The PMFHC is an integrated (physical health/behavioral health) primary care center that is impeded within a behavioral health campus, designed to address the significant disparities in health care for some of the community’s most vulnerable individuals, many of whom were already being served by the health system’s extensive behavioral health care continuum (i.e., seriously mentally ill and and/or homeless).
The need is great. According to National Institute of Mental Health research, individuals with serious mental illness die on average 25 years earlier than the general population. The cause of premature death is frequently the result of chronic, but highly treatable, medical conditions, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, pulmonary disease, hypertension and cancer. These conditions can be further exacerbated by obesity; a sedentary lifestyle; poor nutrition; tobacco, alcohol and other drug use; and other unhealthy lifestyle behaviors. Care at the health center is patient-centered, team-based and holistic, with a strong emphasis on consumer engagement and intervention strategies.
