Improving the lives of people with schizophrenia
A story of recovery & hope
“The value of the weekly gathering goes far beyond any single topic. I practice in a rural area and can feel somewhat isolated. I have been able to bring challenging cases to the IC@N Project ECHO virtual learning community and get really good tips on how to manage them.”
The BeST Center and its partners are working to improve the quality of life and care for individuals affected by chronic physical and psychiatric conditions. Integrated care refers to any attempt to fully or partially blend mental health services with general and/or specialty medical services.
Serious mental illness can impact physical health and shorten life expectancy. People with serious mental illness live an average of twenty-five years less than those in the population without a serious mental illness. This disparity is largely due to treatable medical conditions like cardiovascular disease and complications from diabetes, cancer and strokes. For people with serious mental illness, these often remain unaddressed due to factors at the individual, treatment, provider, clinic, and system levels of health and mental health services.
Primary care providers who have contact when symptoms first present, can help to identify serious mental illness early. By treating both the mental and physical needs of individuals, we see improved patient outcomes and recovery.
Primary care clinicians are often the first point of contact for people with psychosis. The BeST Center offers support for primary care clinicians through webinars, information and a printable booklet: Psychosis Care in Primary Care: A Primary Care Clinician’s Guide to Psychosis.
To learn more, visit the Psychosis Care in Primary Care page.
IC@N ECHO offers weekly educational programs and case consultation aimed at building expertise and enhancing care delivery for individuals with complex, co-occurring psychiatric and physical conditions and for promoting integrated, team-based care. A public service provided by NEOMED.
Fridays from noon to 1 p.m.
See the program schedule
Questions? Write to IntegratedCareECHO@380cebbe0d.nxcli.io.
New registrants are welcome! Anyone who works in or is interested in the health care field (physicians, counselors, social workers, psychologists, nurses, nurse practitioners, peer supporters, and other interested professionals and students) can join the IC@N ECHO. Sessions begin with a didactic presentation followed by a case presentation and a discussion led by hub members. Register to participate.
IC@N ECHO Library Guide Resources
View previous IC@N ECHO didactics or view other Project ECHO at NEOMED brief lectures.
Please contact Nichole E. Ammon, M.S.Ed., LPCC-S, BeST Center manager of integrated health care initiatives, at nammon@380cebbe0d.nxcli.io or 330.325.6613 to learn more.
BeST Center
Email: bestcenter@380cebbe0d.nxcli.io
NEOMED Coordinating Center of Excellence