Putting Mental Health at the Heart of Primary Care

For Michael Zielinski, MD, a primary care physician and champion of the Northwestern Medicine Collaborative Behavioral Health Program, mental healthcare isn’t separate from healthcare — it’s at the heart of it. “There are so many people suffering from anxiety and depression,” he explains. “As primary care doctors, we see it every single day, usually multiple times a day. Improving access means we can help more people.”

Like many primary care clinicians, Dr. Zielinski once faced the frustration of having few options when a patient urgently needed psychiatric care. “I can’t tell you how awful it was five-plus years ago when I had someone in my office who needed to see a psychiatrist and they couldn’t get in with anyone,” he recalls.

A Seamless Fit for Primary Care

That changed when Northwestern Medicine launched the Collaborative Behavioral Health Program, bringing mental healthcare directly into primary care. For Dr. Zielinski, the difference was immediate. He no longer had to tell patients that help wasn’t available. Now he could connect them with timely, evidence-based support. Since adopting the program, he’s referred more than 50 patients, each a reminder of how integrated care can change lives. “I’ve seen many long-time anxiety sufferers finally connect with the right therapist through CBHP and now they’re doing so much better,” he says.

Implementing the Collaborative Behavioral Health Program in his practice was straightforward. “There were no barriers to me using this program,” he says. “The initial presentation of how it worked was all I needed.” For clinicians who want additional guidance, the program offers a wealth of resources to support the process.

Better for Patients, Better for Clinicians

Dr. Zielinski emphasizes that the program doesn’t just change patients’ lives, it also transforms the experience of being a primary care clinician. “When someone comes in with anxiety or depression, I can utilize CBHP and know they’ll be well cared for,” he says. “And the data shows they’re more likely to do better compared to usual care.”

He also points out that burnout among primary care clinicians is real, and having trusted partners for behavioral health, like behavioral care coordinators and psychiatric consultants, has lifted a significant weight off his shoulders. “This program has helped a lot in removing this one burden from our practice,” he says. “I love that there’s an easier way to get my patients into mental health care quickly.”

The Collaborative Behavioral Health Program shows what’s possible when mental health becomes an integral part of primary care by improving outcomes, reducing burnout and helping patients live healthier, fuller lives.

Learn more about the Collaborative Behavioral Health Program.