St. Pete-Based Ascellus Hires Brett Cohen As COO

ST. PETERSBURG, FL —Ascellus, which provides telehealth and in-person mental healthcare services to workers involved in workplace compensation claims, announced Thursday that it had appointed Brett Cohen as the company's new Chief Operating Officer.

In a release, Ascellus (formerly IMCS Group) said Cohen joins at a critical time when the COVID-19 pandemic has created a greater need for workplace-related mental health services. Cohen brings with him two decades of healthcare experience and proven results in operations, population health programs and strategy, according to Ascellus.

"I am proud to be joining Ascellus at such a historic time," Cohen said. "Ascellus has proven itself to be an industry leader in behavioral health with its personalized treatment options and ability to help workers recover faster. I look forward to helping develop operational strategies to push that innovation forward and provide high-quality care to as many patients as possible."

Most recently, Cohen served as the division vice president of integrated care operations at DaVita, where he was responsible for implementing clinical care programs that managed over $300 million in total medical costs.

"Brett's proven talent to develop operational processes for integrated care practices in population health programs is critical for Ascellus' expansion as a trusted and leading behavioral health provider for injured workers," said Lori Daugherty, CEO of Ascellus.

Daugherty continued: "Delivering new healthcare technologies to today's healthcare market takes creativity and compassion, and Brett has shown he has the experience to operationalize our transformative approach to individualized behavioral health plans that empower injured workers to return to work sooner."

According to a release, Ascellus offers its customers access to high-quality, personalized mental healthcare using technology to connect them to the company's nationwide network of 1,500 licensed clinicians. This helps reduce costs for workers' compensation claims and empowers injured workers to return to their job.

The company's licensed clinicians deliver customized treatment plans for: pain management, workplace trauma, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and COVID-19. According to the company, around two-thirds of treatment goals - which are set by the patient and therapist in conjunction with the claims examiner - are reached within seven weeks of therapy. Though treatment continues as long as appropriate.