John, 38 years old and dealing with psychoses as well as diabetes, had been hospitalized many times in the past 20 years. Discharged from various state hospitals into one homeless shelter after another, it wasn’t long before he would stop taking his meds and the cycle of hospitalization to shelter would start again, interspersed with numerous visits to ER rooms.
For John, his primary care needs could not be met without at the same time addressing his behavioral health needs. BHCHP’s Integrated Care model was just what he needed in the spring of 2008 when he was on the verge of yet another hospitalization. With regular treatment and support from his BHCHP primary care doctor and BHCHP therapist it’s possible to report some important outcomes that tell John’s story today, 18 months later.
- He is taking his prescribed medication and attends regular
therapy sessions
- His psychotic episodes and diabetes risk are under control
- His hospital admissions have shrunk by 2/3 and are
expected to continue this downward trend
- His ER visits are almost non-existent
- He has transitioned from shelter to his own apartment
- He is teaching other people with mental illness and at risk from
diabetes how cooking can help control their diabetes too
This model integrates primary care and
behavioral health care at the same time, bringing hope back
into John’s life and the lives of other men and women who
face similar challenges. And it saves thousands of dollars at a
time when every dollar is stretched to the limit.
Using this integrated care model, the BHCHP behavioral
health team saw 247 more patients in the first year
of Jean Yawkey Place than in the previous year.
