#522 - Dr. Monika Roots, Co-Founder, President and CMO at Bend Health
Slice of Healthcare Team
10/01/2025
Guest
Episode details
Join us on the latest episode, hosted by Jared S. Taylor!
Our Guest: Dr. Monika Roots, Co-Founder, President and CMO at Bend Health.
What you’ll get out of this episode:
- Personal Mission: Dr. Roots’ drive to improve youth mental health care stems from her own childhood experience with a parent’s mental illness.
- Bend + Lyra: The acquisition by Lyra Health enables a shared mission of whole-family mental health care with a strong emphasis on outcomes.
- Beyond Access: Dr. Roots debunks the myth that mental health is merely an access problem. It's also an execution challenge.
- AI & Mental Health: She addresses the increasing use of AI tools like ChatGPT for therapy and stresses the importance of clinical oversight.
- Policy Impacts: Cuts to Medicaid and MAHA regulations pose significant threats to youth mental health access and outcomes.
Watch
Listen
Read More
A Mission Rooted in Experience
Dr. Monika Roots, Co-Founder, President and CMO at Bend Health, brings a deeply personal motivation to her work: growing up with a parent who struggled with severe mental illness. This experience fuels her mission to ensure no child feels alone in their mental health journey. With a background in child psychiatry and previous startups, one acquired by Teladoc, Dr. Roots has consistently pushed boundaries to scale quality mental health care.
Why Bend Health Joined Lyra
Bend Health’s recent acquisition by Lyra Health is more than a business move. It is a strategic alignment of purpose. Both organizations emphasize outcome-driven, measurement-based care and a holistic, family-first approach. As Dr. Roots explains, “If mom and dad aren’t doing well, kiddos probably aren’t either.” The integration has been deliberately paced to preserve continuity for Bend families, with future plans focusing on a seamless, connected care model.
Dispelling the Access Myth
While access to care is often cited as the major hurdle in mental health, Dr. Roots challenges this view. “Mental health is not just an access problem. It’s an execution concern,” she says. Improved access must be coupled with effective, quality treatment, especially in pediatric care where early intervention is crucial. With 92% of children having pediatricians, the primary care level becomes a pivotal touchpoint.
The AI Dilemma in Mental Health
The rise of AI tools like ChatGPT in mental health raises both hope and concern. Dr. Roots sees their use as a symptom of deeper issues: exhaustion, isolation, and lack of human connection. While AI holds potential for improving clinical efficiency, it must be integrated thoughtfully, under the guidance of trained clinicians. “Just turning to a tool because it’s easy doesn’t mean it’s the right intervention,” she warns.
Policy Challenges and Future Direction
Recent and proposed Medicaid cuts threaten vital school-based programs that serve underserved youth, often the only access point for mental health support. Meanwhile, MAHA regulations introducing limitations on medication access, particularly for conditions like ADHD, raise alarms for long-term developmental outcomes.
Looking ahead, Dr. Roots is focused on expanding specialized pediatric programs within Bend and Lyra, such as neuropsychological testing and intensive outpatient care. Her ultimate goal remains clear: “Keep kids out of the ER and inpatient units. Real life happens at home.”
