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Caring for the WHOLE Person
As your Patient-Centered Medical Home, Sweet Medical Center (SMC) is committed to caring for every part of you, at all stages of life. You are in control and your SMC healthcare team will coordinate your care with each other, with you and with your other providers.
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We have Behavioral Health Providers working together with Primary Care Providers, which allows our team to treat the whole person rather than treating isolated symptoms. This team approach is innovative and it makes sense, since our emotional health is tightly connected to our physical health.
Integrated Behavioral Health
Integrated Behavioral Health, or as we like to call it, Integrated Care, is simply an approach to caring for patients using a team of professionals in the primary care (medical clinic) setting. Our dedicated team of caring professionals works with patients to address their physical, behavioral and emotional well-being. Behavioral health and physical health are interrelated, so providing behavioral health care in a primary medical setting has been found to reduce stigma, while leading to cost savings and improved patient outcomes.
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How Integrated Care is Different
Integrated care is different from traditional primary medical care and traditional behavioral or mental health therapy.
Some of the key differences you'll notice:
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Behavioral screenings and brief therapies (also called brief interventions) will take place in the medical exam room and will last only a few minutes.
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Behavioral Health sessions will typically be scheduled to last 30 minutes.
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Patients not seeing improvement within the determined number of sessions will be referred to a specialty provider.
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High emphasis is placed on education, consultation and goals.
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Primary Care Provider (PCP). Oversees all your care and helps you with your physical and emotional health. PCPs help you think through important health decisions. Coordinates with other team members.
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Behavioral Health Provider (BHP). Consults with PCPs and may meet with you in the exam room for a quick visit about a specific issue. May schedule an appointment for a longer visit regarding behavioral needs, including stress management, lifestyle changes, self-care techniques, etc.
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Nurse and Medical Assistant. Work closely with providers, take vitals, arrange referrals, perform certain procedures, provide information, etc.
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Patient. YOU are the most important person on your SMC healthcare team! You will work closely with your providers to ensure you're getting the best care and outcomes so that you can be empowered to live a healthy life!