#collaborative-care

#collaborative-care

Each year Americans make an estimated 500 million visits to primary care doctors. In fact, the CDC found just over 85% of Americans had a visit with a doctor or health professional in the past year. Whether for annual checkups, illnesses, ailments, or other physical concerns, these visits are relatively routine and somewhat expected. Contrast that with the American Medical Association's finding that less than half of the 43 million adults identified with a mental illness receive treatment.

The other day, I was coming out of a supermarket, and a woman approached me, telling me a story about losing her home and that she was hungry. I was about to take her grocery shopping, but she informed me she was homeless. There was a Chick-fil-A up the street, so I gave her money to buy a warm meal. I worried where she might stay to remain warm because it was a cold evening.