Tempe, Ariz. – Cenpatico of Arizona presented a check for $32,000 this afternoon to Mountain Health & Wellness (MHW) to create garden pathways at Earthheart Park and Community Garden in Apache Junction.  The contribution is one of several Community Reinvestment Awards given by Cenpatico throughout its Arizona service areas. 

The four-acre wellness based garden and park will be located at Superstition Boulevard and Plaza Drive adjacent to the new MHW Integrated Health Care Facility. 

“At Cenpatico, we are dedicated to being a partner with our local communities and are always looking for opportunities to give back,” said Terry Stevens, Chief Executive Officer of Cenpatico of Arizona.  “Earthheart Park is a perfect fit with our goal of improving lives.”

The park and community garden will actively promote eight areas of wellness including physical, emotional and environmental.  It will serve as a community gathering place for physical activity, nutritional awareness and artistic expression. 

“Earthheart Park will be a valuable resource for our community,” said Rob Evans, CEO and President of Mountain Health & Wellness.  “We very much appreciate the financial support provided by Cenpatico of Arizona to make this dream become a reality.”

As part of its new contracts with the Arizona Department of Health Services, Cenpatico committed to giving back a percentage of its after-tax profits for community reinvestment.  Earlier this year, Cenpatico sought proposals from community organizations to fund worthwhile projects.

Cenpatico is the Regional Behavioral Health Authority for Cochise, Gila, Graham, Greenlee, La Paz, Pinal, Santa Cruz and Yuma counties.  Cenpatico Behavioral Health of Arizona (Cenpatico) services are funded through a contract with the Arizona Department of Health Service/Division of Behavioral Health Services (ADHS/DBHS) and AHCCCS.

Cenpatico has worked with Managed Health Services (MHS) in Indiana, since 2007, to support its SBHC Project. Through the SBHC Project, we work closely with MHS, community health centers, community mental health centers, and school districts to promote SBHCs in Indiana. The SBHC Project is part of the services provided under the Hoosier Healthwise State/Managed Care Entity (MCE) contract.  Cenpatico and MHS “plan for, develop and/or enhance relationships with school-based health centers (SBHCs) with the goal of providing accessible quality preventative and primary health care services to school-aged children in Indiana.”

In Lake County, Cenpatico and MHS have worked with Gary Community Health Center (FQHC), Regional Mental Health Center (CMHC) and Lake Ridge Schools since 2008 to provide behavioral health services within the school system. Recent analysis indicates that utilization of the clinic’s services by students is trending downward, possibly due to improved health across the student population but further analysis is necessary to confirm.  Additionally, healthcare services are available at the Lake Ridge SBHC to the community at large, adding overall access. 

Cenpatico and MHS have also worked with Madison County Community Health Center (MCCHC) and Alexandria School Corporation on an initiative to develop a SBHC at a middle school in that district. That effort was facilitated by a $25,000 planning grant from Centene Foundation to support the SBHC initiative. Cenpatico and MHS are Centene subsidiaries.  “While school budget cuts resulted in the project being delayed, we continue to work with these partners on ways to bring a SBHC and behavioral health services to their students,” according to Mark Fisher, Cenpatico’s School-Based Services Administrator.

Cenpatico and MHS have taken a national stance on supporting school-based health care services, by becoming organizational members of the National Assembly on School-Based Health Care (NASBHC).  This organization promotes and supports school-based health centers (SBHCS) to assure that all children and adolescents receive high quality, comprehensive primary and preventive health care services.  School-based health centers can greatly enhance access to health care and create educational success for school-aged children and youth. 

About Cenpatico-

Cenpatico’s expertise lies in managing benefits for vulnerable populations. Our healthcare specialties include behavioral health, school-based services, specialty therapy and rehabilitation, community reentry and more. We have managed Medicaid and other public sector benefits since 1994; currently, we serve more than 1.4 million members across nine states. Our headquarters are in Austin, Texas and we have local teams across the country in the markets we serve. We are committed to innovative solutions and designing programs tailored to improving functional outcomes with our members.

Common symptoms of depression include:

• Crying spells
• Feelings of worthlessness
• Guilt and/or hopelessness
• Lack of energy
• Change in eating or sleeping habits
• Thoughts of suicide

There are many effective treatments available. Click on the following resources for more information about depression and other mood disorders.

• Behavioral Health Resources
• Depression Screening Tool
• About Mood Disorders (Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance)
• Signs, Symptoms and Treatment of Depression – (National Institute of Mental Health)

Cenpatico also continues to be a proud sponsor of the NAMIWALK, which increases understanding about the need for treatment and recovery programs for those suffering from a mental affliction.

