmental disabilities, and integrated medical and behavioral healthcare. Outside of work Bud enjoys canoeing, hiking, and curling with his family.
Read the full bio …Resources Provided:
- Digital Mental Health Devices: Update on Evidence and Financing (Presentation Slides Available Soon)
Date added: March 10, 2026











































