Maryland-based Mindoula has a footprint in 23 states and the District of Columbia.
Community Health Systems, Inc. says it will partner with population health specialist Mindoula to integrate virtual mental health services at CHS's more than 700 primary care venues across 15 states.
Franklin, TN-based CHS says it will use Mindoula's Collaborative Care program to offer patients behavioral health assessments, map out care regimens, and schedule follow-up and additional virtual or in-person care, as needed.
"By integrating behavioral care with primary care, we can help our providers address the whole health of their patients," says CHS CMO Lynn Simon, MD. "Our partnership with Mindoula will help ensure mental health care is readily available for our patients. It will also help address the behavioral health provider shortage by enhancing virtual access to these critical services."
The Mindoula Messenger app provides HIPAA-compliant "clinically-validated patient assessments" and provides patients with messaging for medication reminders and other treatments, secure two-way video, phone and encrypted email. Those assessments provide "actionable intelligence" for primary care physicians monitoring their patients, Mindoula says.
The dearth of mental health clinicians across the United States has been well-documented, even as the need for mental healthcare access increases.
The U.S. Census Bureau said that about 30% of the U.S. population self-reported some level of depression or anxiety in 2021, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. The bureau estimated that 122 million Americans -- 37% of the population -- lived in 5,833 "mental health professional shortage areas", with a projected additional 6,398 mental health providers needed to fill the gaps.
According to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, more than 48,000 Americans committed suicide in 2021, making it the 11th leading cause of death in the nation, while 1.7 million Americans attempted suicide. In addition, the National Institutes of Health estimates that 3 million Americans are addicted to opioids or in recovery.
As states – and especially rural areas -- deal with this dearth of mental healthcare providers, CHS CEO Tim Hingtgen says virtual access behavioral health specialists is becoming more critical.
"A sustainable future for our healthcare systems relies on our ability to deploy innovative solutions that leverage both technology and human interactions to help patients access the clinical resources they need and that also support our clinicians in their practice of medicine," Hingtgen says.
Mindoula, based in Silver Spring, MD, has a footprint in 23 states and the District of Columbia.
“By integrating behavioral care with primary care, we can help our providers address the whole health of their patients.”
Lynn Simon, MD, CMO, CHS.
John Commins is a content specialist and online news editor for HealthLeaders, a Simplify Compliance brand.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
CHS says it will use Mindoula's Collaborative Care program to offer patients behavioral health assessments, map out care regimens, and schedule follow-up and additional virtual or in-person care, as needed.
The Mindoula Messenger app provides HIPAA-compliant 'clinically-validated patient assessments' and provides patients with messaging for medication reminders and other treatments, secure two-way video, phone and encrypted email.