Healthcare

WHOLEPERSON HEALTH

Arizona’s leading healthcare providers made strides in integrated services

By ALISON BAILIN BATZ

Integrated care, the systematic coordination of different lines of healthcare to treat the whole person, is proving to be an ultra-effective and proactive approach to caring for people with multiple medical and behavioral needs. Here is a look at how several Arizona healthcare organizations are setting the standard for integrative care in the country:

Delta Dental of Arizona

In August, Delta Dental of Arizona, through its Foundation, announced a $330,000 grant to fund a newly launched Hospital Oral Care and Periodontal Disease Education (HOPE) program at Banner – University Medical Center Phoenix. HOPE addresses the oral health of patients on campus. It establishes a minimum of twice-daily oral health protocols for senior patients and those at high risk for periodontal disease who may be unable to connect to dental health resources in their community.

“The grant also supports an oral health navigator on campus and establishes an oral health standard of care in geriatric medicine in Arizona,” says Barb Kozuh, director of community benefit at Delta Dental of Arizona.

According to Kozuh, this is just the latest step in a long-term plan Delta Dental has for helping medical-dental integration in Arizona.

“In 2020, we also partnered with Neighborhood Outreach Access to Health, or NOAH, and HonorHealth Foundation to fund emergency dental treatment at NOAH for uninsured patients who visit HonorHealth emergency departments with dental issues,” says Kozuh.

The new Delta Dental of Arizona Dental Connect program is made possible by a $525,000 donation by Delta Dental. Through Dental Connect, when an uninsured patient checks into an HonorHealth emergency room and presents with a dental emergency, facial pain or other related oral health issue, he or she will be referred to the appropriate NOAH dental staff member for care.

“We have two grant programs as well – community grants and IMPACT grants – through which we support medical-dental integration,” says Kozuh.

Notable grants in 2021 included funds to support El Rio Community Health Center’s Pediatric Dental Integration Program, North Country Healthcare’s Integrated Dental Care, United Community Center’s Dental Program for Kids, Verde Valley Medical Center’s Healthy Families Oral Health Education and Phoenix Children’s Hospital’s Oral Health Educator program.

Mercy Care

In 2014, Mercy Care, which provides access to health care services for Medicaid-eligible adults, families, children, seniors and individuals with developmental and cognitive disabilities, became Arizona’s first managed care organization to provide integrated physical health and behavioral health treatment to individuals with a serious mental illness, or SMI.

The importance of an integrated approach was clear. Research shows that individuals with an SMI designation are at an increased risk of having chronic medical conditions, and, as a result, die an average of 25 years earlier than the general population. The shortened lifespan is largely due to treatable medical conditions.

“We understand that integrating physical and behavioral health care is vital to the overall health and wellness of our members,” said Blythe FitzHarris, chief clinical officer at Mercy Care. “But we have to go beyond that at improve the social factors that play an even greater role in a member’s wellbeing and ensuring our members can reach their full potential.”

Mercy Care worked with behavioral health and physical health care provider partners to expand on that initial integration – going beyond the traditional medical and mental health treatment paths. Integrated care meant providing members access to services that address their social determinants of health: those factors that play a vital role in a person’s UNITED FRONT:

A grant from Delta Dental of Arizona helps fund the Phoenix Children’s Hospital’s Oral Health Educator program. (Provided photo)

Blythe FitzHarris Dr. Lorrie Henderson Barb Kozuh Steven Sheets

overall wellbeing. These include housing, food security, reliable transportation and access to care. Mercy Care has also collaborated with community partners, including local police and non-profit organizations, to improve social factors for its members.

“For example, Mercy Care colleagues offer mental health education and training for first responders who often interact with people experiencing behavioral health issues,” says FitzHarris. “Mercy Care also worked with school officials and community organizations serving youth to train staff to deliver mental health and suicide prevention awareness programs.”

The health plan also provides grants to agencies that boost access to nutritious food, safe housing and health care in the community.

Jewish Family & Children’s Service

According to the World Health Organization, there is a significant gap between life expectancy in patients with a mental illness and the general population. People who suffer from mental health issues die earlier than the average person.

“Sadly, individuals with a mental illness may succumb to untreated and often preventable illnesses like obesity, high blood pressure and diabetes, which are often accompanied by poor habits such as lack of exercise and poor diet. The only way to tackle the issue is to focus on an individual’s overall health,” says Dr. Lorrie Henderson, president and CEO of Jewish Family & Children’s Services (JFCS).

JFCS has been providing much needed services to the Valley community for more than 86 years. Recognizing the need to provide integrated healthcare to underserved communities, JFCS now has four integrated healthcare centers across the Valley, offering behavioral health and primary medical care services in one place, providing the most effective approach to caring for people with multiple healthcare needs.

By integrating mental health, substance abuse, and primary care services, JFCS produces the best outcomes and offers the most effective approach to caring for people with multiple healthcare needs.

For individuals that are a part of the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS), integrated care means that the disabled, young, elderly, poor or pregnant have the same access to quality care as individuals on the most comprehensive health care plans.

Southwest Behavioral & Health Services

Southwest Behavioral & Health Services (SB&H) has been providing integrated behavioral and mental health services to communities throughout Arizona for more than 50 years. SB&H fosters a whole healthcare model by seeking out opportunities and innovative approaches to treatments that focus on integrated care at its core.

“Our mission is to deliver compassionate care to enhance lives and improve communities,” says president and CEO Steven Sheets. “We believe that our core values around Compassion, Integrity, Quality, Empowerment, Innovation, and Trust help us achieve this mission.”

Special programs included in SB&H’s vast array of service offerings include Southwest Family Medicine, Southwest Autism Center of Excellence, and the Southwest Training Institute.

Additional SB&H services include: • Outpatient mental health treatment and psychiatric services including medication monitoring; • Assistance for persons with addictions; • Intensive inpatient care for persons in crisis; • Residential housing, in-home and supported housing services; • Prevention services, community outreach and school-based counseling.