Former President of the United States Bill Clinton was the keynote speaker at this month’s National Council Conference on Behavioral Healthcare. Cenpatico President and CEO Sam Donaldson was one of a contingent of Cenpatico representatives in attendance at the conference in San Diego. Sam was in attendance for Clinton’s speech. Though the former President was unsuccessful in passing healthcare reform legislation in office, the President has been and remains a staunch advocate of providing access to high quality health care for the American people.

“President Clinton wasn’t the first President in recent history to try and reform healthcare,” says Sam. “His message in the address in San Diego focused on the idea that government isn’t bad; that we need government. Look at Medicare and Social Security, for example. These have been two successful systems in helping care for the people for more than 40 years [Medicare] and 70 years [Social Security].”

That’s why Sam and many other healthcare executives and politicians have hope for healthcare reform. Providing as many Americans with high quality, affordable care as possible was a theme throughout the National Council Conference. Sam and other industry executives had their own opportunity to speak out on the current state of healthcare and managed care at a panel discussion. Hundreds of conference attendees packed a room for the panel. Sam was impressed by the overall theme of the talk.

“This was a great chance to hear from the leadership of many companies in our industry,” Sam said. “We all have the same mission – we do not want to see the treatment of mental illness and substance abuse minimalized ever again. Each managed care company is different, but we are all focused on improving the quality of and access to behavioral healthcare.”

This mental health month has provided an opportunity for many advocates throughout the nation to speak out on mental health awareness. From the former President speaking out in San Diego to non-profit advocates hosting local events, Sam hopes that people will continue to raise awareness throughout the year.

“Do you remember when Mary Tyler Moore began to speak out about diabetes? There was a similar stigma associated with diabetes then as there is with mental illness and substance abuse now,” Sam says. “But what Mary Tyler Moore did was help to reduce that stigma. Now, we consider diabetes a common illness, with no stigma attached.

“That is where we want to be with mental health and substance abuse,” adds Sam. “The best way for us to promote mental health and substance abuse awareness is for people who have status to speak out. Whether that is in government or media or in a community, we can reduce stigma by raising awareness.”

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Cenpatico takes pride in the variety of ways our employees work with those who are impacted by mental illness. For Mental Health Month, a few of our employees took time to reflect on their experiences in mental health:

Lilli Olive – Director, STRS

Lilli did not desire to work in mental health field. Growing up in the early part of her life with a mother who was diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder, Lilli was impacted by mental illness from an early age. She saw and was significantly impacted by a child psychologist beginning at the age of four when her parents began going through a divorce. And by age 8, Lilli was unknowingly self-practicing therapeutic techniques.

When the time came for Lilli to take her first career placement test in high school, she disregarded the results that pointed her to a profession in counseling. “Having grown up around mental illness, I was concerned I was going to be working out my on issues on my clients,” Lilli said.

Lilli went on to earn a college degree in Speech and Hearing Sciences but immediately began to have second thoughts about her career path.

“I knew pretty much right when I got my degree that [Speech and Hearing Sciences] wasn’t what I wanted to do. It was right around then I took another career test,” she said.

Again, the results and her school counselor said that Lilli should become a Marriage and Family Therapist.

“Just before the results were delivered, I had come to the conclusion that a career in counseling was what I would pursue,” said Lilli, now a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC).   “Once I started my graduate studies in this area I felt like I had come home.”

Lilli went on to work as a marriage and family counselor before coming to Cenpatico, where she worked as a Network Manager and is now Cenpatico’s Director of STRS. Still, Lilli maintains her passion for helping people with her private counseling practice.

“What really does it for me is to be able to encourage and equip people to overcome the difficulties in their lives,” Lilli said.

Nathan Hoover – Utilization Manager

In high school, Nathan was a numbers guy, the kind who excelled in math and science. As the time came for him and his family to begin looking at colleges, Nathan’s expertise in math and science played an obvious role in helping him pick the perfect school for him. At college, however, his mindset of what he wanted to do for the rest of his life began to change. Little did Nathan know he would follow in the footsteps of his parents.

“My mom worked at a Mental Health Mental Retardation Center [MHMR] when I was growing up, and my dad worked in social services,” Nathan said. “When I was in college I decided to go into one of those fields where I could go and help someone.”

