New CCNC Mental Health Leadership Hits the Ground Running
Though the two newest members of our mental health team are still discovering the “lay of the land” as far as their responsibilities are concerned, Erin Greene and Dr. Craig Hummel believe that “access of care” and “management of resources” are the most pressing issues at this time. Erin Greene is the new Behavioral Health Program Coordinator at Community Care of Southern Piedmont (CCofSP), and Dr. Craig Hummel is our new Network Psychiatrist.
Hummel says that when primary care providers see patients they suspect have mental health issues, they need to know where they can find the resources they need to treat or refer their patients. He wants to have a system in place that physicians can effectively utilize to get the assistance they need.Recognizing patients who utilize the most Medicaid resources is another high priority for Hummel. “We want to find out who they are and help them to more efficiently use the system,” says Hummel. He believes that managing their care will result in better health outcomes and reduce the cost of their treatment.
Greene says that they are also looking at co-locating mental health providers within doctors’ offices. This will help with screening and referral of patients with mental health needs. Other areas of focus include medication reconciliation, coordination of care for patients with multiple diagnoses and education of nurse/care managers.