Click on the links below for more information about mental disorders and Mental Illness Awareness Week. The more you know, the better equipped you will be to take control of your mental health.

• Behavioral Health Resources
• Mental Illness (American Psychiatric Association)
• Mental Illness Awareness Week Resources (National Alliance on Mental Illness)

Eilers was requested to speak at this event because of her previous role as Executive Director of the Adoption Coalition of Texas, where the organization won the 2011 National Collaboration Prize.  As a keynote speaker, Eilers spoke of working with organizations at the community level as well as building partnerships and exploring partnership options with state agencies and corporations. Eilers also shared about her new role as Foster Care Director at Cenpatico, the organization’s mission of Improving Lives, and how it takes everyone, working together, to accomplish this goal. She has been asked to serve on the Collaboration College Advisory Board over the next year to assist with any questions and provide consultation.

In her presentation, Eilers said, “Collaboration isn’t forced. You look for common goals and the passion to work together. You check your ego at the door. The mission is what drives you as well as the realization that, by working together, you can achieve more than alone.”

On Tuesday, Sept. 6, the Williamson County Mental Health Task Force held a ceremony at 9 a.m. on the south steps on the Williamson County Courthouse to symbolize the 39 individuals who committed suicide last year in Williamson County, Texas. Cenpatico was pleased to donate teddy bears for the event; these bears were donated to the Children’s Advocacy Center following the ceremony. One of the speakers at the ceremony was Jeff Curley of ‘Pick with Austin’ whose son lost his battle with depression and committed suicide.

To learn more about Suicide Prevention, click on one of the following resources:

•             Who does suicide affect?

•             Suicide in America – Frequently Asked Questions (National Institute of Mental Health)

•             Older Adults: Depression and Suicide Facts (National Institute of Mental Health)

•             Suicide in the U.S.: Statistics and Prevention (National Institute of Mental Health)

On September 7, the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) is sponsoring a video cast research symposium on suicide prevention from 2 to 3:30 p.m. (Eastern). Click here for more information.

Are you in a crisis? If so, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).

Cenpatico is working with Edifecs  to ensure a successful transition to the new formats.  Trading partners are required to complete HIPAA Version 5010 testing and certification using the Centene Edifecs Ramp Management Testing Facility.  To obtain access to the HIPAA Version 5010 Companion Guides, sample files and FAQs, trading partners must enroll on the Centene Edifecs Ramp Management site: www.centene.com/edifecs

• Please click here to see Cenpatico’s EDI HIPAA Version 5010 FAQ document

Additional information regarding HIPAA version 5010 will be communicated on the Centene Edifecs Ramp Management site and distributed to trading partners that have enrolled for testing on the Centene Edifecs Ramp Management site.

Questions? Contact the EDI Helpdesk at ediba@centene.com or 1-800-225-2573, Ext. 25525.

Cenpatico hosted events and educational sessions for provider agencies in Arizona to discuss the importance of integrated care, the various approaches to integration, and education on the changes in healthcare system due to the Accountable Care Act.  Cenpatico asked Intake and Coordination of Care providers to develop formal work plans for integrating care.  Cenpatico provided resources, including, research studies and models of integration.  As the work plans were developed, four models of integrated care were selected.  The four models include placing physical health providers in behavioral health facilities, placing behavioral health providers in physical health facilities, behavioral health providers employing physical health staff and locating them in their behavioral health facilities, and behavioral health providers employing physical health providers located in adjacent facilities.  Four agencies that have made great strides in implementing integrated care:

Pinal Hispanic Council (PHC) in collaboration with Sun Life Family Health Center (Sun Life), a federally qualified health center (FQHC), have created a reverse co-location health integration model in which Sun Life will imbed a medical physician within PHC with special focus on individuals with Serious Mental Illness. PHC and Sun Life have partnered together for twenty one years and, together, feel that medical integration is a natural next step to ensuring both entities are prepared for the future.

Arizona Counseling & Treatment Services, L.L.C. (ACTS) believes that addressing both the physical and behavioral health needs of people allow for a more comprehensive and collaborative treatment experience. ACTS has formed co-location partnerships with regional Federally Qualified Healthcare Clinics in Southern Arizona; these include the Sunset Community Health Center and Canyonlands Community Health Clinic. David Waples, CEO of ACTS, is committed to bringing the vision of integration to Southern Arizona. The organization is working to establish the framework of a Biodyne-Consultative type model.  A co-located ACTS Behavioral Health Representative in these facilities will afford ACTS the opportunity to serve the ‘whole person’.  ACTS and their partners are dedicated to improving the overall health, wellness, and quality of life of the individuals they serve.

