Mobile clinic helps improve access to primary care services for people with mental health issues in Pierce County
OptumHealth and MultiCare Health System have teamed up to provide a mobile medical clinic to help community mental health agencies deliver primary care services to people with mental health challenges.
MultiCare Good Samaritan Hospital and OptumHealth employees tour the Mobile Integrated Healthcare Clinic on Tuesday, March 15. The mobile clinic will help patients with mental health challenges in Pierce County access primary care services (Photo courtesy of MultiCare Health System).
The mobile clinic is designed to lower barriers to physician care – such as transportation challenges, stigma and funding issues – often faced by those with serious mental illness.
"People with a severe mental illness don't consistently get the medical care they need, so we partnered with MultiCare Health System to bring the care to them," said Cheri Dolezal, executive director, OptumHealth Pierce Regional Support Network. "We launched this mobile clinic to help people with mental illness overcome the many barriers they face in getting the medical services they need to stay healthy and avoid serious health issues."
The 38-foot mobile clinic features two fully functional treatment rooms and will be staffed by an advanced registered nurse practitioner who is supervised by an offsite physician, nursing coordinator and wellness-support coach.
The mobile clinic program is based on a nationally recognized integrated care model. It is scheduled to begin operation immediately and will offer primary care and preventive services including body mass indexing, blood pressure monitoring, blood glucose, and lipid profile screenings. When needed, patients will be referred to a specialist and receive help scheduling follow-up appointments. The clinic's nurse coordinator will follow up with individuals to help manage their care on an ongoing basis.
The mobile unit incorporates an electronic medical record system to enable health care providers throughout the MultiCare Health System to securely access and track patient records.
"In Pierce County there is an enormous need to help people with mental illness access primary care services," said Tim Holmes, vice president, MultiCare Good Samaritan. "Through this innovative effort with OptumHealth we can help many people with significant mental health issues receive necessary primary care and follow-up services that they would not have otherwise received."
The clinic will travel to meet people at locations in Pierce County where they already receive behavioral health treatment, including: Good Samaritan Behavioral Health in Puyallup, Comprehensive Mental Health in downtown Tacoma and Greater Lakes Mental Health in Lakewood.
People with severe mental illness suffer from higher-than-normal incidence of chronic health conditions such as diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular disease because they often do not get the care and treatment they need. On average, this population dies 25 years earlier than the general population. The 2007 Washington Mental Health Performance Indicator estimates that 8.5 percent of Pierce County's adult population suffers from a severe mental illness.
OptumHealth serves more than 5 million public sector members in 38 states with programs that support recovery, resiliency and wellness for people facing behavioral health conditions, chronic illness or complex conditions such as solid-organ transplants.
About MultiCare Health System
MultiCare is a leading-edge, integrated health organization made up of four hospitals including MultiCare Good Samaritan Hospital, numerous primary care and urgent care clinics, multi-specialty centers, Hospice and Home Health services, and many other services. A not-for-profit organization based in Tacoma, Washington since 1882, MultiCare has grown over the years in response to community needs. Today we are the area's largest provider of health care services, serving patients at 94 locations in Pierce, South King, Kitsap and Thurston counties.
About OptumHealth
OptumHealth helps individuals navigate the health care system, finance their health care needs and achieve their health and well-being goals. The company's personalized health advocacy and engagement programs tap a unique combination of capabilities that encompass public sector solutions, care solutions, behavioral solutions, financial services and collaborative care. Serving 60 million people, OptumHealth is one of the nation's largest health and wellness businesses, and is a UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) company. More information about OptumHealth can be found at www.OptumHealth.com.
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Contacts:
MultiCare Health System
Marce Edwards, 253-403-1716
Marce.Edwards@multicare.org
or
OptumHealth
Brad
Lotterman, 714-445-0453
Brad.lotterman@optumhealth.com