Care Coordination & Integration

In order to have an effective healthcare system that is patient centered, care coordination is inherent. This involves significant communication between health professionals, to ensure that quality care is consistently provided to patients. In addition, as care teams strive to make primary care the center for all of a patient’s general needs, further integration may be necessary. With primary care serving as the “hub” for most patients, incorporating facets of other fields is not only plausible but an obvious next step for better coordination. 

The PCC has consistently acknowledged the need for an increase in care coordination, and further integration of other fields, such as oral health and behavioral health. The PCC has shown a commitment to further primary care integration by creating the Primary Care and Behavioral Health Integration Workgroup and participating in grants centered around increasing the visibility of oral health in the primary care space.