What is Clinical Integration?
Clinical integration has many definitions ... The American Medical Association (AMA) describes clinical integration as "the means to facilitate the coordination of patient care across conditions, providers, settings, and time in order to achieve care that is safe, timely, effective, efficient, equitable, and patient-focused."
Why is clinical integration important? Because many health care providers and organizations practice "in silos," meaning that they lack meaningful connections and information exchange with other health care entities. Without coordination across multiple settings, patients are more likely to receive duplicative diagnostic tests, have adverse prescription drug interactions and get conflicting care plans.
What does Clinical Integration mean for IPHCA and our members?
At IPHCA we recognize the importance of collaboration across the clinical disciplines, which is why we created the IPHCA Clinically Integrated Team. The team consists of representatives from the Clinical, Oral Health, Behavioral Health and Quality Improvement fields. We work together to provide technical assistance, create opportunities for learning and peer sharing across disciplines, offer guidance with whole-person approaches to care, and develop insight within our health centers around integrated care. The goal of this team is to continue to improve access and delivery of comprehensive care for all Hoosiers.
Get to know our team below
IPHCA Clinical is led by Nicole Stilianos, Chief Clinical Officer.
Nicole serves as IPHCA's medical subject matter expert and supports health centers in areas of integration and advancing care models with a collaborative approach that enhances a multidisciplinary approach to address chronic disease management, prevention, and social drives of health. She represents IPHCA as the chief clinical officer in relationships with external partners as well as outside health care organizations.
IPHCA Oral Health is led by Karla Marin, Oral Health Program Director
Karla has wide experience as a dentist and of supporting community Health Centers' dental clinics, hospitals, and private practices' dental clinics operations. Her role at IPHCA is to develop and coordinate programming to increase awareness of the importance of oral health care, while providing technical assistance, resources, and training to CHCs to help improve access to quality dental care in underserved communities, strengthen oral health integration, and enhance the public perception of the value of oral health as part of overall wellbeing.
Behavioral Health is led by Lyndsey White, Behavioral Health and SUD Director
Lyndsey White, LCSW, has been a practicing clinical social worker for over 10 years and is currently serving as the Behavioral Health and Substance Use Disorder Director for the Indiana Primary Health Care Association. The primary focus of her work has been on exploring strategies to reduce disparities in access to health care, digital engagement, data analysis, and the promotion of integrated health care delivery models. Lyndsey strives to reduce the stigma experienced by individuals living with complex comorbid physical and behavioral health care needs.
IPHCA Quality Improvement is led by Maggie Kroeff Streiff.
Maggie Kroeff Streiff's role at IPHCA revolves around supporting centers in the areas of population health management and quality improvement through one-on-one technical assistance, group education, and facilitating structured peer sharing. IPHCA aims to support community health centers' quality improvement efforts by focusing on a systems approach to improve care delivery.