The Behavioral Health and Integrated Care Integrated Practice Unit (IPU) is a representative group of behavioral health providers across Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist, with representation from Atrium Health. Our focus is on behavioral health and integrated care interdisciplinary work with primary and specialty care medical teams to foster patient health and well-being. We facilitate communication, collaboration, and the sharing of resources among behavioral health providers across departments and sections. We also advocate for behavioral health provider professional interests, including the advancement of standardization, efficiency, organization, and expertise for clinical behavioral health providers concerning coding, billing, documentation, privacy, and credentialing.
Mission
The Behavioral Health and Integrated Care IPU’s mission is to promote excellence in clinical care, research, and education in the behavioral health and integrated care arenas across the Enterprise by promoting dialogue, collaboration, and information-sharing.
Vision
The Behavioral Health and Integrated Care IPU’s vision is to bring together behavioral health providers across the Enterprise to promote quality of care, standardize behavioral health practices, provide a medium for collaboration, and advance excellence in behavioral health and integrated care research, clinical practice, and education. We aim to foster a work environment of belonging, where all team members feel valued, included, supported and empowered in their respective work areas.
Scope
The Behavioral Health and Integrated Care IPU’s efforts will focus on the following actions:
- Develop a process and warehousing system for current information applicable to behavioral health providers and their respective departments that is accessible to all behavioral health providers.
- Standardize processes and practices related to behavioral health care, including provider enrollment, contracting, credentialing, documentation, compliance, privacy, coding, and billing.
- Expansion of clinical workforce to meet patient behavioral health needs in the medical environment.
- Promote coalescence and collaboration of research efforts related to behavioral health care outcomes and innovation.
- Promote the practice of integrated care in primary and specialty care settings.
- Education and Training:
- Enhance training and education in the behavioral health realm of medical and behavioral health student learners.
- Organize and facilitate the training and continuing education of medical and behavioral health staff and faculty regarding behavioral health and integrated care topics.
- Advance behavioral health providers into leadership and administrative positions and supporting those with administrative responsibilities.
- Promotion, Tenure, and Compensation:
- Facilitate connection with mentors to assist with behavioral health faculty promotion goals.
- Advocate for and assist in the development of equitable promotion pathways for behavioral health faculty.
- Educate and advocate for fair compensation, benefits, and productivity goals and structure for behavioral health faculty and staff.
Behavioral Health and Integrated Care IPU Structure
- The Behavioral Health and Integrated Care IPU is led by Co-Chairs of two separate and representative departments, currently Dr. Linda Nicolotti, PhD of the Department of Pediatrics and Dr. Aubry Koehler, PhD of the Department of Family and Community Medicine.
- Members are representative behavioral health and integrated care faculty and staff across the Enterprise.
- Regularly scheduled group meetings.
