CommonSpirit Health Expands Behavioral Health Support through Primary Care Collaboration in Partnership with Concert Health
CommonSpirit Health, a national nonprofit health system serving communities at more than 1,000 care sites and 137 hospitals across 21 states, today announced it is offering new access to support for depression and anxiety within the primary care setting through a partnership with Concert Health, a leading behavioral health medical group. This model will place CommonSpirit’s primary care physicians at the center of all physical and behavioral aspects of care by connecting patients with Concert Health’s remotely located behavioral health care managers who provide therapy and develop a behavioral health care plan for each patient.
Access to behavioral health services in the U.S. is challenging at the best of times, and for patients, the lack of care can have far-reaching consequences. More than 115 million Americans live in an area where there is no access to a mental health professional. As a result, many seek care from their primary care provider, with whom they often have a long-term, trusted relationship. In fact, a study found that primary care providers prescribed 79 percent of antidepressant medications. That strong relationship and lack of access to specialty mental health services often leaves primary care providers managing depression and anxiety, without the professional support they need to address their patients’ conditions. Given the proven connection between physical and mental health, it is essential that patients receive the appropriate care and treatment for all of their health needs — physical and mental — in one place, which is most convenient in primary care.
An integrated approach is particularly critical for patients with multiple health conditions. One recent report found that high-risk patients require up to 6.2 times more spending on medical care when they have an active behavioral health diagnosis.
The partnership between CommonSpirit and Concert Health is based on Collaborative Care Management, an evidence-based model proven to improve behavioral health conditions such as depression and anxiety within the primary care setting.
