Health department scores Blue Shield grant to aid care delivery

The Merced County Department of Public Health has received a new grant that will help it continue efforts to better integrate primary care and mental health services.

The department received $150,000 from the Blue Shield of California Foundation, the maximum amount for this grant.

The award will help address gaps between mental health, substance abuse and primary care services, said Kathleen Grassi, the department’s director.

One of the goals, she said Thursday, is to develop a universal release-of-information form that would allow patients to share information with various health providers of their choice. This would improve communication between physicians, patients and mental-health specialists, Grassi explained.

Sharing information would make it easier for health care professionals to know a patient’s current or previous treatment plans or medication prescriptions.

The grant also would help the department map out an electronic referral system. Many local medical offices reportedly still share information by sending faxes or regular mail. Having an electronic system would reduce the chance of documents being lost.

As part of the grant proposal submitted in June, the county hopes to improve support given to patients seeking mental health services. The money could help with training opportunities for clinic staff to better understand how primary care and mental health are related.

“For example,” Grassi said, “somebody who has been newly diagnosed with diabetes may be facing a whole lot of lifestyle changes that can result in some short-term depression. Having that additional level of support and understanding can be beneficial to the patient.”

Some local clinics already are geared up for this. Health centers such as Golden Valley and Livingston Community, for example, provide mental support services on site along with primary care. But some of these clinics still are looking to improve efficiency.

“What we’ve seen is an influx of patients as a product of the (Affordable Care Act) … and often there aren’t enough providers,” Grassi said.

The grant will fund efforts for a one-year period, but the successful integration of services, Grassi said, is a long-term process and will take time.

This story was originally published September 17, 2015 at 6:15 PM with the headline "Health department scores Blue Shield grant to aid care delivery."