Behavioral Health Care at HopeHealth: Affordable Peace of Mindposted on Monday, April 11, 2011 As the number of patients we see continues to grow, the need for access to affordable mental health care has become increasingly apparent. While one-on-one and group counseling services have been offered through Ryan White programs for years, our community health center patients, especially the uninsured, have struggled to connect with appropriate services. Last summer, HopeHealth was able to hire a licensed practical counselor to administer behavioral health care services to our patients on-site in Florence. Renee Fitch Smith, who has been counseling for more than 14 years, now splits her time between HopeHealth and The CARE House of the Pee Dee. In the time she has been here, Ms. Smith has built a client base of more than 90 patients at HopeHealth. "When I came to Florence, I had high blood pressure and diabetes and was also suffering from some pretty major depression," said Joe, a patient at HopeHealth. His ability to see family nurse practitioner Mary Mitchell to address his medical needs and to see Ms. Smith for counseling has dramatically improved his overall well-being, both mental and physical. HopeHealth has cultivated partnerships with area behavioral health care organizations, including Circle Park Behavioral Health Care and Pee Dee Mental Health, for the mutual benefit of our patients. Demand for behavioral health care services, however, currently exceeds capacity. "We feel fortunate to be able to fill a need for many of our patients whose options for mental health are limited or nonexistent, but we foresee needing to expand this program in the future to better accommodate the need," said Dr. Brian Hanna, chief medical officer at HopeHealth. "Fortunately, HopeHealth is committed to growing to meet the broadening needs of those we serve," said Carl Humphries, chief executive officer, "and our behavioral health care program, small as it is now, is another example of this commitment." * This is a printer friendly version of the original page, made to save you ink and paper.
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