SAN DIEGO & RALEIGH, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Concert Health, a leading behavioral health medical group, today announced a partnership with Med First, a North Carolina-based care provider, to deliver integrated behavioral health services directly within its primary care clinics. The collaboration gives all of Med First’s primary care and specialty care physicians and patients same-day access to Concert Health’s expert clinicians.
Med First operates independent medical clinics offering primary and urgent care services to 200,000 patients annually across North Carolina and South Carolina, 25-30% of which are estimated to be in need of behavioral health services. The company works to support practitioners in providing value-based care through the implementation of technological resources and evidence-based clinical best practices, as evidenced by its partnership with Concert Health.
While the nation’s attention has recently turned towards the importance of mental health, resulting in the call for widespread anxiety and suicide screenings, there remains a growing shortage of specialty mental health providers. This has resulted in limited access to high-quality and affordable mental health treatment, often leaving patients’ mental health disorders to go under-diagnosed, and undertreated.
“We are excited to partner with Med First to bring quality behavioral health care to its network of independent practitioners and their teams,” said Spencer Hutchins, co-founder and Chief Executive Officer at Concert Health. “Med First’s dedication to reaching patients and supporting providers makes Concert a natural fit to what they are already doing within their community, and we look forward to supporting their populations and providers with Collaborative Care.”
In partnership with Concert Health, care is integrated from beginning to end. Each patient is assigned a Collaborative Care Clinician, who is a trained, masters-level clinical provider. This clinician works closely with the patient's provider to help them experience symptom changes. The Collaborative Care Clinician schedules regular check-ins with the patient to set goals, develop and implement coping strategies, and provide support for behavioral health medications (if prescribed). They meet with the patient by phone or video to track their treatment progress and collaborate with other members of the care team and the patient to make any necessary adjustments to the care plan.
In addition to the Collaborative Care Clinician, a psychiatric consultant is available as an expert resource for both the provider and clinician. The team psychiatrist or psychiatric nurse practitioner is available to answer diagnostic questions and advise the care team on treatment options. The Collaborative Care Clinician regularly meets with the consultant to discuss the patient's progress in the program and develop additional treatment options.
“We are excited to begin offering critically necessary mental health services for patients across our network,” said Paul Feneck, CEO of Med First. “This partnership with Concert Health connects our patients to high-quality behavioral health professionals faster and more effectively than a traditional referral while keeping their Primary Care physician in the loop on their progress.”
About Concert Health
Concert Health is building America’s best behavioral health medical group. Through Collaborative Care, an evidence-based model for treating depression and anxiety in primary care settings, Concert makes it easy for primary care and women’s health physicians to deliver high-quality behavioral health care and improve clinical outcomes. The company currently operates in 16 states and has cared for over 40,000 patients. To learn more about Concert Health’s approach, visit concerthealth.com.
Concert Health, Inc. is an administrative and managerial services company affiliated with several professional corporations that deliver medical services. Together, these organizations operate under the “Concert Health” brand.
About Med First
Established in 2007 in Jacksonville, North Carolina, and headquartered in Raleigh, North Carolina, Med First operates independent medical clinics across the Southeast that offer Primary, Urgent, and Occupational Medicine services. Their unique hybrid healthcare model provides healthcare for patients of all ages, from routine physicals and same-day visits to employer health services. As healthcare transitions to “value-based care,” Med First eases the additional burden of labor placed upon practitioners and their teams through the implementation of technological resources and evidence-based clinical best practices. Learn more about what Med First offers at www.thinkmedfirst.com.
