Arizona leading way on integrated mental health care

• Mercy Maricopa Integrated Care took over county contract on April 1
• Focus is on treating mental%2C physical conditions together
• Arizona leads way in this new approach

Everyone knows that the mind and body are connected. Your mood lifts after a long walk or your outlook sours when you're under too much stress.

For far too long, the health-care system has been fragmented, treating mind and body separately. But a growing mountain of research confirms the benefits of "integrated" care and the lifelong suffering and expense that can be alleviated by linking our physical health with our emotional, mental, spiritual and social wellbeing.

As the state's newest regional behavioral health authority, Mercy Maricopa Integrated Care is poised to lead the transformation of the behavioral health care system in Arizona. We hope to spearhead a national movement toward better, smarter and more effective care for people living with mental illness or addiction to drugs and alcohol. We are joined by health-care providers, care recipients, family members, advocates, state and local policy makers and other caring community members.

As of April 1, Mercy Maricopa administers a system that covers more than 700,000 people in Maricopa County under a state contract requiring us to coordinate behavioral and physical health care for people who have a serious mental illness and qualify for Medicaid. But we know that everyone – regardless of age, income or medical condition – can achieve better health outcomes with a holistic approach.

What does integration look like?

• Health professionals communicating with each other, their patients and family members to identify the best treatment options.

• Catching and treating problems early through prevention and wellness programs.

• Avoiding redundancies in testing, reducing drug interactions and overprescribing, and reducing hospital admissions, emergency department usage and crisis intervention.

We believe integration is a game changer for health care, and we're not alone. Across the country, dozens of health organizations are experimenting with integrated-care models.

Thanks to the state's vision, Arizona is leading the way in integrated care. But we don't have all the answers and it's not our system. It belongs to everyone.

One of the hallmarks of this successful transition has been the close collaboration to address challenges quickly and decisively. It will take ongoing collaboration throughout the system and the community to navigate the uncharted waters of integrated care and ensure that we are putting those who receive care at the center of everything we do.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and this year we are celebrating a historic time in health care. Millions more Americans have health care today than they did a year ago, including nearly 250,000 in Arizona.

And after 30 years, the landmark class-action lawsuit that guided state policy and care for people with a serious mental illness, Arnold vs. Sarn, has been settled, requiring additional services and supports to help people achieve their life goals.

The time is here to get this right. The children, adults and families we serve absolutely deserve the very best care. Now it's up to us to show we are up to the task.

Eddy D. Broadway is chief executive officer of Mercy Maricopa Integrated Care.