Addressing the Need for Clients to Access High Quality Integrated Care

This fall, Greater Cincinnati Behavioral Health Services launched integrated primary care services at its Madison and Amelia locations. National statistics show that integrated care provided through community health centers (CHC) has a proven track record of reducing overall health costs by decreasing the impact of chronic diseases, which eliminates costly hospitalizations and unnecessary visits to emergency rooms. In fact, community health center costs account for only 1% of US healthcare spending.

We have long known that people experiencing severe mental health and/or substance use conditions have a higher risk of physical health issues which may involve complex medication regimens and side-effect management. Offering these additional services to our clients ensures cost-effective, high-quality comprehensive primary care that is integrated with behavioral health and other health services.

Although GCBHS has worked with other care partners in the past allowing clients access to primary care while on-site, only one in six psychiatric patients had been utilizing it. By providing primary care in addition to our other services, we hope to better serve the community.

 “This transformative step reflects our commitment to improving care coordination and outcomes by fully integrating physical and behavioral health services. "

According to Catherine Engle (pictured above, center), Associate VP of Health Services at GCBHS, “This transformative step reflects our commitment to improving care coordination and outcomes by fully integrating physical and behavioral health services. By enhancing our care integration, we can streamline communication between providers, offer more timely interventions, and better support the overall wellness of our clients.”