LifeWorks NW Joins Hands with CareOregon
Together they opened a clinic in Milwaukie offering physical and mental health services
“But historically this hasn’t happened,” said Mark Levinsohn, PhD, vice president of clinical services at LifeWorks Northwest. “Physical and mental health have usually been separated both financially and structurally with providers not talking to each other.”
Rather than sit on the sidelines, LifeWorks joined hands with CareOregon to open a multi-disciplinary clinic in Milwaukie located at 17070 SE McLoughlin Blvd.
Once fully staffed, the mental health component will have the capacity to take care of 800-1,000 people, primarily Oregon Health Plan clients and other low-income adults. No one will be turned away because of inability to pay.
Here’s how this new model works. A physician treats a patient for high blood pressure or a migraine headache, yet recognizes they seem anxious and somewhat depressed. Rather then give them a referral to a nearby mental health clinic, that physician walks the patient down the hall and help arranges a consultation with very little effort.
“We call it a warm hands-off; it’s one-stop shopping for patients, and offers a more holistic approach to deal with their behavioral and emotional needs,” said Levinsohn, who has the highest regard for CareOregon’s willingness to participate in this partnership. “Adults with chronic mental health illnesses live 25 years less on average because they have higher risk profiles and are less likely to utilize physical health services.”
For its part, this new clinic arrangement represents a win-win because it meets peoples’ basic needs by improving their access to care, said James Schroeder, director of healthcare systems for CareOregon. “And it’s a great opportunity for physical health to partner with mental health.”
Its Community Health Clinic in Milwaukie has served approximately 450 patients during the first two months, and anticipates adding 100 patients a week, according to Jeanie Lunsford, spokeswoman. Over time the clinic will be able to accommodate 4,000 patients.
CareOregon, which has the largest number of Medicaid members in the Portland metropolitan area, is also opening a clinic in the Rockwood area, a highly impoverished area that lacks access to healthcare services, and has spent $2.1 million to purchase the building.
The health plan has also formed a partnership with Clackamas County to open a clinic in Gladstone in a building purchased by the school district, and will open another clinic in Washington County next month.
“We’re helping to meet needs by testing new models, trying to find ways to meet the needs of patients,” said Pam Mariea-Nason, who has since left CareOregon as director of health policy and community engagement. “This is a new way of partnering with our community. Each of our clinics is designed to deliver care in a team-based model, and we’re very excited about that.”
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Totally AGREE!!!!!!!
We at LifeWorks NW certainly don't want clients to be frustrated with wait times. We note that the clinic is new and not at full capacity and more staff are being added to meet the surprisingly rapid and strong demand. Psychiatric and medication management services are available one day per week, which is typical of most outpatient clinics of this size. We are also in the process of increasing our psychiatric service capacity to keep up with demand. One of the advantages of having physical health and mental health co-located is that the primary care physicians are able to consult with a psychiatrist and more effectively meet and manage their patients medication needs. The mental health and addiction services are provided through LifeWorks NW (not CareOregon) and the office is leased and managed by LifeWorks NW (not CareOregon). Although integrated care is provided there, the funding for mental and physical health are separate. CareOregon insurance does not manage the OHP mental health benefit or the mental health services provided at the clinic. There is no intent or incentive to delay care, or for anyone’s OHP insurance to lapse. There is actually an incentive to help clients enroll and maintain OHP insurance, to provide assistance in enrolling in and maintaining OHP coverage is offered, and providing clients with as many services as their situation requires. We continue to strive for the best possible care and services and will be continuing to monitor this site's wait times as well as all of our other sites. Please feel free to contact LifeWorks NW at 503-645-3581 ext 2450 with any complaints in order that we can be sure to address them adequately. Thank you.
Try to get an appointment as they keep pushing you back and back instead of treating you right away.They don't even have one psychiatrist that isn't ON CALL in the building and a typical wait to get medication is 3 months.Their waiting rooms NEVER have any people in them as they see very few ppl because very few staff except appointment schedulers. If you want to see a nurse then this is the place for you as the doctors are only their certain days out of the month.
It's very conveniant to have a doctor's office and a mental health clinic and an alcohol and drug clinic in the same office owned and operated by the CareOregon insurance company So they can push your appointment back as far as possible without helping anybody knowing that the Oregon Health Plan insurance runs out every 6 months for adults.
A VERY GOOD WAY TO SAVE EVERY DIME THEY CAN.
Totally agree!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!