In New Jersey, Hackensack Meridian Health is now offering its HMH Urgent Care, which integrates behavioral health with same-day urgent care and telemedicine visits. According to Becker’s Hospital Review, it’s the first urgent care that simultaneously provides both immediate medical care and services for psychiatric conditions as part of a strategy to reduce emergency department visits. The HMH Urgent Care suite includes short-term outpatient care for those 16 years and older to address anxiety, depression, mood disorders, and other behavioral health issues.
Progress is slow but sure: Integrating behavioral health services directly with medical care has long been the holy grail for comprehensive-care advocates. Earlier this month, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced a new pilot, in which community-based behavioral health practices will partner with interprofessional medical teams. Incentives center around a predictable value-based payment model that ideally would reward providers for quality and outcomes. The hope is that urgent cares will have an opportunity to be part of the “no wrong door” approach for whole-person care.