After graduation, Nathan enrolled in graduate school, where he earned a master’s degree in counseling while also working full time as a probation officer. Now officially a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), Nathan transitioned to work in mental health. Nathan now works out of Cenpatico’s Lubbock, Texas, office as a utilization manager and spends the majority of his time working with providers.

“I definitely see some real benefits to what we’re doing [with providers]. Much like everything in the mental health field, seldom do you see instant results,” he said. “Sometimes it takes a while, but when you have that moment where you realize your hard work is working out, it’s a great feeling.”

Nathan passionately believes that the efforts of him and his co-workers and those of mental health professionals throughout the nation are something in which all Americans should take pride.

“I’ve traveled a lot and been around different countries, and I think that societies are judged on how we treat people that might not have the same access to benefits that others do,” he said. “It says a lot about where we are as a society that we take the time to work with people and take an approach that we’re here to help.”

Ryan Wells – Utilization Manager

Ryan had a one-of-a-kind opportunity following his college graduation. Unsure of what he wanted for a career after earning a bachelor’s degree in psychology, Ryan spent a year exploring the world … and trying to figure out exactly what he wanted to do.

“I worked in salmon fisheries in Alaska, backpacked through Australia, New Zealand, South East Asia, Indian, Nepal and finally Tibet,” Ryan said.

It was a trip that allowed Ryan to do exactly what he had hoped to do – find himself.

“During this trip, I came to the conclusion that helping others was the only path for me that was worth doing,” he said.

Back stateside, Ryan worked in a handful of different jobs before deciding to enroll in graduate school, where he went on to earn his degree in counseling and become a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC).

Still, the classrooms of graduate school were not the only place Ryan was getting an advanced education in a mental health field. While in school, he worked as a clinical assistant at a psychiatric hospital and learned a valuable lesson that has allowed him to best help others.

“One of the keys to sustainability in working in mental health is the importance of taking care of yourself and not letting your job be your only defining characteristic,” he said.

Ryan’s life experiences both in and out of the mental health field have played a large role in helping him become the professional he is today. He has worked as a mental health professional since 2003 and is now a utilization manager for Cenpatico. Here, Ryan has a job and responsibilities in which he takes great pride.

“I make sure that members are getting appropriate care and make certain providers are not simply ‘walking through the motions’ of treatment,” he said. “I am able to utilize all my experience and knowledge about mental health and advocate for our members in a way that not many others can.”

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Sports fans will remember that infamous day in 2004, when a hotly contested NBA game between the Indiana Pacers and Detroit Pistons turned into much more than a simple basketball game. It all started when a fan through a plastic cup at a player on the court. That player lost his cool, ran into the crowd and before anyone could react, there was a brawl in the stands. Fast forward almost seven years, and that same player, Ron Artest, is the NBA’s 2011 J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award winner.

So how does someone who was suspended for 75 games for fighting with players and fans become the NBA’s citizen of the year? The answer is simple – Ron Artest made a change. Making that change, however, wasn’t so simple. You see, Ron Artest, a forward for the World Champion Los Angeles Lakers, has admitted to having a mental illness. And ever since his suspension, he’s been working to promote good mental health, even auctioning his NBA championship ring to raise more than $500,000 for mental health.

Whether they simply announce they have been diagnosed with an illness, like actress Catherine Zeta-Jones, or they travel around the nation to promote awareness, like Artest, celebrities play a big role in helping to reduce the stigma of mental illness. In April, Zeta-Jones announced that she was diagnosed with Bipolar II Disorder – click here to read a USA Today article on the impact of Zeta-Jones’ announcement. In December 2010, Artest debuted his Public Service Announcement on Mental Health Awareness. Artest teamed up with the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health for the PSA – click here to view Artest’s Mental Health PSA on YouTube.

In short, mental illness has impacted people from all social classes and industries throughout history. Here is a list of common mental illnesses and other prominent world figures that have these disorders:

ADHD:

Bill Cosby, Actor and Comedian

Pablo Picasso, Artist

Albert Einstein, Scientist

Abraham Lincoln, Former U.S. President

Anxiety:

Earl Campbell, NFL Player

Kim Basinger, Actress

Sigmund Freud, Psychiatrist

Nikola Tesla, Inventor

Bipolar Disorder:

Ned Beatty, Actor

Ludwig von Beethoven, German Composer

Winston Churchill, Former British Prime Minister

Peter Gabriel, Musician

Ernest Hemingway, Writer

Depression:

