The holiday season can be a tremendously stressful time for many individuals who are struggling with a mental illness such as depression and anxiety. The pressure of trying to do everything, planning the perfect holiday, traveling to visit family, saying yes to each get-together, meeting those year-end deadlines, and the financial burdens of holiday shopping can take its toll on those who are prone to anxiety, depression and stress.
This week, Rachel Smolowitz, Ph.D., program manager of Sheppard Pratt Integrated Behavioral Health at GBMC, discusses our collaborative care model that delivers behavioral health services within our GBMC Health Partners advanced primary care practices, and answers some questions about the program. This is great work that we are doing with our Sheppard Pratt colleagues to move “upstream” to address issues such as anxiety and depression early in their course.
Q: How is a patient referred and what are some of the challenges that our Collaborative Care Model is helping to fix?
Many people struggle with the question “How do I find mental health support?” and Collaborative Care answers it clearly: “Talk to your primary care provider.” The primary care providers at GBMC can help their patients connect to a mental health provider either in the office, remotely, or in the community. Once a patient is participating in Collaborative Care, our goal is to help them develop the skills they need to become their own therapist and meet their goals.
Q: Beyond the benefit of patient convenience, why is it important to have a behavioral health program in the primary care setting?
Unfortunately, our society continues to have a stigma against mental illness. Many people are uncomfortable talking or thinking about mental illnesses even though about 25% of people experience mental illnesses. Having services in primary care helps to reduce the stigma of mental illness by addressing it as an important part of a person’s health.
Q: Do you think treating mental health conditions in primary care makes sense?
Another benefit to having behavioral health treatment in primary care is that the mind and body are interconnected. People may struggle with worries about issues like diabetes and hypertension, which could get in the way of complying with their treatment. Getting support means that they can learn how to manage their anxiety and take better care of themselves.
Q: What has surprised you about practicing this Collaborative Care?
I have been very pleasantly surprised to learn that brief, focused treatment is very effective in helping people to meet their goals. We start out working on developing goals that will be meaningful for people. We then identify some skills for them to learn and emphasize “homework” in between appointments. We also measure how they’re doing each month and discuss with them how their scores are improving over the months.
I would like to thank our transporters who work hard to make sure that our patients move efficiently within the hospital. This week is National Patient Transport Week (Nov. 6—12).
Often, these colleagues are dealing with anxious patients who don’t know just what to expect on their way to their next destination within our hospital. While their primary role is to move people, they also help allay the fears of patients through their kindness and compassion.
I want to thank Anthony Anderson, our Director of the Service Response Center and Patient Transport, and his amazing staff for all they do.
This week is also National Radiologic Technology Week and Forensic Nurses Week. I would like to thank all our registered radiologic technologists (RTs) and our forensic nurses for their very important roles in serving our patients. Please join me in saluting our RTs and forensic nurses for their commitment to quality, patient-centered care, for their hard work, and for their valuable role in helping us achieve our vision.
We recently learned that GBMC received Primary Stroke Center re-certification from The Joint Commission.
This re-certification acknowledges that we have well-developed systems to care for acute stroke patients and help them improve their long-term outcomes. This recognition is a testament to the cohesive teamwork and evidence-based care we deliver to our stroke patients.
I am proud of our team who worked very hard to re-certify. My deepest gratitude goes out to Ellen Deibert MD, FAHA, Medical Director of our Stroke Center and our Chief of the Division of Neurology; Barbara Smith Peace, MBA, MPH, BSN, RN, LSSGB, our Director of Quality and Patient Safety; Steve Benko, BSN, RN, CEN, Stroke Program Nurse Director; and Kristopher (Kris) Bachenberg, our new Stroke Program Manager.
Today, we will commemorate Veterans Day and take the time to remember the millions of American military personnel who have served to protect us. I want to thank our Diversity & Inclusion Council for sponsoring our organization-wide Veterans’ observance. This will be a great way to honor our employee and volunteer Veterans on our main campus, in our physician practices, and throughout Gilchrist. I know that I speak for all of us at GBMC HealthCare in offering our sincere gratitude for the personal sacrifices, past and present, of all our service men and women.
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