7 minute read The panel discussion took place on Thursday 19 October 2023 at the CFHA Annual Conference in Phoenix, Arizona. The following questions were given by the moderator, Sentari Minor (EvolvedMD). Other panelists included Pedro Cons (CEO, Adelante Healthcare), Gabriel Jaramillo (Vitalyst Foundation), and Crystal Heiligenthal (Physician Assistant, HonorHealth). I am including only my […]
4 minute read In our first blog post on March 3rd, 2023, we reported on efforts by the Primary Care Behavioral Health Special Interest Group (PCBH SIG) to advance the understanding of screening and outcome measurement in demonstrating the value of the integrated model of service delivery. Since that time a Measurement-Based Care (MBC) workgroup […]
5 minute read On July 13, 2023, Health Federation of Philadelphia (HFP) announced a new investment in integrated care by the Philadelphia Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual Disability Services (DBHIDS), which will allow HFP to hire a Director of Behavioral Health Integration position. The new Director will be responsible for leading all training and […]
4 minute read Whole person care means that people have access to both physical and behavioral healthcare. Unfortunately, there is no parity for such treatments by payers here in the United States. Payers intentionally limit their coverage of behavioral healthcare. But now the Biden administration wants to see that change. Yesterday, the Biden administration proposed […]
3 minute read Last August I wrote about the long wait times for individuals in need of mental health services. Soon after that post, the American Psychological Association published survey results in November 2022 showing that 60% of psychologists cannot accept new patients, while 72% have longer wait lists than before the pandemic. A 2023 […]
Riddle me this: I am a system that is active and essential in healthcare, but a complete mystery to most healthcare professionals. Answer: a patient attribution system! Hopefully you did not peek at the title of my post. Did you get the right answer? Don’t worry if you did not guess a patient attribution system. […]
4 minute read Every week I receive solicitations in my physical mailbox for clinical trainings on a variety of topics like trauma-informed care, grief counseling, mindfulness, and more. They never stop coming! I wonder who sent these companies my address. These trainings are usually live or recorded webinars with handouts, sometimes with a well-known expert […]
3 minute read In spring 2022, CFHA CEO Neftali Serrano approached the Primary Care Behavioral Health Special Interest Group (PCBH SIG) to begin the work of catalyzing standardized outcomes for measuring success in a PCBH environment. This invitation was warmly received as the role of the PCBH SIG is to grow interest and enthusiasm, provide […]
Neftali Serrano, CEO of CFHA, first approached me in late 2021 to design and distribute a salary survey to the integrated care workforce. I looked at my overloaded plate and thought, “This is too good to pass up”. So, I made room on the plate. As an educator, I’ve been involved in workforce projects for […]
US federal government agencies are currently accepting applications for large grant awards to address behavioral health patient needs across the country. Your healthcare organization may be a good candidate for one of these awards! Even if you are not funded, the exercise of grant writing will help you imagine the possibilities of improving your organization […]
5 minute read Most of my training and career have focused on the individual or family sitting in front of me asking for relief from their suffering. I have spent many hours learning how to engage, evaluate, and treat complex human beings who walk through the clinic door. It’s hard and rewarding work; but the […]
5 minute read Once upon a time, I was a behavioral medicine director at a family medicine clinic in North Carolina. Part of my job was to monitor the patient waiting list. We had normal delays like confirmation of benefits and no appointment slots. My goal was to schedule new patient appointments within 1-2 weeks […]
3 minute read The recent episode on Last Week Tonight puts the failing U.S. Mental Healthcare system in the spotlight. It is a great and timely episode. You should stop reading my pedantic post and watch it now. OK, now that you’re back, let’s recap the episode and discuss what it could mean for the […]
3 minute read The history of medicine is a massive and fascinating subject. It shows that, over time, the goals and locations of doctors have changed. From the bedside to the library and from the hospital to the laboratory, doctors have sought out the innovation and evidence that compose our healthcare system today. In the […]
In January 2021, Representative Mike Thompson introduced the Mental Health Access Improvement Act of 2021 (H.R. 432) that, among other things, would authorize Medicare payment for covered mental health and substance use services provided by licensed marriage and family therapists (LMFT) and licensed mental health counselors (LMHC. The bill was referred to the Subcommittee on […]
3 minute read The House Committee on Energy and Commerce recently advanced to the house a package of bipartisan legislation geared towards improving mental and behavioral health treatment, as well as providing substance use disorder care. If passed, this bill would have direct impact on integrated care programs throughout the U.S. I will highlight some […]
Five minute read The title of this post is a terrible pick-up line, but it reflects my musings on how we identify patients in primary care who may benefit from behavioral health services. Health screening is standard practice in primary care. We screen for physical health, mental health, substance use, health behaviors, family functioning, social […]
7 minute read Healthcare today is a team activity. The rapid accumulation of specialized knowledge in healthcare has created a substantial need for partnerships between medical and mental health practitioners. Physicians, nurses, psychologists, pharmacists, and other health professionals must work together for patient-centered care to become a reality. These partnerships are best reflected in a […]