John Quincy Adams, Former U.S. President

Buzz Aldrin, Astronaut

Jim Carrey, Actor and Comedian

Ray Charles, Musician

Eating Disorders:

Princess Diana, former Princess of Wales

Paula Abdul, Singer

Joan Rivers, TV Personality

Jane Fonda, Actress and Activist

Schizophrenia:

Lionel Aldridge, Professional Football Player

John Nash, Mathematician and Nobel Prize Winner

Peter Green, Fleetwood Mac Musician

Syd Barrett, Pink Floyd Musician

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This week marks a historic time in our nation’s healthcare history. One year ago this week, President Barack Obama signed into law the Affordable Care Act. This law was created, among many reasons, to put in place reforms that will make affordable healthcare available to more Americans than ever before. Since its passage, the Kaiser Family Foundation has launched a website — http://healthreform.kff.org/ — aimed at informing the public about the many ins and outs of this law.

As a Research Specialist at Cenpatico, the KFF website is one of many resources I review on a consistent basis. Ready to see what new information and analysis the site would have this time, I found myself clicking on a general health reform quiz. The quiz, a short, 10-question exam, was designed to test the average citizen’s knowledge of health reform. (Click here to take the Kaiser Family Foundation quiz and find out just how much you know about the basics of health reform).  “I’m an average citizen … let’s see how I do,” I thought. The questions included: Will we have to buy health insurance by 2014 or pay a fine?; Will the law cut benefits to people on Medicare?; Will there be government panels to make end-of-life care decisions?; and other specifics of the law.

Before I reveal my results, I admit that I am by no means an expert on the “Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.” At least, I don’t consider myself an expert. Having worked in the industry for nearly two years, I felt I should at least have a general knowledge of the subject. Using no outside resources, I completed the quiz in about five minutes. Of the 10 questions, I answered nine correctly. Which one did I get wrong? Let me just say that no, health reform does not include government panels that will make decisions about end-of-life care for Medicare enrollees.

Once I had completed the quiz, a web page opened up that detailed my performance and compared it to the overall results of all other quiz takers. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, answering 9-of-10 questions correctly means that, much to my amazement, I have more knowledge of health reform than 97% of Americans. An even more staggering statistic soon followed – through February of this year, nearly one-third, or 33-pecent, of all respondents correctly answered between zero and four questions.

These results show that Americans are still struggling to understand the impact of health reform on both the industry and the individual. Working at Cenpatico, I have seen that health reform has already impacted the way we do our business and the way we have to think about doing business in the future.  More importantly, however, health reform is something has impacted or will impact nearly every citizen of our United States. As the health reform debate continues, the fact remains that the Affordable Care Act is law. That’s why it is imperative that politicians, government workers and public and private insurance companies alike continue to work together to inform the public of the ins and outs of reform.

Want to see how much you know about health reform? Click here to take the Kaiser Family Foundation’s quiz. For other great healthcare resources, click here to access Kaiser Family Foundation’s main website.

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For many people, lack of understanding and stigma around mental illness and substance abuse can prevent them from accessing needed services. In honor of National Minority Mental Health Awareness month, we talked with a culturally diverse group from Cenpatico’s Care Coordination Team about the increased challenges that minority, and culturally diverse individuals can face in seeking out mental health or substance abuse services.

 ‘In the African-American community, acknowledging that you have a mental health issue is like having a dark dirty secret. It is something that you know is there, but it is also something you just do not want to talk about. In some cases, African-Americans will seek out the counsel of their church leaders rather than seeking professional help. Even if some members of this community did decide to seek professional help, some of them would not know where to begin to look for services. I recently had the opportunity to help address these issues when I attended an African-American Conference here in Austin. At this conference, I was able to help members of the community begin to see the importance and benefit of seeking out professional help. I know that we reached a lot of members in the community that day, and now they are eager to obtain more information that could help a loved one or friend. It is important that we continue to seek out similar opportunities to help the African-American community, and all other communities, realize that living with a mental health issue shouldn’t have to be a dirty, dark secret.’

