Thursday, April 3, 2025
4/3/2025
Integrating Behavioral Health into Primary Care through Telehealth Evidence-Based Telehealth Network - Address: 550 W. B St. 4th Floor, San Diego, CA 92101-3537 Project Director: Virna Little Phone: (347)203-8856 Email Address: virna@concerthealth.io Website Address: www.concerthealth.com Funds Requested: $1,723,250.00 Current/Past EB-TNP awardee: No Communication with State Offices of Rural Health: Emails sent to Arizona, Arkansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma. Consultation with the Arizona office on 3/11/2024. The Artificial Intelligence Driven - Collaborative Care and Referral Expansion (AID-CCARE) program aims to revolutionize behavioral health treatment in rural and underserved populations across Arizona, Arkansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma. By seamlessly integrating innovative artificial intelligence (AI) identification systems and telehealth technologies, the project will empower rural health providers to optimize the identification of behavioral health conditions and provide options for accessible behavioral healthcare via the telehealth network provided by Concert Health (collaborative care services) and Animo Sano Psychiatry (psychiatry and specialty services), both multi-state outpatient providers of mental health services. The AID-CCARE program represents a transformative approach to addressing the unique challenges of rural healthcare delivery, leveraging cutting-edge technology to bridge gaps in care and ultimately improve the mental health and well-being of underserved populations. The proposed goals for AID-CCARE are: 1) expanding access to telebehavioral health services in historically underserved rural communities; 2) expanding direct referral pathways and specialized care for individuals with higher levels of behavioral health needs; 3) streamlining referral processes for behavioral health services among rural primary care providers; and 4) accurate identification of rural and underserved patients needing behavioral health interventions through AI. Concert Health has strategically selected 21 provider sites located in rural and underserved areas, with high unmet needs scores and percent of individuals reporting poor mental health, according to the Health Resources and Services Administration. The ongoing relationships that Concert Health has with the rurally-located provider organizations, Mercy Health and Tucson Medical Center, will allow for the rigorous implementation of the grant activities and ensure sustainability beyond the grant period. Concert Health has provided behavioral health services through the collaborative care model to 7,055 patients in the Mercy Health network, and 1,184 patients in the Tucson Medical Center in 2023 alone. We hope to expand on this existing partnership by offering direct specialty service options through the grant partner Animo Sano Psychiatry, and streamline the ability to identify and refer patients with behavioral health needs through grant partner Connective Health’s artificial intelligence identification system. Overall, with financial support from this solicitation we hope to: 1) enhance behavioral health identification; 2) increase referrals and conversion rates to Collaborative Care services; 3) increase referrals to specialty and psychiatric services; and 4) improve behavioral health symptom and illness reduction in rural and underserved communities. Through this innovative collaboration, we expect that AI technology implementation will significantly expedite the screening and identification of rural patients with behavioral health needs, facilitating quicker initiation of treatment. At the same time, the grant will elevate the quantity and quality of care provided through the seamless integration of the collaborative care model into primary care provider sites serving rural and underserved populations, while including telepsychiatry to address the high need for specialty and psychiatry services for higher acuity cases.
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).