Title: Health Statistics

Abstract:

Untreated mental illness has grave consequences, with a potential loss of 10-30 years of a patient’s life. Patients with physical and mental health comorbidities require complex care that cannot be achieved adequately in confined silos. Behavioral Health Integration (BHI) has emerged across the United States as a method of delivering essential health care services to patients. BHI encompasses a myriad of health care models that provide patients with necessary care by diminishing the gap between medical and behavioral health care. However, access to these programs has been threatened due to a variety of barriers, impeding successful integration and sustainability. Stakeholder interviews with administrators, behavioral health clinicians, and primary care providers from federally-qualified health centers (FQHCs) in Pennsylvania were utilized to elucidate poignant barriers and facilitators to BHI implementation. Major barriers included provider training; billing and reimbursement; documentation; and poor buy-in. Facilitators included adequate use of collaboration, consistency, and communication; and identifying successful and positive impact as motivation

Biography:

Dina Fradkin is a recently certified psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner. She graduated in May of 2021 with a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree from the University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing. She plans to begin work this fall as a full-time PMHNP at a large multi-specialty outpatient practice in the New England area. She is involved in multiple professional organizations, including the International Society of Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurses (ISPN), for which she serves on the Membership and Social Media Committees. She is passionate about translating research into accessible and relevant information for clinicians through narrative articles and presentations.