Thank you for being a part of Rula! This collective network of dedicated, skilled therapists provides meaningful treatment to 8,000+ clients every single day. We’re so grateful that you’re here.
We want to take a moment to introduce you to Rula’s Clinical Quality leadership. As we continue on our mission to provide mental healthcare that works for everyone, we understand that it’s vital we provide best-in-class clinical care to all clients, as well as meet the needs of our trusted therapist network.
Who are we?
Doug Newton, MD, MPH- Chief Medical Officer (he/him)
Douglas Newton, MD, MPH, is a psychiatrist dedicated to improving the wellbeing of families and individuals. Through his role as Chief Medical Officer at Rula, he works to further both his impact and the company’s mission – making mental health care work for everyone. Before joining Rula, Douglas served as CMO of another health technology company and the National Senior Medical Director at UnitedHealth Group. In this role, he oversaw clinical quality engagement and management to develop a high performing network of mental health providers. Prior to his work with UnitedHealth Group, Douglas held senior leadership roles at Kaiser Permanente and Colorado Permanente Medical Group (CPMG). Douglas holds a BS and an MD from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a Master’s in Public Health from Yale. He completed residency training in adult psychiatry at Dartmouth and a child and adolescent psychiatry fellowship at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Lauren Drake, LICSW - Director of Clinical Quality (she/her)
At Rula, Lauren leads the documentation quality strategy for Rula’s network of therapists, developing standardized frameworks and scoring rubrics that ensure payer compliance and enable large-scale quality improvement. In addition, she serves as the clinical subject matter expert for scalable quality initiatives—including Provider Chart Review, Rula Recap, and clinical decision support tools—ensuring alignment with clinical best practices.
Lauren also serves as the clinical relationship lead for key customers and partners, guiding joint quality initiatives that strengthen partnerships and support business growth. She collaborates closely with Rula's Partnerships Team to represent Rula’s clinical quality strategy in external engagements.
Lolly Coleman, LMFT - Director of Provider Quality and Engagement (she/her)
As the Director of Provider Quality and Engagement, Lolly oversees Rula’s Clinical Quality and Clinical Learning & Development programs. In this role, she leads strategic initiatives to enhance clinical performance, ensure clinical excellence through successful patient outcomes, and fosters professional growth across the therapy network. Lolly brings over 15 years of experience in the mental health field, including a decade operating her own private practice. She continues to practice as a therapist and has worked with diverse populations, with clinical specialties in anxiety, depression, self-harm, geriatrics including dementia, ADHD, and autism. She has spent a large portion of her career in the telehealth space and brings a deep understanding of the nuances to providing virtual care.
Greg Hale, PsyD - Sr. Manager of Patient Safety (he/him)
Dr. Hale has been a mental health clinician for over 30 years, working in both clinical and administrative mental healthcare roles, including diverse settings and diagnostic focus. Having a passion for patient safety and clinical risk in telemental healthcare, Dr. Hale is the Senior Manager of Patient Safety at Rula. His role includes oversight of the patient safety clinical risk programs, with emphasis upon ensuring the highest level of patient safety and provider support. He holds a PsyD and M.A. in Psychology, B.S. dual degrees in Psychology and Business Management, with undergraduate degrees in aerospace technology and management. He is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, patient safety clinical risk manager, forensic evaluator, PTSD expert, US military veteran, and licensed pilot. In addition to clinical leadership, you can learn more about other members of the clinical quality team here.
Susan Foosness, MSW, MPP, Clinical Director of Patient Programs
Susan Foosness, MSW, MPP, is a clinical leader with a foundation in direct practice and more than 20 years of experience advancing behavioral health care. Trained as a child and family therapist, Susan spent the early part of her career delivering care in community-based and school settings, specializing in trauma, family systems, and culturally responsive approaches. Her clinical work continues to inform her leadership philosophy and her commitment to supporting both patients and providers.
Susan holds master’s degrees in Social Work from the University of Washington and Public Policy from Duke University. At Rula, she serves as Director of Patient Programs, where she oversees patient safety, clinical escalations, and care coordination throughout the patient journey. Susan is especially focused on strengthening support for high-risk patients, optimizing patient-provider matching, and ensuring that clinical quality is embedded across the care experience.
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