Southeastern Arizona Behavioral Health Services (SEABHS) has developed medical integration plans to improve the overall health and care of the people served. Recognizing that data indicates that persons with serious mental illnesses had higher incidences of chronic illnesses and shorter life spans, SEABHS developed its plan to integrate primary health with behavioral health services by making medical services available in the same location as the behavioral health clinic.

In the SEABHS- Safford, AZ outpatient clinic, the staff made modifications to the physical space for medical services, developed policies and billing procedures for medical services and obtained medical license. Provision of services in this model would assure an integrated electronic record, services available under one roof.

In the SEABHS-Sierra Vista outpatient office, the organization pursued integration in collaboration with the Chiricahua Community Health Center (CCHC), an FQHC serving Cochise County, Arizona. They developed a memorandum of understanding between the agencies permitting utilization of the CCHC mobile van at the SEABHS office to provide medical services to behavioral health participants. In addition, wellness activities such as blood pressure checks, diabetes screenings and other health education activities are provided during the visit in the outpatient clinic. Behavioral health staff accompany patients to their medical appointments and ensure communication between providers.

The Mountain Health & Wellness (MHW) commitment to providing integrated primary care, behavioral healthcare and wellness services was borne out of the experience of CEO Rob Evans and his Executive Team’s knowledge of the field. Several years ago, Evans established a program in a major hospital’s level one trauma unit to intervene in the substance abuse issues of those admitted to the hospital. The issues became clear concerning the medical and financial consequences of untreated behavioral health and substance abuse disorders as a major cost generator to the healthcare system. More importantly, patients were not doing well in terms of quality of life when treated only for their physical injuries.

MHS considered three questions prior to making the decision to move forward with integration: Is it the right thing to do for the people that we serve? Is it sustainable? How do you make it happen? Having answered yes to the first two questions, the idea of building an Integrated Healthcare Organization was presented to the MHW Board of Directors in January of 2008. The Board approved this ambitious strategic initiative and the staff began the process of answering question number three: How do you make it happen?

MHW leadership studied the literature on integration, consulted with other healthcare providers and formed a plan to move forward. The plan called for the construction a new 35,000 sq. ft. building that included primary and behavioral health care clinics as well as a pharmacy and space to provide Yoga, Tai Chi and other means for engaging patients in wellness activities. After completing the building, the challenges around staffing primary care providers, process mapping for integrating care, developing an integrated Electronic Health Record (EHR) and entering into contracts with commercial funding sources began.

On June 1, 2011 MHW saw its first primary care patients in the new building. In addition, MHW now provides integrated care on a second campus for its patients designated as being persistently and chronically mentally ill.

“There is incredible enthusiasm throughout MHW and throughout the community concerning our opportunity to improve care for folks through integrated service delivery”, said CEO Rob Evans. “We have received incredible support and encouragement from our funding sources, including Cenpatico, as well as from many commercial insurance carriers. We are out of the blocks with the wind in our sails and having more fun doing this work than any of us imagined. As we discovered when we answered our original question number one, this is simply the right thing to do for people.”

A patient at MHW commented, “My previous primary care doctor has no understanding of my psych problems, so that makes it difficult for me to get good care. Since doctors coordinate care with my psych providers, I definitely want to make an appointment!”

An woman who had recently lost her husband came in to MHS for a well woman visit. She commented that she loves her doctor, and that it made her feel important when he listened and had a behaviorist speak with her. She felt that the behaviorist was phenomenal and made her understand a great deal about the grieving process, and that she had no idea she would “not only be listened to, but heard as well.”

Another patient commented, “The best thing about this is that I can get my psych meds and my health needs taken care of under one roof by people who talk to each other.”

Cenpatico continues to monitor the development of these integrated care models in Arizona. They also offer technical assistance and support including guidance on licensure issues, sharing of medical records, billing for services and more. Cenpatico plans to extend their care integration models to the other markets where they do business and encourage providers to create integrated models of care where members receive physical and behavioral health services in a single location.

About Cenpatico-

Cenpatico is a multi-state managed health care company based in Austin, Texas.  It is a subsidiary of Centene Corporation, a Fortune 500 Company.  Since 1994, Cenpatico has been dedicated to serving in the public sector only and has approximately 1.7 million members across the country.  The company’s public sector healthcare specialties include behavioral health, school-based services, specialty therapy and rehabilitation, community reentry and more utilizing a local approach to service coordination and delivery.  We are committed to innovative solutions and designing programs tailored to improving functional outcomes with our members. Find us online: www.cenpatico.com

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[2] Center for American Progress, “Mental Health Care Services in Primary Care, Tackling the Issues in the Context of Health Care Reform” (2010) available at www/americanprogress.org.