Deal Between Benson Hospital, Concert Health Integrates BH Services into Primary Care Setting in Arizona

Benson Hospital, a critical access hospital that operates rural health clinics in southern Arizona, on Tuesday announced that it has entered into a partnership with behavioral health medical group Concert Health to collaborate on a model that will integrate behavioral health services with primary care.

The collaborative model will allow Benson’s primary care practitioners to identify and diagnose behavioral health conditions, and then make warm hand-offs to Concert’s remote behavioral care managers for appropriate interventions.

“It is a privilege to bring behavioral health services to the Benson community,” Virna Little, LCSW, PsyD, co-founder and chief operating officer of Concert Health, said in a news release. “Primary care providers are often responsible for treating an enormous amount of behavioral health conditions, especially in rural communities. Benson Hospital continues to implement innovative models and creative solutions to meet the needs of their patients, and we are proud to support their integration of high-quality behavioral health services into primary care.”

Concert provides its services to patients in 8 states with a staff of more than 85 licensed professionals and more than 25 psychiatric consultants, according to its website.

The deal to expand access to behavioral healthcare in a rural part of Arizona comes as many in less populated areas have struggled to connect with such services. A 2018 study published by Cohen Veterans Network and the National Council found that 1 in 5 Americans with a mental illness have reported being unable to access treatment and 46% of Americans have said they know of someone who has had to travel more than an hour roundtrip to receive mental health treatment services.