Let us Lend you a Hand
Referring a Patient
Referring a patient to PCPA is easy! Just have them contact us at (847) 686-0090 or at intake@pcpachicago.com. Please make sure to remind your patient to mention your name as a source of referral in order to expedite the scheduling process! Our clinicians will have your patient sign a Release of Information and will periodically provide you updates on clinical care via fax or phone.
INTEGRATION WITH PCPA: A Collaboration In Healthcare
We specialize in facilitating the integration of behavioral health and medicine through a Collaborative, Comprehensive, Evidence-Based, Efficient, Flexible and Cost-Effective model of care offered to your patients at their medical home. Over the years, we have developed an expertise providing comprehensive psychological services directly out of physician offices in the greater Chicago area using a co-located model of integrated care. We are currently co-located with the following medical practices:
We have extensive prior experience providing co-located services out of multiple Primary Care Clinics within the Northwestern Medicine system.
Our approach represents a radical departure from conventional "diagnose and refer" healthcare models and is superior to typical managed care by virtue of increasing access to care, decreasing patient stigma, improving referral follow-up, enhancing treatment outcomes, and decreasing the burden on medical providers. Our promise to our medical partners is Lower Cost, Healthier Patients and Happier Medical Teams.
If you want to consider co-location, contact Dr. Boris Todorov at (847) 686-0090, Ext. 0115 or btodorov@pcpachicago.com to discuss piloting our model at your clinic. Often the first step is to place one of our clinicians at your office for 8-10 hours, one day a week, to minimize any intrusiveness to your staff. After a few weeks, we can meet with your administrators, review benefits and decide whether to continue forward with co-location.
Collaborative
As part of PCPA’s proprietary model of integration, a specially trained Behavioral Health Clinician (BHC) is deployed to a medical clinic and is integrated with the existing primary/specialty care medical team. The BHC facilitates a continual information exchange with the whole medical team regarding patient referral and case management, assessment, treatment plan and intervention at the patient’s medical home.
Comprehensive
We provide whole-person and whole-lifespan care to all but the most severe mental health concerns at the patient’s medical home. We offer individual, family, couples and group psychotherapy and psychological assessment. Our presence on site increases the range of services available to patients and improves clinical support provided to physicians at the medical home. Our extensive network of community partners allows us to offer case management and appropriate referral to patients who require additional services, while keeping referring providers updated and informed on treatment progress.
Evidence-based
Our BHCs are experienced in the administration of clinical protocols based on tried and tested evidence-based practices for complete outpatient behavioral care at the patient’s medical home. Our assessment protocols are comprised of only the latest versions of psychological tests currently in use.
EFFICIENT
Our BHCs employ a solution-focused, time-limited approach to meeting your patients’ needs. Our evidence-based treatment protocols allow us to address most acute behavioral health concerns within a span of 4-8 appointments. Patients who require additional therapy appointments are accommodated in-house or through an outside referral based on their individual needs and preferences. Patients also are routinely scheduled for periodic behavioral health wellness visits which help sustain clinical gains and prevent future escalations of symptoms.
Flexible
Our services are custom designed to match the needs of our medical partners, including, but not limited to physicians, administrators and business managers. Needs and preferences are assessed continuously to allow for a seamless integration of behavioral health and medicine. Adjustments take weeks rather than years. For your referral needs, our BHCs are currently in-network with most major insurance payers, including Medicare.
Cost-Effective
Evidence-based integration between behavioral health and medicine can decrease inappropriate utilization of healthcare resources, and decrease cost, especially among segments of the population who traditionally over-utilize services. Contracting with PCPA to provide behavioral health services at your clinic is cost-effective compared to hiring and training in-house behavioral health professionals. Our on-site presence reduces the need to refer out to specialty care, effectively minimizing inconvenience to patients and revenue lost through the referral process. Our BHCs’ availability to consult with your patients at the time of their medical visit reduces the time medical teams spend with difficult patients, thereby allowing physicians to bill more patients per day. Improved support to physicians leads to lower physician burnout and staff attrition, thus decreasing organizational expenses associated with hiring and training new staff.