Name
Integrated Care in Medical Specialties: Updates from the Specialty Integrated Medicine (SIM) Workgroup
Description

CFHA leadership identified a specific aim to expand its membership beyond primary care to welcome clinicians providing integrated care in medical specialties. To support this mission, the Specialty Integrated Medicine (SIM) Workgroup had its first meeting in February 2026. The workgroup consists of members providing integrated care across numerous medical specialties, including oncology, cardiovascular care, neurology, obstetrics and gynecology, gastroenterology, obesity medicine, and endocrinology. This session will report on lessons learned from the first 6 months of the workgroup. Session content will focus on similarities and areas of divergence between medical specialties and between primary and specialty care.

Content Level
All Audience
Tags
Innovations, Team-based care, Workforce development
Session Type
Concurrent
Objective 1
Identify similarities and areas of divergence between integrated primary care and integrated specialty care
Objective 2
Identify common roles and functions of behavioral health providers working in integrated specialty medical settings
Objective 3
Discuss similarities and differences in how integrated care is provided across medical specialties
Content Reference 1

Ivey, L. C., Gilchrist, E. C., & Dickinson, W. P. (2023). Behavioral health integration and specialty medical care: Opportunities for applying knowledge from primary care integration. Families, Systems, & Health, 41(2), 278–281.

Content Reference 2

Cheung, S., Spaeth-Rublee, B., Shalev, D., Li, M., Docherty, M., Levenson, J., & Pincus, H. A. (2019). A model to improve behavioral health integration into serious illness care. Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, 58(3), 503-514.

Content Reference 3

Reiter, J. T., Dobmeyer, A. C., & Hunter, C. L. (2018). The primary care behavioral health (PCBH) model: An overview and operational definition. Journal of clinical psychology in medical settings, 25(2), 109-126.