Chiricahua and SEABHS Celebrate One Year of Successful Integration

-PRESS RELEASE – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE –

Chiricahua and SEABHS Celebrate One year of Successfully Integrating Care

SIERRA VISTA, AZ (Aug. 30, 2018) –  Last year, Chiricahua opened a full-service medical clinic inside of the Southeastern Arizona Behavioral Health Services, Inc. (SEABHS) Campus Drive location as a part of a collaborative effort to integrate mental and behavioral health with primary medical care. The collaboration was well received from the start. Chiricahua started the medical clinic just being open one day per week to now being open four days per week.

Earlier this month Chiricahua and SEABHS held a small celebration to honor their one year of successful partnership and to discuss future endeavors that was attended by city leadership, nonprofit partners, and Chiricahua and SEABHS staff.

Karen Crockett, M.D. Chiricahua provider at SEABHS said, “I am able to provide care to many patients who would otherwise not go into a doctor’s office or to the community health center. They can now receive care without leaving the facility in a place where they already feel safe.”

Larry Stansbury, site supervisor for the Sierra Vista SEABHS location said, “There are so many good things that have come from having a doctor on campus it is hard to remember them all. I have been surprised at how quickly it got off the ground and problems were resolved. Our two organizations really work together well. We emphasize quality and efficiency.”

Stansbury continued, “There have been instances when a patient came in for what they thought was a psychological crisis, but it really is medical crisis: elevated blood sugar, hypertensive crisis or elevated blood pressure. We have been able to pull in Dr. Crockett to address the medical crisis’s and have helped patients avoid emergency visits or unnecessary hospitalization.”

Dr. Crockett has found her love for the work of integrated health. She has begun providing guided imagery relaxation, guided meditation to the anger management group, and has been working to start a medicated assisted opioid addiction treatment program with suboxone. Dr. Crockett is now certified to provide this treatment and is working closely with addiction counselors at SEABHS to develop a protocol for addiction treatment in Sierra Vista. She also stepped up to provide regularly scheduled injections for antipsychotic medications. The patients who receive this treatment are prescribed via telemedicine but would have nowhere to go to receive the treatment as the injection has to be administered by a medical professional.

Jim Rubio, chief executive officer of SEABHS said, “I am still thankful for the joint venture and the collaborative effort. I have heard nothing but of a yearlong of success stories for our members’ good medical care. This ensures the members are getting the care instead of being sent out of house where they may just not go to get treatment. Additionally, the new payment model coming in October for behavioral health in Arizona really favors integrated care. This partnership is ahead of the game.”

Chiricahua Community Health Centers, Inc. is a mission-driven Federally Qualified Health Center and is a tax exempt not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization. It was founded as a grassroots community effort in 1996 as a makeshift clinic in Elfrida’s small community center and has since grown to be the largest primary care organization in southeastern Arizona. Chiricahua Community Health Centers currently has 10 locations in Benson, Bisbee, Douglas, Elfrida, Sierra Vista and Willcox, with two additional locations under construction, and five mobile medical and dental units that serve rural Cochise County.

Southeastern Arizona Behavioral Health Services, Inc., is a Not-for-Profit Community Mental Health and Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Agency serving Southeastern Arizona with an array of services since 1976. SEABHS was originally founded in 1976 to serve as the administrative entity overseeing behavioral health services in Santa Cruz, Cochise, Graham and Greenlee counties. Founded and originally headquartered in Santa Cruz County, SEABHS developed a network of provider agencies across the four counties and currently has offices located in Benson, Clifton, Douglas, Globe, Nogales, Safford, Sierra Vista and Willcox.

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POC: Sarah Pacheco, Public Relations and Media Specialist
spacheco@cchci.org
520-450-3012 ext.7525