Walking the tightrope without a net: Integrated care for the patient with diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and bipolar disorder' and no insurance

Abstract

The past two decades have brought about a transformation in the role of the nation's community health centers (CHCs). CHCs provide comprehensive health care services to communities and populations that have been designated by the federal government as underserved. However, these changes have been ushered in due to a diminishing number of community mental health centers and growing pressure from the Health Services and Resources Administration; as a result CHCs are faced with the challenge of encompassing behavioral health within their scope of services. With the increased focus on combination of primary and behavioral health services, CHCs have had an opportunity to develop and implement innovative integrative integrated delivery systems to meet the health care needs of the community. The movement towards integration of services has been fueled by a growing body of data indicating primary care is the most likely point of access for people with mental health disorders. Improved medical outcomes along with improved patient and provider satisfaction have strengthened the argument for integrated service delivery models. © 2008 Springer New York.