Hospitals in pursuit of excellence

Integrated Health Care

How do you successfully integrate behavioral health and primary care? A recent HPOE webinar highlighted the work of St. Charles Health System in Bend, Oregon, to coordinate care and help develop a care transformation plan in the state. The plan’s goal is to achieve the Triple Aim of improved outcomes, reduced costs and a healthier population. The transformation plan’s number one element: an “integrated behavioral health in primary care model.” According to webinar presenter Robin Henderson, director of government affairs at SCHS and executive director of the Central Oregon Health Council, “We recognize bringing together the mind and the body is a large part of how we’re going to change health care in our state.” Henderson’s presentation includes several recommendations for integration, including interacting as a community of partners and embracing fears of the traditional roles of hospitals, insurers and physicians. SCHS is partnering with the University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine on the SHAPE (Sustaining Healthcare Across integrated Primary care Efforts) project to examine the impact of global payment—focusing not just on reducing costs but improving overall health. Benjamin Miller, principal investigator, co-presents.

For free access to “Triple Aim Strategies to Integrate Behavioral Health in Primary Care” and other HPOE webinars, click on “HPOE Webinars” at the top of this web page.