This was a milestone week for our behavioral health program. Tuesday marked the start of our contract with Mercy Maricopa Integrated Care as the regional behavioral health authority in Maricopa County. The transition has gone well this week. Literally 100s of things had to go right in order to have a smooth transition- including Information Technology, eligibility, pharmacy, medical records, claims management, network capacity and a host of other things. A big thanks go out to the folks at Magellan, MMIC, AHCCCS and our DBHS, IT, and procurement teams for the weeks and weeks of hard work that it took to have a smooth transition for our members. Well done!
Mercy Maricopa’s core mission is dedicated to providing its members access to care for their behavioral and medical health needs — focusing on the whole person, taking a holistic approach and empowering members to take charge of their health care. A new, secure health information exchange will help physical and behavioral health care providers to share information- leading to better care coordination, improved health outcomes, and reduced costs. Folks interested in learning more about Mercy Maricopa Integrated Care can visit their website, which has a host of resources for members and health care providers.
We’re optimistic that our collective hard work over the last couple of years to develop this new system of care will continue to result in better public health outcomes consistent with our Vision of Health and Wellness for all Arizonans.
Cara M. Christ, M.D., M.S. became Director for the Arizona Department of Health Services in May 2015. Dr. Christ has served the agency for more than nine years. Among her many accomplishments at ADHS, Dr. Christ collaborated with health partners and stakeholders to develop strategic plans for infectious disease prevention and control including the Governor’s Council on Infectious Disease Preparedness and Response. She was involved in leading statewide efforts during the 2009 H1N1 pandemic, and worked with partners to find solutions to improve childhood vaccination programs. In 2012, Dr. Christ managed the development and implementation of 20 Articles of Arizona Administrative Code for Health Care Institutions allowing integration of physical and behavioral health services statewide. Dr. Christ obtained her master's degree in microbiology with an emphasis in molecular virology and public health. She earned her Doctor of Medicine from the University of Arizona College of Medicine. Follow the Director on Twitter @DrCaraChrist.
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