North, a behavioral health navigation platform built for veterans, first responders, and others for whom stigma or professional culture makes asking for help the hardest step, will expand through a funded Spokane County pilot and provider network.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | July 2, 2026
SPOKANE, Wash. — Ithos Wellness Inc. has been awarded a $100,000 Early Stage grant from the Health Sciences and Services Authority of Spokane County to expand North, a behavioral health navigation platform built for veterans, first responders, healthcare workers, and others for whom stigma, professional culture, or the fear of being seen differently makes the first step the hardest one. The company was founded by Rod Price, a Marine Corps veteran, former first responder, and process improvement professional who started Ithos Wellness after working across emergency healthcare and behavioral health operations and seeing the same failure point from both sides: people who needed help were lost before they reached the right resource or provider.
The challenge those populations face is not a shortage of awareness or resources. It is what happens when the same culture that makes someone exceptional at the job also makes asking for help feel like a betrayal of it. North is already developed and operational. The platform combines structured intake, AI-guided reflection, and compatibility-based provider matching to help users identify support that fits their situation and take a private first step toward it, before they disengage from the system entirely.
The need is visible in both local data and national research. In 2024, 120 people died by suicide in Spokane County, including 21 veterans. The 2024-2025 Community Health Needs Assessment identified mental health as a community priority and reported professional shortages across multiple areas of the county. Nationally, research published in Psychological Trauma found that veterans disengage from outpatient mental health treatment at nearly twice the rate of the general population, with provider incompatibility identified as a leading cause. The Firefighter Behavioral Health Alliance documented 112 confirmed firefighter and EMS suicides in 2024, and one estimate suggests 92% of firefighters avoid seeking mental health support because of stigma.
“These are not the numbers of a population that lacks resources,” said Price. “They are the numbers of a population for whom the available pathway does not fit. That is a design problem. And design problems have solutions.”
The 12-month project is designed to validate the model at a larger local scale, expanding North’s provider network to 20 to 50 trauma-informed Spokane-area therapists and engaging 200 to 300 Spokane County users through a large regional nonprofit serving veterans and other high-stress populations. The project will evaluate platform engagement, provider match conversion, and provider connection and follow-through, generating the evidence base Ithos needs to pursue follow-on funding and attract investor capital.
Ithos Wellness is building a subscription model for employer wellness programs, employee assistance providers, healthcare systems, and veteran-serving organizations seeking a more effective pathway to behavioral health support for their populations. The Spokane project is intended to generate the evidence and partner feedback needed for regional and national expansion.
“Ithos was founded here, and North is being validated here,” Price said. “HSSA is funding the work that positions this platform for long-term growth and gives Spokane a homegrown digital health company built around one of the most urgent and underserved problems in behavioral health.”
“HSSA is proud to support businesses like Ithos Wellness in their work to make us all healthier, and to strengthen our regional economy. Ithos Wellness’ project focuses on mental health, one of our region’s top health priorities, with a population that has made many sacrifices, veterans. This will be an exciting and game-changing year for the companies who were awarded Spokane Early-Stage Grants, and we look forward to celebrating their victories with them.”
— Erin Williams Hueter, Executive Director, Health Sciences and Services Authority of Spokane County
The grant supports Spokane-based work in software development, legal and intellectual property services, and business development, helping Ithos build the foundation for future job creation, provider partnerships, institutional customers, and follow-on investment.
###
About Ithos Wellness Inc.
Ithos Wellness Inc. is a Spokane-based digital health company building North, a behavioral health navigation platform for veterans, first responders, healthcare professionals, and the organizations that serve them. Learn more at IthosWellness.com and MyNorthApp.com.
About HSSA
The Health Sciences and Services Authority of Spokane County promotes bioscience-based economic development and advances new therapies and procedures to improve public health. HSSA supports work intended to improve health and healthcare in Spokane County, create well-paying jobs, and power future economic growth.