– Michael Burnett, CC in TX

 ‘When I think of the barriers that some of our minority members have created for themselves, I think specifically of our Caribbean population.  In the Caribbean culture, be it Haitian or Jamaican, some of our members have a desire to manage life’s hardships on their own. If there is a mental health diagnosis, or an issue that needs to be addressed, there is a tendency to try and handle the issue within the family unit, rather than seeking out professional help.  Many Jamaicans, like other cultures around the globe, do not believe in seeking mental health treatment because of the perceived ‘negative’ stigma that may be attached. They believe the problem will simply go away, or they accept the problem as a way of life. As I have also dealt with some of the Haitian population, I have come to realize that religion plays a major part in whether the individual/member does or does not seek treatment.  This culture sometimes relies on God or their family to help guide the member through their episodes rather than seek professional help. As a Care Coordinator, I have to be culturally sensitive and aware of these members while also educating them on the importance of professional mental health treatment.’

– Natalie Brown, CC in FL

‘Many of the minority members we serve have mental health issues complicated by substance use/abuse. Initially, their drug and alcohol use acts as a ”band-aid” to more central problems they are facing. Over time, the occasional use of “band-aids” has the potential to become a full blown addiction. When attempting to engage members in treatment – such as helping them to seek out counseling services or schedule and keep appointments with their psychiatrists – there can be much resistance. A member may think, “Why do I need your medications when I have my own?” As Intensive Case Managers and Care Coordinators, we look at our members as more than a person with a chemical problem and help them to focus on treatment that targets the issues that lead individuals to use to begin with.’

– Jennifer Alamia, ICM in TX

Cenpatico is committed to providing culturally competent services and resources that help individuals and families in their recovery from mental illness and substance abuse. National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month continues through the end of July. For more information, click here to logon to the National Alliance on Mental Illness’ official National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month website.

Tags: mental health, national minority mental health awareness month
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*Please consult you doctor before considering taking you child off of his or her medication

It’s summertime!  Time to go on a … drug holiday?!?  Many parents struggle with whether to take their child off of medication for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) during the summer.  Well, should you stop your child’s medications over summer?  The answer is: “perhaps.”  It depends on your child, what he or she is doing over the summer, the problems that may occur without the use of medication, and your own reaction to your kid’s condition as well as that of your doctor’s position on the topic.

Most children are placed on ADHD medication initially to help them be more successful in school.  It helps them be well-behaved, to concentrate on their work and teachers’ instructions, and exhibit behaviors that are acceptable by their peers.  Therefore, the medication can be very important in helping your child develop both academically as well as socially.  Some parents feel that without the pressures and structure of the school day, there is no reason to keep their child on medication during the summer.

But summer break present its own challenges.  Kids, especially older ones, frequently have less behavioral demands on them and can do very well during the summer without ADHD medications.  However, some younger children may have difficultly with poor impulse control and excessive hyperactivity.  Along with a decrease in structured activities, they may experience the lack of medication as very uncomfortable and anxiety provoking. That may lead some parents, those who find it difficult to deal with their children’s hyperactive behavior, to become frustrated and yell at their children. This can lead to a child developing low self-esteem, anger, and even depression.

Summer camps present a challenge too.  Camps can be either an opportunity to practice appropriate behavior without medication or an absolute nightmare for your child.  If they can’t control themselves, children with ADHD may be yelled at by young inexperienced counselors or even made fun of and rejected by other campers.

However, many camps are sensitive to the needs of children with ADHD, and it’s a good idea to discuss your child’s specific needs with the camp leaders before making a final decision on whether or not to have your children take their medications. There are opportunities for parents to search out various camps based partially on the camps’ experiences with children who have ADHD.

It is also important to plan for summer at home.  Many children, especially younger ones, are far more comfortable with consistency.  Regardless of your child’s summer plans, it is important to set goals for the summer and plan for plenty of fun and structured activities in a warm and supportive environment.

Also, if you haven’t already done so, find a mental health professional who can give you tips on how best to deal with your child’s ADHD symptoms.  Learning how to help your children with ADHD be more organized and gain control of their own behaviors will be one of the most useful tools that you have ever obtained.

As you can see, there is no simple answer as to whether you should or shouldn’t have your child on ADHD medications during the summer.  It depends on your child’s age, severity of symptoms, activities, and your own expertise in handling the symptoms.

I cannot stress enough how important it is for you to discuss this with your mental health care provider, who is a partner in your child’s care, before taking any actions to stop the medications.  Above all, I wish you and all your loved ones a very happy and safe summer!

