Providing Health Physicals and/or Health Monitoring Services in Mental Health Clinics: Impact on Laboratory Screening and Monitoring for High Risk Populations.

Providing physical health care in specialty mental health clinics is a promising approach to improving the health status of adults with serious mental illness, but most programs examined in prior studies are not financially sustainable. This study assessed the impact on quality of care of a low-cost program implemented in New York State that allowed mental health clinics to be reimbursed by Medicaid for provision of health monitoring and health physicals (HM/HP). Medicaid claims data were analyzed with generalized linear multilevel models to examine change over time in quality of physical health care associated with HM/HP services.

Predictors of Receipt of Physical Health Services in Mental Health Clinics.

To inform efforts to improve physical health care for adults with serious mental illness, this study examines predictors of provision and receipt of physical health services in freestanding mental health clinics in New York state. The number of services provided over the initial 12-months of implementation varied across clinics from 0 to 1407. Receipt of services was associated with a diagnosis of schizophrenia, frequent mental and physical health visits in the prior year, and prescription of antipsychotic medications.

Impact of a mental health based primary care program on emergency department visits and inpatient stays.

Objective: Integrating primary care services into specialty mental health clinics has been proposed as a method for improving health care utilization for medical conditions by adults with serious mental illness. This paper examines the impact of a mental health based primary care program on emergency department (ED) visits and hospitalizations.

Method: The program was implemented in seven New York City outpatient mental health clinics in two waves.

Impact of a Mental Health Based Primary Care Program on Quality of Physical Health Care.

We examine the impact of mental health based primary care on physical health treatment among community mental health center patients in New York State using propensity score adjusted difference in difference models. Outcomes are quality indicators related to outpatient medical visits, diabetes HbA1c monitoring, and metabolic monitoring of antipsychotic treatment. Results suggest the program improved metabolic monitoring for patients on antipsychotics in one of two waves, but did not impact other quality indicators.

Longitudinal Trends in Tobacco Availability, Tobacco Advertising, and Ownership Changes of Food Stores, Albany, New York, 2003-2015.

Introduction: Frequency of visiting convenience and corner grocery stores that sell tobacco is positively associated with the odds of ever smoking and the risk of smoking initiation among youth. We assessed 12-year trends of tobacco availability, tobacco advertising, and ownership changes in various food stores in Albany, New York.

Methods: Eligible stores were identified by multiple government lists and community canvassing in 2003 (n = 107), 2009 (n = 117), 2012 (n = 135), and 2015 (n = 137).