The UW Neighborhood Clinics (UWNC) recently received a Washington Award of Excellence in Healthcare Quality from Qualis Health for their Behavioral Health Integration Program, or BHIP. BHIP is a team-based, collaborative care approach designed to improve the outcomes of anxiety and depression management in primary care. UW Medicine psychiatrists work as clinic-based psychiatric consultants who are responsible for supporting mental health care provided by primary care providers and care managers as well as providing direct patient consultations. The result is coordinated, effective, and convenient mental health care available in more than 15 UW clinics throughout the Puget Sound region. The model has resulted in significant improvement in the number of patients achieving care plan goals related to their anxiety or depression. More than 70% of patients with depression and 65% of patients with anxiety enrolled in BHIP have shown a 50% or greater improvement in symptoms following a minimum of 10 weeks of treatment.

UWNC was one of five healthcare organizations across the state of Washington recognized for their achievements in improving healthcare quality and outcomes including better healthcare for individuals, better health for populations, and reduced costs through improvement. Qualis Health, based in Seattle, is one of the nation’s leading population health management organizations. Peter McGough, UWNC Medical Director, and Jay Wellington, UWNC Manager of Social Work, accepted the award.