-Bernard Engelberg, M.D., Medical Director

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I have to admit to doing the unthinkable. You know the smoke alarms in your home that require about five minutes or less of attention a year? They will emit the loud beeping noise that lands like a saber straight to the brain, alerting you to their imminent ineffectiveness if you don’t change the batteries NOW.

I didn’t have the correct batteries on hand on one particular afternoon, and I was expecting a barrage of children anytime to celebrate my four-year-old’s birthday. Annoyed, and in defiance of the invitation to simply take a moment to get the right batteries, I proceeded to dismantle the smoke alarm instead.

I have fought with equipment before – lazy toasters, unresponsive vacuums – and I’m not afraid to exert my will on them. I grabbed a stepladder, took my Phillips head to the screw, and yanked out the dead batteries. I even left the wires hanging out as a warning to the other smoke alarms should they even think about it…

A little while later, in came the children, parents, presents and loud, happy noises – your typical kid party with little bodies running in every direction. Within an hour of arriving, the little one we lovingly refer to as ‘Firefly’ had lit a scented pinecone on fire and smoke filled the room. Unfortunately, the party had moved outside and nobody noticed it or the smothering smell of frankincense. We sure didn’t hear the smoke alarm go off, either, because it had just been eviscerated.

It was only on a restroom run that one of the parents saw the lit pinecone and acted quickly to put it out. No one was hurt, and nothing of any consequence was damaged, but I was a wreck, thinking about the disastrous possibilities.

This lesson won’t need to be offered at my house again!

Now, we always have the correct smoke alarm batteries on hand, and we added a new family tradition. On the first Saturday of the month, we change the AC filter, review our fire safety plan and test the smoke alarms. I admit this wasn’t my idea, though. When my child told his class about the fire, we received an outpouring of safety suggestions from his teacher.

Chagrined, but eager to provide the safest home environment I could, I followed up on the great idea to head over to the local fire station. They have safety checklists and fun kid activities that teach home safety.

There is still the occasional unruly appliance at my house, but the smoke alarm has my utmost respect!

The Home Safety Council annually recognizes June as Home Safety Month. Check out their official website – www.homesafetycouncil.org – there are a wealth of tools available to help make your home safer!  These include a virtual tour of a safe home, the ability to share your personal home safety store, and a safety guide of tips to protect you against the leading causes of home injury.

Additionally, Cenpatico has developed a brochure to improve safety in the home- this includes information on storing medication safely, locking up firearms, and more.

Cenpatico encourages everyone to take the time to find out everything you can about making your home safe – its well worth it.

Robin Cermak

Clinical Quality Improvement Coordinator

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In an effort to promote the idea of complete health and wellness for both body and mind, the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) recently launched Hearts & Minds, an online self-help health education program centering around three main principles: stop smoking, eat healthy, and exercise.

This simple, yet powerful message is echoed throughout the initiative by a handful of professionals and advocates, including NAMI Medical Director Ken Duckworth, M.D., and through testimonials from people who have seen personal improvement in their lives through this integration of physical and mental health.

Duckworth also penned one of the most helpful resources available on the website, “Roadmap to Wellness for Individuals Living with Mental Illness.”

Providing an introduction to the Hearts & Minds philosophy, the Roadmap details topics such as Medical Self Advocacy, provides a guide to smoking cessation and for dealing with substance abuse and alcoholism, and it promotes a physically health lifestyle centering around exercise and healthy eating.

“Food doesn’t just feed our bodies,” states the website, “it also nourishes our minds.”

The Hearts & Minds campaign presents evidence of the link between physical health and mental health in a clear, easy to understand format with real life applications. One example they present is the increased risk of diabetes for those living with mental illness and the affects of Metabolic Syndrome and Type 2 Diabetes on people living with mental illness.

In addition to the Roadmap, some of the downloadable resources include a goal-setting worksheet, complete with tips and ideas for creating and maintaining realistic goals, starter food and exercise journal sheets and a document designed to help individuals keep track of their current medications and other health information.

Cenpatico is pleased to be a long time supporter of NAMI, an organization whose initiatives and programs promote recovery through self-directed care, mental health education and advocacy.  Hearts & Minds promotes and celebrates a philosophy of overall health through self-advocacy, and emphasizes the importance of maintaining knowledge of your family’s medical history, particularly with respect to heart health, and open communication with your doctor.

“If you’re doctor doesn’t ask you if your parents have high blood pressure or high cholesterol or diabetes, you need to tell them,” states Duckworth in the video. “And then you need to demand [the doctors] put resources in your hands to help yourself.”

And thanks to NAMI, Hearts & Minds has made helpful resources available on demand.

Jimmy Donovan

Research Specialist

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Cenpatico School Products, Cenpatico’s school based services subsidiary, has rolled out a new website that encompasses the suite of services offered by CSP including Academic Behavioral Alternatives (ABA Schools), IntegratED Consulting and InSpeech.

Cenpatico School Products started in Arizona in 1995 with ABA Schools, a group of state-approved, private special education day programs. Over time, and in direct response to requests received from school/district customers, ABA Schools began to develop models for more cost-effective programs and services which were directly tied to the communities in which our students resided.  Today, ABA Schools employs more than 60 professional and para-professional staff across more than 20 classrooms at five campuses throughout Arizona.

As the ABA Schools program grew, they began to identify customers that were looking for solutions beyond day treatment for their students and systems. From this newly identified need, IntegratED consulting was created. Through IntegratED we provide direct service providers, psychologists, occupational therapists, behavioral specialists and teachers. IntegratED also provides special educational consultants and administrators who support districts with professional development, training, program improvement and design.

To further develop the network and services continuum, Cenpatico School Products acquired InSpeech in 2009. InSpeech, Cenpatico School Products’ subsidiary, provides speech and language services in schools, hospitals and nursing care facilities.

Cenpatico School Products’ new site provides a wealth of information on these three service lines in addition to more information about our network and career opportunities within Cenpatico School Products.

Click here to check out the new Cenpatico School Products website.

Erin Geoffroy

Marketing Specialist

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Insuring health in America is an ever-evolving prospect. For the past 30 years, health insurance has transitioned from traditional indemnity insurance companies to the early HMO system.

Today, managed care focuses on health and wellness through person-centered care and evidence-based best practices that deliver positive outcomes for members. The emphasis on best practices and person-centered care includes integrating physical and behavioral healthcare. In a recent study, people with depression received integrated treatment in a primary care setting from both the primary care physician and a behavioral health provider. The result was dramatic: 74 percent of the people with major depression in the integrated treatment plan showed significant symptom reduction while only 44 percent of patients who had physician treatment and referral to mental health services at a separate site showed similar improvement.¹ Integration, or collaborative care as it is sometimes called, is not a new topic in healthcare. But only recently have managed healthcare organizations maximized the opportunity for integration available in combined physical and behavioral healthcare programs by taking an active role in supporting integrated health interventions.

Studies have also demonstrated that integrating healthcare is a cost-effective approach. This is due, in part, to increased opportunities for individuals to address behavioral health and physical health concerns simultaneously. This reduces overuse of medical services, which reduces healthcare costs over time.² For people with chronic health conditions, such as diabetes and heart disease, the cost savings maybe even greater—and so may the opportunity to increase wellness.

Knowing that integrated care produces better outcomes for consumers and is more cost effective, Cenpatico has developed intensive case management programs customized to each market we serve. These programs work with our Centene affiliated health plans or external managed care organizations (MCOs) to support and develop integrated care plans for consumers with chronic physical and behavioral health conditions. Through outreach to consumers and community providers, we have successfully coordinated care across systems by building relationships with community care agencies, facilities, federally qualified community health centers (FQHCs) and community mental health centers (CMHCs). These efforts help us to better identify and coordinate the overall care of our members. In addition, our collaborative efforts to remove barriers to treatment work to advance continued recovery for consumers, and are the core of our integrated efforts.

Cenpatico provides innovative solutions for our healthcare system that are intended to increase integration of care. We work with both behavioral and physical health provider agencies to remove financial and administrative barriers for providers, which will improve access to integrated healthcare for consumers. We will continue to develop strategies to support evidence based best practices that produce better outcomes for consumers, and provide cost effective results for the healthcare delivery systems we manage.

Marianne Burdison, Director, Business Development

and Cyndi Campbell, Manager, Business Development

¹Katon, W., Von Korff, M., Lin, E., et al (1995) Collaborative management to achieve treatment guidelines: impact on depression in primary care. JAMA, 273, 1026 –1031.
²Levant, R. F., House, A. T., May, S., & Smith, R. (2006). Cost offset: Past, present, and future. Psychological Services, 3, 195-207. doi: 10.1037/1541-1559.3.3.195

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